Screenshot of new footage offers full view of China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan Photo: china.cnr.com

A widely circulated video on social media has offered a full view of China's new Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan, showing work on its electromagnetic catapult, arresting gear and flight-deck markings has been completed. A Chinese expert told the Global Times that construction of the Sichuan and its overall outfitting process have progressed rapidly, and the vessel is expected to be delivered soon in the near future.

The video, which was published by china.cnr.com, opens with an aerial view of the Sichuan's entire flight deck. The massive vessel, with a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, features a twin-island superstructure and a full-length flight deck. All deck markings have been completed, while its electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear are already in place.

Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday that the Sichuan's construction and overall development have advanced rapidly, and its delivery is not far off. He attributed the accelerated progress to China's accumulated technological expertise and operational experience from the Type 075 amphibious assault ships and the electromagnetic catapult system aboard the country's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian. 

By combining the strengths of both platforms and drawing on extensive experience in operating the vessels and their specialized equipment, the Type 076 Sichuan has been able to move more quickly toward commissioning, according to Song. 

The report from china.cnr.com also noted that aerial views of the Sichuan's full-length flight deck highlight the vessel's most notable feature: the first application of electromagnetic catapult and arresting technologies on an amphibious assault ship. These systems enable the Sichuan to operate a wider range of aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and large unmanned aerial vehicles.

Song noted that the Sichuan differs from other amphibious assault ships in several key respects, including that it has a substantially larger full-load displacement and it adopts a twin-island design, with separate command-and-control systems for navigation and aviation operations, giving it greater aviation capability than the Type 075. 

Also, the Sichuan is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system capable of launching and recovering large unmanned aircraft and, under certain circumstances, crewed combat aircraft. The Type 076 represents a pioneering technological breakthrough in its class, according to Song.

Combining the functions of a drone carrier, a powerful amphibious assault platform and, when required, a light aircraft carrier, the Sichuan can be regarded as a three-in-one warship with a highly forward-looking design. Its potential use of the electromagnetic catapult to also operate crewed fixed-wing aircraft offers an alternative to developing vertical or short takeoff and landing fighters, creating a distinctive technological path, said Song. 

The Sichuan can operate with destroyers and frigates as part of an amphibious strike group, helping compensate for its own air-defense limitations. It can also join a carrier strike group to form a combined task force, strengthening the formation's capabilities in air and missile defense, anti-surface warfare, land attack, anti-submarine warfare and amphibious deployment, the expert said.

The vessel marks a major milestone in China's development of amphibious assault ships. It may eventually enter mass production and evolve into a multipurpose platform tailored to the operational requirements of the People's Liberation Army, Song said.