China Unveils World’s Largest Amphibious Assault Ship, Signaling Major Naval Advancement

China has embarked on the rapid development of its next-generation amphibious assault ship, the Type 076. This new vessel, unveiled through satellite imagery of the Changxing Island Shipbuilding Base, marks a significant leap in the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) ability to project power beyond its shores.

The Type 076, also known as the Yulan-class helicopter landing assault (LHA) ship, is set to become the largest amphibious assault ship in the world upon its completion. Satellite imagery from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reveals that the flight deck of the Type 076 measures approximately 260 meters by 52 meters, covering an area of over 13,500 square meters—nearly the size of three U.S. football fields. This makes it significantly larger than the U.S. America-class LHA and the Japanese Izumo-class helicopter carriers (CVHM/DDH).

Compared to its predecessor, the Type 075, the new Type 076 boasts considerable enhancements in size and capability. The vessel will be capable of carrying a wide array of aircraft and drones, amphibious landing craft, and over 1,000 marines. Its larger internal hangar and expansive flight deck provide increased capacity for aircraft operations.

One of the standout features of the Type 076 is its technological advancements, particularly the inclusion of a catapult system for launching fixed-wing aircraft. This sets it apart from all other amphibious assault ships currently in service. The catapult system is expected to be similar to the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) used by the US Ford-class aircraft carriers. EMALS technology, successfully deployed only by the United States and China, offers more power than traditional steam-powered catapults, enabling the launch of larger aircraft with heavier payloads.

Additionally, satellite imagery indicates that the Type 076 will feature an aircraft elevator on each side of the vessel, designed to lift aircraft from the internal hangar to the flight deck. This configuration optimizes aircraft takeoffs and landings, addressing the design limitations of the Type 075, which has one larger aft elevator and a smaller internal forward elevator that obstructs the flight deck when in use.