China launched on Friday the first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship that can carry and launch drones and multiple aircraft including fighter jets, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The ship, named after the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, is equipped with electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology similar to that of an aircraft carrier.
The Sichuan, hull number 51, is believed to be the largest amphibious assault ship in the world and has a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 tons.
It features a full-length 260-meter flight deck, from which helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and light fixed-wing aircraft will be launched using the catapult in the same manner as an aircraft carrier.
The vessel can carry more weapons and equipment, has longer range and stronger capabilities compared to the previous model Type 075, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times newspaper.
Xinhua quoted unidentified Chinese navy officials as saying that the Type 076 would play “a key role in advancing the navy’s transformation and enhancing its combat capabilities in the far seas.”
The manufacturer has yet to do mooring and navigation tests, as well as equipment commissioning.
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Larger and more capable
The Type 076, also known by the NATO reporting name Yulan-class landing helicopter assault ship, “represents a substantial step forward in the ability of the People’s Liberation Army to project power farther from China’s shores,” said authors of a report carried out in the summer by the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS.
With a flight deck of 13,500 square meters – nearly the area of three U.S. football fields – the vessel is considerably larger than U.S. America-class amphibious assault vessels and Japan’s Izumo-class helicopter carriers.
The CSIS researchers also noted that the electromagnetic catapult, similar to that of the U.S. Ford-class aircraft carriers, makes it “unique among all other amphibious assault ships.” That means it is capable of carrying more aircraft, both manned and unmanned, and of launching larger aircraft with heavier payloads.
Besides combat and reconnaissance drones, the Type 076 could carry helicopters and fighter aircraft like the multirole fighter Shenyang J-15.
According to the researchers, once operational, the Type 076 will serve as a multifunctional combat platform, capable of conducting air operations, launching amphibious landings, and providing joint command and control for broader amphibious forces.
“While it will not fundamentally tip the military balance in the Indo-Pacific, the introduction of the Type 076 will give the PLA even greater options in bringing combat power to bear, whether in the Western Pacific, the South China Sea, or beyond,” they said.
China has the world’s largest navy by number, with 234 vessels to the U.S. Navy’s 219, according to the CSIS. Chinese ships are also newer and its shipyards are more productive.
However, the U.S. “continues to hold an advantage in guided missile cruisers and destroyers,” and remains dominant in submarine capabilities, it said.
Edited by RFA Staff.
