China Launches New Amphibious Assault Ship With Aircraft Catapult

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy formation, Type 075 amphibious assault ship, Hainan, is seen docked at China Merchants Wharf in Hong Kong on Nov. 21, 2024. Peter PARKS/AFP

The Chinese navy launched its newest amphibious assault ship on Dec. 27, presenting the first in a new class of warships that can launch fixed-wing aircraft similar to an aircraft carrier.

Called Sichuan, the new warship is the first of the Chinese navy’s Type 076 class of amphibious assault ships. The Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency reported the new ship launched during a ceremony in Shanghai on Dec. 27.

The new class of warship still needs to undergo a range of equipment tests and sea trials before it joins the Chinese Navy’s regular fleet operations.

With a reported displacement of about 40,000 tonnes, the new Chinese warship is similar in size and displacement to the latest U.S. class of amphibious warship, known as the America-class Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) ship. Unlike the America-class warship, however, Xinhua reported the Type 076 warship has an electromagnetic catapult system for launching fixed-wing aircraft.

While amphibious assault ships are typically meant to act as motherships for smaller landing craft ferrying troops from ship to shore, various classes of amphibious assault ships have incorporated deck space for launching and recovering aircraft to support these ship-to-shore operations.

A catapult system is a feature not seen on other types of amphibious assault ships. Without such an aircraft launch system, LHA-type ships can typically only launch and recover rotary aircraft or fixed-wing aircraft that are specifically designed for short or vertical take-offs and landings; such as the Harrier or the B-variant of the F-35 Lighting fighter jet.

The inclusion of the catapult system could allow the Type 076 to carry larger fixed-wing aircraft. With the ability to field larger aircraft, the Type 076 can accommodate a greater range of air-support capabilities.

In an August report, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assessed that the catapult design would mean the Type 076 would at least be able to launch fixed-wing unmanned aircraft and drones, and might be able to launch manned fixed-wing aircraft.

“The vessel’s catapult, wider flight deck, and lack of elevators obstructing the runway suggest it may be capable of launching manned aircraft,” CSIS authors Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. wrote. “That would put the Type 076 in a class of its own, somewhere between an LHA-class ship and a full-fledged aircraft carrier.”

Even if the Type 076 can only carry unmanned aircraft, the CSIS authors said the ship’s air wing “will be highly capable.”

The Type 076 appears to have undergone a rapid development process ahead of its testing.

Xinhua reported that Chinese shipbuilders completed in 2019 the first Type 075 amphibious assault ship—the direct predecessor to the Type 076. That first Type 075 entered active service in April 2021, and two more ships in the Type 075 class have since entered service.

“The exact timeline of the Type 076’s construction is unknown, but even for China’s prolific shipyards, the pace of the ship’s progress has been extraordinary,” CSIS wrote in August.

China has been working to rapidly expand its naval force in recent years.

The U.S. Department of Defense assessed, in a 2020 report, that China had officially overtaken the United States to field the largest naval force by sheer number of warships in service. The United States still has more active aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in service, but the Chinese naval force has continued to grow its overall numerical advantage over the United States.

As of this year, the DOD assessed China has a battle force fleet of more than 370 ships and submarines. By comparison, the U.S. Navy currently has an active battle force of 297 ships, according to the Congressional Research Service.