The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has entered a transformative new phase in its naval modernisation campaign with the commencement of maiden sea trials for the Sichuan, the first-in-class Type 076 amphibious assault ship. This next-generation platform is engineered to fuse amphibious warfare with fixed-wing drone carrier operations, electromagnetic launch technology, and advanced CATOBAR aviation—capabilities previously exclusive to full-sized aircraft carriers.
Carrying hull number 51, the Sichuan departed Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard on 14 November 2025, beginning its first full cycle of at-sea testing. The milestone marks a pivotal step in Beijing’s rapid naval expansion, which increasingly emphasises hybrid platforms capable of dominating contested maritime spaces from the East China Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The Type 076 is the first amphibious assault ship in the world built from inception to operate fixed-wing aircraft, including stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), via a full Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and arresting gear. These systems elevate the ship far beyond traditional helicopter-based amphibious platforms and into a hybrid category that merges the operational philosophies of landing helicopter docks (LHDs) with carrier-grade aviation.
Featuring a dual-island superstructure, integrated electric propulsion, and high-capacity aviation facilities, the Sichuan is designed to generate high-tempo launch and recovery cycles for drones and potentially future manned fighters. Its configuration draws inspiration from the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class carriers while retaining the amphibious heart of China’s Type 075 LHD.
At approximately 260 metres in length and with a beam of about 52 metres, the Sichuan is one of the largest amphibious assault ships ever built, with a displacement estimated between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes. This places it in the same tonnage class as the U.S. America-class LHAs, but with far more expansive aviation capabilities due to EMALS.
China’s development of the Type 076 is rooted in a steady expansion of amphibious warfare capabilities:
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Type 071 LPDs (early 2000s): Provided China’s first true expeditionary amphibious lift capacity.
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Type 075 LHDs (late 2010s–2020s): Enabled multi-brigade landings, over-the-horizon assault, and large-scale helicopter operations.
However, the Type 075’s inability to launch fixed-wing aircraft—especially drones—proved limiting in high-intensity and long-range operations. The Type 076 emerged directly as a solution: a platform capable of deploying heavy UAVs and operating as a drone carrier while retaining full amphibious capacity.
The Sichuan’s EMALS is its most consequential innovation. While China has already fielded EMALS on the Type 003 Fujian supercarrier, integrating this technology onto an amphibious platform is unprecedented.
EMALS enables:
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Smooth acceleration of aircraft with reduced structural stress
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Launch of lightweight stealth drones
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Launch of heavier UCAVs carrying munitions
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Flexible sortie generation in all-weather conditions
A full-length 130-metre catapult trench forms the primary launch track, with a shorter secondary launch strip likely dedicated to smaller UAVs or light fixed-wing aircraft.
Supporting EMALS is a complete CATOBAR arresting system, enabling recovery of tailhook-equipped UAVs—again, a global first for an amphibious ship.
The Type 076 is expected to serve as the PLAN’s principal sea-based platform for stealth UCAVs, especially the GJ-11 Sharp Sword, a flying-wing drone designed for:
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Long-range reconnaissance
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Penetrating strike missions
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Electronic warfare
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Munitions delivery from internal bays
Mock-ups observed during construction suggest the ship’s hangars, elevators, and deck layout are optimised for GJ-11 operations. The vessel may also support limited operations of the J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter, but its primary aviation focus is unmanned.
Despite its aviation breakthroughs, the Type 076 retains core amphibious features:
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A well deck for launching LCACs and amphibious vehicles
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Troop capacity estimated at brigade scale
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A large internal aviation hangar
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Dual aircraft elevators
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A full flight deck supporting simultaneous helicopter operations
This ensures the ship can execute complex amphibious landings supported by long-range drone coverage and precision-strike UCAV missions—integrated operations that dramatically expand China’s expeditionary potential.
The Sichuan’s maiden sea trials are being carried out in the Yangtze River estuary, a controlled zone frequently used for PLAN ship testing. The first phase focuses on:
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Validation of the integrated electric propulsion system
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High-speed and low-speed manoeuvrability tests
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Crash-stop trials and endurance runs
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Stability analysis for the electrical network
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Stress-testing EMALS-related power loads
Because EMALS requires enormous, stable power output, these trials are critical before aviation testing can begin.
Lessons from the Type 003 Fujian’s ongoing EMALS trials have helped streamline the Type 076’s testing path.
Full drone aviation tests are expected to begin in 2026, beginning with static checks, deck handling trials, high-speed taxi runs, and eventual catapult launches of stealth UAVs.
The appearance of the Type 076 represents a significant strategic shift in the Indo-Pacific’s naval landscape. It introduces a new category of warship with the ability to:
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Conduct amphibious assaults
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Operate as a forward drone carrier
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Launch stealth UCAVs for deep-strike and ISR missions
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Provide persistent electronic warfare and reconnaissance coverage
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Saturate enemy defences with large numbers of unmanned systems
In a Taiwan conflict, the Type 076 could:
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Serve as a mobile UCAV strike hub
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Conduct suppressive EW against Taiwanese radar networks
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Enable amphibious landings under the cover of continuous unmanned operations
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Expand China’s ability to generate long-range precision strikes
In the South China Sea, it enhances China’s ability to:
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Maintain sea control
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Oversee disputed areas
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Conduct rapid-response maritime operations
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Support militia deployments and grey-zone coercion
For India, the ship poses new challenges in the Indian Ocean Region, especially regarding strategic chokepoints near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Globally, the Type 076 narrows the capability gap with major naval powers and creates a hybrid model surpassing traditional LHDs. The U.S. America-class LHAs, for example, rely on V/STOL aviation, whereas the Type 076 can deploy a broad array of fixed-wing drones and potentially fighters.
China’s rapid shipbuilding pace, coupled with lower production costs, adds further weight to the program. Reports suggest a second Type 076 may already be under construction.
Next-generation versions of the Type 076 may introduce:
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Expanded EMALS capacities
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More advanced electric propulsion or nuclear power
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Deeper integration with autonomous drone swarms
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Advanced EW drones such as the Jiutian series
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AI-driven distributed strike capabilities
However, the platform faces challenges:
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Maintaining EMALS reliability at sea
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Mastering carrier-style deck operations
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Ensuring cyber resilience in a highly digitised system
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Training personnel for hybrid drone–amphibious missions
Regional alliances—including the Quad—are likely to respond with:
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Distributed maritime operations
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Greater investment in counter-drone systems
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Hypersonic strike capabilities
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Intensified joint naval exercises
The Sichuan’s maiden sea trials mark one of the most consequential milestones in China’s maritime history. By combining amphibious assault capabilities with next-generation UCAV operations and carrier-grade launch technology, the Type 076 redefines what amphibious ships can accomplish.
As the Indo-Pacific moves deeper into an era shaped by unmanned systems, electromagnetic launch technologies, and hybrid expeditionary forces, the Type 076 stands as a decisive symbol of China’s strategic ambition—and a harbinger of the future of naval warfare.
