China launches new amphibious assault ship to compete with US military

China launches new amphibious assault ship to compete with US military

China has launched its first next-generation amphibious assault ship, adding a powerful and modern warship to its rapidly growing navy. This is done as part of an effort to match the military strength of the United States.

The Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ships

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship was christened on Friday during a ceremony at a shipyard in Shanghai, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) said in a statement notice explained. The ship is named Sichuan, after a southwestern Chinese province, and is considered a “key resource” for further developing the navy and improving its capabilities for long-term operations.

China's navy on the rise

With a fully loaded displacement of over 40,000 tons, the Type 076 is one of the largest amphibious assault ships in the world. It features a twin-island superstructure as well as a full-length flight deck. Particularly noteworthy is the electromagnetic catapult system, which allows the ship to transport fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and amphibious equipment, as the PLAN further explains.

State-of-the-art technologies for greater range

The electromagnetic catapult system will enable the Type 076 to launch larger and heavier aircraft than before. This means the planes can carry more fuel - increasing their range and that of the ship as a combat unit - as well as more bombs or missiles. This significantly increases the firepower of the aircraft.

Comparison with US ships

Only one other operational ship in the world, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, also uses the electromagnetic catapult system. China's new aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is currently in the testing phase, is also likely to be equipped with an electromagnetic system.

Unmanned systems in focus

The US Navy's amphibious assault ships are designed to deploy the F-35B, a short-takeoff, vertical-landing version of the stealth fighter aircraft. However, as far as is known, the PLA Navy does not have a manned equivalent of the F-35B, so it could potentially use the same fixed-wing aircraft as the Fujian.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) this year mentioned that the Type 076 could be used as a massive drone platform. “If limited to unmanned systems, the Type 076 air force will be very capable. China has “an advanced and growing arsenal of UAVs, including the GJ-11 stealth combat drone, the WZ-7 reconnaissance drone and the CASC Rainbow strike UCAV, among others,” according to the report, which is based on satellite images of the ship under construction.

Expected features and capabilities

As for the Type 076's other capabilities, the CSIS report expects it to carry helicopters and amphibious landing vehicles capable of dropping more than 1,000 Marines. Because of its size, the ship should be able to carry more of everything than China's smaller Type 075 amphibious assault ships, the US Navy's America-class amphibious assault ships and Japan's Izumo-class helicopter carriers, which are being converted to carry the F-35B.

Strategic importance of Type 076

Carl Schuster, a military analyst and former US Navy captain, emphasizes that the size of the Type 076 makes an important statement. "This shows the PLA Navy's commitment to expeditionary and amphibious warfare and a growing capability to do so," he said, adding that it says a lot about the competition between the world's two largest naval strengths, China and the United States.

“It demonstrates China's growing maritime power projection capability at a time when the U.S. Navy's commitment and capability for expeditionary operations, amphibious operations and humanitarian assistance have significantly diminished,” said Schuster, who was formerly the director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.