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CNS Sichuan, China's largest and most advanced amphibious assault ship, set sail from Shanghai on its maiden sea trial on Friday, according to the People's Liberation Army Navy. With a hull code of 51, CNS Sichuan is the first in the Type 076 class. The ship displaces more than...

46,432 views • 9 months ago •via X (Twitter)

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The Chinese Drone Carrier: Not Just Power Projection, But a New Era in Naval Warfare The Type 076 is a Chinese Navy amphibious assault ship with a full-load displacement exceeding 40,000 tons. It combines traditional amphibious warfare features with advanced drone operations, making it the world's first to be equipped with an electromagnetic catapult (EMALS) and arresting cables for launching and recovering fixed-wing aircraft, primarily unmanned reconnaissance and combat vehicles. Its amphibious role is similar to the Type 075, but it adds a full-length flight deck, electromagnetic catapult, and arresting gear, enabling operations with heavy, long-range fixed-wing drones that couldn't take off vertically like on the Type 075. The real Chinese masterstroke is this: Catapult-launched drones provide long-range reconnaissance, real-time intelligence, and suppression of enemy defenses, while constantly searching for, tracking enemy units, and guiding missiles onto targets. All this while unload troops and equipment on beaches. Being amphibious extends its reach into true three-dimensional land operations: Helicopters handle rapid troop transport and close air support; Fixed-wing drones extend the range: surveillance beyond the horizon, strikes on distant targets, target acquisition, missile guidance, and electronic warfare; Well deck vehicles carry out the actual beach landing. The result is a perfectly coordinated assault across multiple dimensions (air, sea, land), boosting both the efficiency and survivability of the landing force, while maintaining A2/AD through a vast network of airborne drones linked to the operational missile forces. What stands out in the Chinese war machine is the precise integration of everything. There are no gaps between equipment, planning, and execution. It's all extremely well connected. This is the pioneering drone carrier, the Type 076, while the Type 075 remains a more traditional helicopter-focused amphibious assault ship. There are persistent rumors of a future Type 077 or further evolutions, but nothing confirmed yet. As I said in another article, the heart of Chinese target acquisition are drones, and they will build many of these drone carriers to expand that capability. These are far smaller investments than conventional aircraft carriers and much cheaper to produce. At the same time that China projects overwhelming power with its large ships, it is also building a cheaper fleet structure that's no less potent.

Patricia Marins

33,529 views • 8 months ago