The Sichuan makes her way down the Yangtze River Delta from Changxing Island, fresh helicopter landing markings still drying on deck. (Chinese state media photo)
China’s latest naval heavyweight, the Sichuan, slid into open water Tuesday morning for her first sea trials—marking a major leap in Beijing’s push to dominate unmanned naval warfare.
This isn’t just another gray hull. The Sichuan is a 45,000-ton amphibious assault ship with a twist: she’s got an electromagnetic catapult on deck—not for fighter jets, but for jet-powered drones. It’s the first ship of its kind anywhere in the world.
Backed out of Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard on Changxing Island and nudged down the Yangtze River by tugs, the ship’s debut was captured in full PR glory by Chinese state media. High-resolution photos, drone footage, and slick propaganda reels made sure the message landed loud and clear: the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is rewriting the rules of amphibious warfare.
The Sichuan is the first of China’s new Type 076-class—essentially a drone carrier dressed as an amphib. Measuring over 820 feet long and 148 feet across the flight deck, it rivals America’s amphibious USS America-class in size and capability—but with a completely different mission profile.
Instead of launching manned jets, the Sichuan is built to field stealthy fixed-wing drones like the GJ-21—a flying wing with tailhook landing gear and internal weapons bays. Think of it as a smaller, crewless cousin of the B-2 bomber. The drone, shown publicly during Beijing’s September military parade, is designed for catapult launch and arrested recovery—just like the real thing, minus the pilot.
It’s a big step forward for China’s drone warfare ambitions—and a signal that they’re done playing catch-up.
Sichuan isn’t just another amphib. She’s a floating drone launcher—complete with an electromagnetic catapult, a runway deck, and drone gear that mimics what the U.S. only dreams of fielding without a crew. In short: she launches jet-powered combat drones off a flat deck with magnetic force. And then she catches them on the way back with arrestor wires, just like a full-blown aircraft carrier.
The ship also features two side elevators, a rear well-deck for amphibious vehicles or landing craft, and deck markings tailored for helicopters and VTOL drones. Though some regular markings are missing, the layout looks operational enough to get the job done. And fast.
Sichuan went from keel-laying to sea trials in under two years—a blistering pace for any navy, especially for a first-in-class vessel with tech overlap from China’s full-sized supercarrier Fujian. That carrier took her time between testing phases. Sichuan did not. The difference? Less bureaucracy, fewer bells and whistles—and, probably, a hell of a lot more pressure from the brass. That suggests the PLAN is willing to move fast and accept risk.—especially when the payoff is a fleet of ships that can launch stealth drones from anywhere in the Pacific.
The official line is that the ship will support amphibious missions with unmanned and rotary aircraft. The real takeaway? China’s building ships that can strike from a distance without risking a single pilot’s life. If more Type 076 ships follow, the PLAN will field the world’s first drone-dominant amphibious strike force.
A lineup of China’s newest combat drones rolls through Beijing’s September parade—four jet-powered models up front, with four rotary drones trailing behind. (Chinese state media photo)
And they’re not stopping at just one drone type. At least four other jet-powered designs were rolled out during the September parade—some with naval-style landing gear. Helicopters and rotary drones are also expected onboard, giving Sichuan flexibility across ISR, strike, and logistics roles.
So far, the U.S. Navy has no comparable vessel. The F-35B program gave the U.S. a vertical takeoff jet, but China skipped that step. Instead, they’re betting big on drones—and building warships to launch them by the dozen.
The Sichuan may not carry a single fighter pilot—but she represents a very real shift in global naval power. While America debates budgets and procurement timelines, China is quietly building the future—and putting it to sea.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, folks are still arguing over how many carriers we need, whether the F-35 is worth its sticker price, and what “drone integration” even means. While that circus drags on, the Chinese are welding and launching.
So here’s the bottom line: the Sichuan isn’t a threat because she’s faster, bigger, or more advanced. She’s a threat because she works, and because Beijing didn’t wait for a memo from ten committees before shoving her off the dock.
