With electromagnetic aircraft catapult
The largest of its kind in the world: China inaugurates new warship
Updated 12/27/2024 – 3:30 p.mReading time: 1 Min.
Beijing has been investing a lot of money in expanding its navy for years. Experts had been monitoring a now christened warship for some time. What can we expect from the giant?
China continues to expand its navy and unveils a new amphibious assault ship. Named after the southwestern province, the “Sichuan” is the first ship of the new Type 076 generation, reported the state news agency Xinhua. The warship launched in Shanghai, eastern China, plays a “key role” in transforming the navy and improving its combat capability, it said.
Experts have been monitoring the construction of the “Sichuan” for some time. In August, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) described the ship as the world’s largest amphibious assault ship based on satellite images. Unlike aircraft carriers, these also have landing craft with which soldiers and equipment can reach shores.
A special feature is the electromagnetic aircraft catapult, which has rarely been installed so far, which means that the “Sichuan” can carry not only helicopters, but also fighter jets. The catapult allows for greater efficiency and faster launch speed, the state-run Global Times newspaper quoted a military expert as saying.
China has one of the largest navies in the world. It already has three smaller amphibious assault ships of the previous Type 075. According to CSIS, the “Sichuan” will not fundamentally change the military balance in the Indo-Pacific. However, the People’s Liberation Army will have further opportunities to exert its combat power in the Western Pacific and the South China Sea. China has already threatened to invade its neighbor Taiwan in these areas and is claiming parts of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone for itself.