After less than a year since its launch, China's first electromagnetic catapult-equipped Type 076 amphibious assault ship embarked on its maiden sea trial on Friday. Experts said that this indicates smooth progress on the construction of this warship, which could play roles of both an amphibious vessel and a light aircraft carrier.
At around 9:00 am on Friday, the first hull of China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, set off from a port of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai and sailed toward the relevant sea area for its maiden sea trial, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy announced on its official WeChat account on Friday.
This sea trial will mainly test and verify the reliability and stability of the Sichuan's power, electrical and other systems. Since its launch in December 2024, the construction of the Sichuan has progressed steadily as planned, successfully completing mooring trials and equipment commissioning, and now meeting the technical conditions for sea trials, the PLA Navy said.
As a new-generation amphibious assault ship of the PLA Navy, the Sichuan (Hull 51) has a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tons, featuring a dual-island superstructure and a full-length flight deck. It innovatively adopts electromagnetic catapult and arrestment technologies, and can carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, amphibious equipment and other assets, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported on Friday.
The first hull of China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, sets off from a port of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai and sails toward the relevant sea area for its maiden sea trial on November 14, 2025. Photo: Screenshot from the Sina Weibo account of China Military Bugle, an official media account under the PLA News Media Center
Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday that the first sea trial of the Type 076 Sichuan, coming after less than a year since its launch, suggests that its construction is progressing very well.
Compared with its predecessor, the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, the Type 076 is added with new technologies such as the electromagnetic catapult and new aviation control system with the new dual-island design, so initiating the sea trial phase in such a short period indicates that everything is going smoothly, and contributes to the potential fast commissioning of the vessel, Wang said.
Wang further highlighted that the maiden sea trial is described to test and verify the reliability and stability of the ship's power, electrical and other systems. He said that the power system of the Type 076 needs not only to provide propulsion to the ship, but also deliver electricity to the power-consuming electromagnetic catapult, which makes the test so important.
Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday that the construction speed of the Sichuan is considered fast, which shows that China has reached a higher level of maturity in terms of large warship construction.
The Sichuan will likely first test its functionalities as a ship, namely it can properly sail and has sufficient power, then it could test other features such as the electromagnetic catapult, Zhang said.
The Type 076 Sichuan is the world's first amphibious assault ship equipped with electromagnetic catapult and arresting technologies, according to media reports. It is also China's second warship equipped with the electromagnetic catapult and arresting technologies after the country's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which was just officially commissioned into the PLA Navy earlier this month.
Zhang said that while the main mission of the Type 076 is amphibious landing operations, it is not a traditional amphibious assault ship because it is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult that enables the vessel to carry fixed wing aircraft, even the J-35 stealth fighter jets, like a light aircraft carrier. This also means the Type 076 has strategic roles to play, the expert said.
At the V-Day military parade held in Beijing on September 3, China debuted new armed reconnaissance drones, wingman drones, air superiority drones, and shipborne unmanned helicopters.
Wang noted that China has one of the world's richest arsenals of drones. With the electromagnetic catapult, the Type 076 can carry not only helicopters, but also drones of different sizes and roles, the expert said.
Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that with the Type 076, the PLA Navy's overall amphibious capabilities are expected to receive a significant boost.
The Type 076 amphibious assault ship could also form formations with aircraft carriers, further enhancing the PLA Navy's combat capabilities in the far seas, Song said.
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