Sichuan, the Chinese Navy’s first new-generation amphibious assault ship, has started her first set of sea trials.
The PLAN’s new 40,000-tonne-plus warship has been built by China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai; she was launched in December 2024.
She is just over 250 metres long and has a full-length flight deck. It’s thought she will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 marines.
The vessel has been designed as both a landing helicopter dock and drone mothership; as well as carrying helicopters, she features a catapult-assisted take-off, barrier arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system of electromagnetic catapult and arresting gears for operating fixed-wing aircraft, probably uncrewed air systems (UAS).
She is also believed to feature a well dock in her stern for launching uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and potentially uncrewed underwater vessels (UUVs) too. She is expected to carry two Yuyi-class Type 726 Landing Craft Air-Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft.
The trials started on Friday and will focus on Sichuan’s power and electrical systems, as per a recent press statement by China’s Ministry of National Defence.
- You can read more details on China’s Ministry of National Defence website