China continues to strengthen its military capabilities, while increasingly challenging China’s military hegemony. USA. Although the Asian giant has set 2035 as a goal to complete its ambitious modernization plan in the field of defense, current progress suggests that its projects are advancing at full speed.
Just four years ago, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began the bidding, design and construction process for the world’s largest amphibious assault ship. This week it was finally launched at a shipyard in Shanghai. This is a milestone that inaugurates a new class of vessels in the Asian giant’s navy.
Combines elements of aircraft carriers and assault ships
Sichuan, as the ship has been named, combines elements of aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. With a fully loaded displacement of 40,000 tons, a full flight deck and a electromagnetic catapultthe ship is prepared to transport helicopters, manned fixed-wing aircraft and drones.
This is not the first time we have heard about electromagnetic catapults. A rival ship has a similar system. We are talking about the American aircraft carrier SS Gerald R. Ford. Its most notable advantage is that it allows launching larger and heavier aircraft compared to traditional systems.
The Sichuan hangars are also equipped to allow the landing of boats and a crew of hundreds of marines. This new resource will allow the Chinese Navy to expand the projection of its military power, making it a key element in a military conflict with events far from its borders.
As CCTV news points out, there is still a lot of work to be done on the ship. Among the pending tasks, the commissioning of the equipment, mooring tests, navigation tests and the installation of additional equipment stand out. In this sense, it could take months or even years until the ship enters service.
In any case, as we pointed out before, the Asian giant is demonstrating a surprising capacity to enhance your naval power. According to CSIS, as of September 2023, the Changxing was being built in a Changxing drydock, accompanied by frigates under simultaneous construction.
Images | Chinese Ministry of Defense | Xinhua
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