On Tuesday, footage was posted to the Chinese social media app Weibo showing a PLAN Type 071 landing ship billowing out black smoke from various parts of the vessel.
BREAKING: Reports that China's most advanced ship 980 hull number Type 071 landing ship (Longhushan) is on fire pic.twitter.com/eOVtNvzaQl
— AlexandruC4 (@AlexandruC4) November 21, 2023
By the time the footage hit X, a whirlwind of rumors began claiming that the ship was on fire, however, what we are most likely seeing a smokescreen exercise or damage control drill.
We have previously seen black obscurant be used by Type 071 landing ships and other PLAN vessels before, with crews placing smoke canisters on various parts of the vessels. The is opposed to the white obscurant used by naval vessels at sea that we are typically used to seeing during smoke screens.
