Type 076 amphibious assault ship made in China is bigger than the US one?

China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship is considered to have many superior features. (Source: csis)

China is reportedly building its first Yulan-class amphibious assault ship, which is expected to become the world's largest amphibious assault ship upon completion.

On August 1, the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report saying that the ship could be launched as early as the first half of next year. The report highlighted the ship's tonnage, which significantly exceeds that of US and Japanese vessels.

Satellite imagery from July 4 shows the flight deck of the Type 076 multi-purpose landing ship is about 260 meters long and 52 meters wide, covering more than 13,500 square meters - roughly equivalent to three American football fields.

With a displacement of 50,000 tons, it is significantly larger than the US America-class LHA attack helicopter carrier (45,000 tons), Japan's Izumo-class aircraft carrier (26,000 tons), and the Chinese navy's current Type 075 (36,000 tons).

Called the Type 076 Amphibious Helicopter Dock, the ship has an electromagnetic catapult system designed to launch fixed-wing aircraft. CSIS believes the Type 076 could be equipped with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System similar to the US Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Only the US and China have successfully deployed this advanced technology.

Satellite imagery shows that the Type 076 will have an aircraft elevator on each side of the ship to move aircraft from the internal hangar to the flight deck. This new configuration optimizes aircraft takeoff and landing compared to the Type 075's front and rear elevator locations.

These features “open the door” for the Type 076 to support fixed-wing aircraft, which typically have greater range, speed and payload capacity than helicopters, the report added.

The report’s authors believe that the Type 076’s enlarged catapult, wider flight deck, and optimized elevator design suggest it could be used to launch and recover manned aircraft. This could signal the emergence of a new type of amphibious assault ship, with the ability to bridge traditional aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. Even if the Type 076 primarily carries drones, its airborne capabilities are formidable.

The report notes that China possesses an advanced and expanding arsenal of drones, including the Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealth combat drone, the WZ-7 reconnaissance drone, and the CH family of armed drones.

The ship is also expected to have a deck at the stern to launch amphibious vehicles, such as hovercraft, to conduct "ship-to-shore" operations.