China yesterday launched a new amphibious assault ship capable of launching fighter jets and designed to strengthen the navy’s combat ability in distant seas.
The Sichuan, the first ship of the Type 076 class, is China’s largest such ship yet, displacing 40,000 tonnes and equipped with an electromagnetic catapult which allows fighter jets to launch directly off its deck, Xinhua news agency reported.
The ship is designed to launch ground troops in landing craft and provide them with air support.
Photo: Reuters
Developed by Chinese researchers, it is also equipped with “arrestor” technology, which allows fighter jets to land on its deck.
China’s first amphibious assault ships, the Type 075 class, were launched in 2019.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy has been working on modernizing its forces for more than a decade, with the aim of being able to operate globally rather than being restricted to waters near China. China first managed to launch fighter jets with the new electromagnetic technology on its indigenously made aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which launched two years ago.
Chinese military expert Song Zhongping (宋忠平) compared the Sichuan to a “light aircraft carrier,” the Global Times reported.
The ship is to undergo further testing, including sea trials.
China has the largest navy in the world and is consistently trying to upgrade its fleet. Researchers have said that it is working on designing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which would allow it to deploy its ships in distant waters without needing a base to refuel.
The US navy has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, allowing it to keep multiple strike groups deployed around the world at all times, including in the Asia-Pacific region.
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