Official announcements from the Chinese government or defense industry news

China Launches Type 076 Sichuan, World's Largest Amphibious Assault Ship with Electromagnetic Catapults

Dec 27, 2024, 03:07 AM

China on December 27 launched its first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, in Shanghai. Named after the southwestern province of Sichuan, the independently developed vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony and given the hull number 51. The Sichuan is the world's largest amphibious assault ship, with a full-load displacement of over 40,000 metric tons, and features a dual-island superstructure along with a full-length flight deck. It innovatively applies electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, allowing it to launch fixed-wing aircraft, including drones and J35 fighters, helicopters, and amphibious landing craft. The ship can supplement aircraft carriers in operations. According to the People's Liberation Army Navy, the Type 076 represents significant technological upgrades, placing it in a class above its peers. The ship integrates technologies such as radars from destroyers and frigates, the electromagnetic catapult of the aircraft carrier Fujian, and concepts from the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, representing a culmination of Chinese naval engineering advancements. The launch enhances China's naval capabilities for operations in distant seas.