Facing US Military, China Launches New Amphibious Assault Ship

By Staff, Agencies

China has launched its first next-generation amphibious assault ship, adding a powerful cutting-edge warship to the country’s fast-expanding navy as it races to rival the military power of the United States.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship entered the water on Friday at a launch ceremony at a shipyard in Shanghai, the People’s Liberation Army Navy said in a statement.

Named Sichuan after a southwestern Chinese province, the independently developed ship is hailed as a “key asset” for advancing the Navy’s transformation and enhancing its long-range operational capabilities, according to the statement.

China, which already boasts the largest naval force in the world, is building carriers and large warships at a staggering pace as it seeks to project power far beyond its shores and catch up to the military supremacy of the US.

With a full-load displacement of over 40000 tons, the Type 076 ranks among the world’s largest amphibious assault ships, featuring a twin-island superstructure and a full-length flight deck, according to the PLAN.

Most notably, it adopts an electromagnetic catapult system, which allows it to carry fixed-wing aircraft along with helicopters and amphibious equipment usually found on this type of warship, the PLAN added.

The electromagnetic catapult system will enable the Type 076 to launch larger and heavier aircraft than it could without the technology. That means the aircraft can carry more fuel – expanding their range and that of the ship as a fighting platform – and more bombs or missiles, making the aircraft themselves more lethal.

Only one other warship in service worldwide, the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, employs the electromagnetic catapult system.

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is in sea trials and has yet to be commissioned, also has an electromagnetic system.

The US Navy’s amphibious assault ships feature the F-35B, a short-takeoff and vertical landing variant of the stealth fighter jet used by the US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.