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3w ago

China’s Catapult-Equipped Type 076 ‘Sichuan’ Begins Sea Trials as Naval Aviation Push Intensifies

The new amphibious assault ship highlights a shift toward carrier-based airpower with uncrewed systems.

The Chinese Type 076 amphibious assault ship CNS Sichuan departs Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China, for its first navigation test mission on November 14, 2025.
Type 076 amphibious assault carrier Sichuan (31) leaving her berth assisted by tugs earlier today in Shanghai. Image Chinese state media.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier and the first that it has both designed and built itself equipped with electromagnetic catapults, seen on right at a naval port in Sanya city in southern China's Hainan Province, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
From top to bottom: Chinese aircraft carriers CNS Liaoning, CNS Shandong and CNS Fujian.

Overview

  • China’s Ministry of National Defense said the Type 076 Sichuan departed Hudong‑Zhonghua in Shanghai for maiden sea trials to verify power, electrical and related systems.
  • The 40,000‑plus‑ton ship features a full-length flight deck, electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear, and is expected to operate fixed‑wing drones in addition to helicopters and amphibious craft.
  • The trials follow last week’s commissioning of the EMALS‑equipped carrier CNS Fujian, after which Chinese authorities declared the navy had entered a “three‑carrier era.”
  • Open‑source imagery reported by The War Zone indicates a Type 004 hull at Dalian with structures resembling reactor containment, suggesting—but not confirming—a nuclear‑powered carrier under construction.
  • Analysts say these steps expand China’s ability to sustain naval air operations and potentially maintain continuous carrier presence, though full capability depends on successful trials and operational integration.