China confirms PLA Navy’s new Type 076 amphibious assault ship will be a drone carrier

Comments from naval commander Chi Jianjun also underscore how growing role of drones and attack robots in warfare is an ‘undeniable trend’

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The Sichuan, China’s first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, is seen on its launch day, at a Shanghai dockyard on December 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:00pm, 13 Jan 2025

China’s newly launched Type 076 amphibious assault ship will play a key role in boosting uncrewed combat capabilities, a navy commander has said, in the first official acknowledgement of the warship’s widely speculated role as a drone carrier.

In an interview aired by state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval commander Chi Jianjun said efforts to integrate uncrewed systems into military training were already under way across the fleet.

Chi is commander of the PLA’s most advanced large destroyer, the domestically built Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer Nanchang. The warship marked its fifth anniversary in service on Sunday.

In comments that underscored the growing role of drones and attack robots on the battlefield, Chi said: “It’s not just us destroyers. Aircraft carriers, the newly launched Type 076, the earlier Type 075 [amphibious assault ship], and other vessels are and will all be involved. Uncrewed operations are an undeniable trend in modern warfare.”

Chi’s comments were yet another indication of the PLA’s commitment to upgrade automation and uncrewed technologies.