Type 076 landing helicopter dock

Last updated
Class overview
OperatorsNaval ensign of China.svg  People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by Type 075 landing helicopter dock
Completed1
General characteristics
Type Amphibious assault ship
Displacement50,000  t (49,000 long tons) (full load) [1]
Length252.3 m (828 ft) -- 260 m (850 ft) (o/a) [2] [3]
Beam45 m (148 ft) -- 52 m (171 ft) (o/a) [2] [3]
Installed power
Propulsion IEP
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × Type 726 Yuyi class LCAC
TroopsOver 1,000 marines [1]
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities

The Type 076 landing helicopter dock (NATO reporting name: Yulan-class landing helicopter assault [7] ) is a class of drone-carrying amphibious assault ship for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). [8] Compared to the Type 075, the Type 076 is significantly larger in both displacement and flight deck dimensions; it also has a CATOBAR system of electromagnetic catapult and arresting gears for operating light fixed-wing aircraft, likely unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV). [2] [6]

Contents

Development

In mid-2020, official request for proposals (RFP) associated with the Type 076 were discovered on the Internet. Specifications from the RFPs were for a 21  MW gas turbine and diesel powerplants, a medium-voltage direct current integrated power system, and a well deck. The specified aviation equipment included a "UAV deck", a munition elevator, a 30-ton flight deck elevator, an electromagnetic CATOBAR system for light aircraft, most likely UCAVs. [6]

The lead ship of this class was constructed at Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, with an estimated launch date of early 2025. [2] The lead ship was launched on 27 December 2024, with pennant number 51 and name Sichuan. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Video released by CCTV of Sichuan's launch
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utMO_tFdivU

Design

The Type 076 has a full-length flight deck, an internal hangar, two large elevators on both sides, and one small elevator at the front deck section. [1] [5] The ship is intended to operate helicopters and UCAVs, or optionally manned aircraft. [1] [5] [6] [8] The aircraft, such as Guizhou WZ-7, Hongdu GJ-11, and Flying Dragon-2 UCAVs [5] can be launched via an electromagnetic catapult similar in size to the one mounted on the Type 003 aircraft carrier. [1] [6] An arrestor is fitted on the flight deck to recover the aircraft. [13] A floodable well deck is located at its stern, capable of launching amphibious vehicles for landing operations. [14]

The main propulsion of the class appears to employ a gas-turbine setup; for this reason, the flight decks of the ships will have a twin-island configuration. [2] [15] The twin island superstructures allow one island dedicated to navigation, while the other one focusing on flight operations. [14] Multiple self-defense and countermeasure systems are mounted around the ship, including three Type 1130 close-in weapon system (CIWS) turrets, three HQ-10 short-range missile defense systems, and four countermeasure launchers loaded with flares, chaff, and active decoys. [14]

Type 076 is larger than the previous class, the Type 075 amphibious assault ship. [14] The overall tonnage of the ship was estimated as 50,000  t (49,000 long tons ) at full displacement by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, [1] while Chinese state media state the ship has a displacement of "above 40,000  t (39,000 long tons )". [16]

List of ships

Pennant numberNameNamesakeBuilderLaunchedCommissionedStatus
51 [17] Sichuan [17] / 四川Province of Sichuan Hudong-Zhonghua,
Shanghai [17] 		27 December 2024 [17] 2027 estimatedFitting out

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 P. Funaiole, Matthew; Hart, Brian; Powers-Riggs, Aidan; S. Bermudez Jr., Joseph (1 August 2024). "China's Massive Next-Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Takes Shape". Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Luck, Alex (17 June 2024). "Chinese Type 076 Amphibious Carrier Takes Shape In Shanghai, Drone Capabilities Emerge". Naval News. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 陈延伟，王雅文，胡洋，熊言义 (2022). "基于CFD的舰船甲板火灾消防安全评估". 船海工程. 51 (5). Archived from the original on 2023-05-07. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. 1 2 张宏、胡洋、熊言义、王雅文、王旭阳 (2022). "舰船发电机舱典型火灾场景仿真分析". 舰船工程. 15 (5). Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Sutton, H. I. (23 July 2020). "Stealth UAVs Could Give China's Type-076 Assault Carrier More Firepower". Forbes . Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Joe, Rick (21 August 2020). "Whispers of 076, China's Drone Carrying Assault Carrier". The Diplomat . Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  7. ↑ United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (April 2024). "PLA Navy Identification Guide 2024" (PDF). Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 Chan, Minnie (27 July 2020). "Chinese shipbuilder planning advanced amphibious assault ship". South China Morning Post . Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "China launches first Type 076 amphibious assault ship". China Military. 27 December 2024.
  10. ↑ Lendon, Brad; Gan, Nectar (27 December 2024). "China launches new amphibious assault ship in a race to rival US military". CNN.
  11. ↑ "China launches new generation assault ship 'Sichuan'". DW. 27 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Xiao, Josh (27 December 2024). "China Launches Largest Amphibious Warship in Show of Naval Power". Bloomberg News.
  13. ↑ Wu, Huizhong (27 December 2024). "China unveils amphibious assault ship that can launch fighter jets". Defense News.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Trevithick, Joseph (27 December 2024). "China's Monster Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship Seen Like Never Before At Launch Ceremony". The War Zone.
  15. ↑ Newdick, Thomas (7 October 2024). "China's Monster Amphibious Assault Ship Has Twin Island Superstructures Optimized For Aviation Ops". The War Zone. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Hille, Kathrin (27 December 2024). "China launches biggest amphibious assault ship in projection of military power". Financial Times.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "China launches first Type 076 amphibious assault ship - China Military". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
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