China's expanding navy has added to its capability with a new-generation amphibious assault ship that can launch and land fighter jets. The Sichuan, the nation's largest combat ship in the world's largest navy, was launched Friday in a ceremony at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai, Deutsche Welle reports. The ship is built to deliver ground troops for combat and provide air support for them. An electromagnetic catapult lets fighter jets launch directly from the Sichuan's deck, per the state news agency Xinhua, and "arrestor technology" enables the jets land on the deck. The USS Gerald R Ford is the only other warship in service with the catapult technology.
That system allows Type 076 ships, of which the Sichuan is the first, to launch larger, heavier aircraft—which can carry more fuel and missiles and have a greater operating range, per CNN. The People's Liberation Navy is more than a decade into its modernization effort, which includes developing a fleet that can operate globally—as can the 11 US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. China's ongoing maritime disputes include several in the South China sea and a conflict with Japan over the Senkaku Islands. And its navy has become increasingly active around Taiwan.
The launch of the Sichuan—which is slated for sea trials before going into active service—also sends a message, said a military analyst and former US Navy captain, per CNN. "It demonstrates China's growing maritime power projection capability at a time when the US Navy's commitment and capability for expeditionary, amphibious, and humanitarian assistance missions has diminished significantly," said Carl Schuster. (More China military stories.)
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