Overview
- The Type 076 vessel departed Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard for its first navigation test to verify propulsion, electrical and other onboard systems.
- The ship integrates an electromagnetic catapult similar to carrier Fujian, though officials have not clarified if launches will include manned fighters or be limited to drones and STOVL/VTOL aircraft.
- Displacing roughly 40,000 tons, the Sichuan is about half the size of the Fujian, which China commissioned on November 7.
- Recent satellite imagery showed newly painted launch and recovery markings across the Sichuan’s full-length flight deck ahead of sea testing.
- The trials mark another step in China’s rapid naval buildup, as the PLAN leads by hull count yet seeks greater power projection and amphibious capability relevant to any Taiwan contingency.