Advertisement

China’s new Type 076 Sichuan is a next-level amphibious assault ship

PLA’s next-generation warship will boast fighter and drone strike power with an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
China’s first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, is seen in a Shanghai shipyard last December. The flat-top vessel will serve as a fleet command centre that will enable drones, helicopters, fighters and landing craft to approach an adversary’s coast. Photo: Xinhua
Hayley Wongin Beijing

China’s latest amphibious warship is designed to take sea-to-land assaults to the next level – a vessel capable of launching fighters and fixed-wing drones like never before.

The new-generation Type 076 assault ship will feature an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system, allowing a wider variety of aircraft to take off more frequently during an amphibious attack.

The flat-top vessel will serve as a fleet command centre that will enable drones, helicopters, fighters and landing craft to approach an adversary’s coast.

China’s first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, was launched in Shanghai in December. Photo: Xinhua
China’s first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, was launched in Shanghai in December. Photo: Xinhua
Its unprecedented size, launch ability and expected drone transport role will position it as a light, regionally based aircraft carrier that can be deployed to potential flashpoints in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

First for an assault ship

The Sichuan, which was first spotted on satellite images in 2023, was officially launched as the first Type 076 ship in December with the hull number 51.

The vessel is undergoing equipment tests, mooring and sea trials, and is expected to be commissioned by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by the end of 2026.

The warship is an upgrade over China’s first amphibious assault ship – the Type 075 – which was launched in 2019 and went into service 19 months later.
The most notable advances are the electromagnetic catapult and arresting gears, which are similar to what was installed on China’s first-ever catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian.
SCMP Series
[ 10 of 13 ]
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x