Expert: Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship Will Become the World's First Catapult-Equipped Drone Carrier

[Global Times - Global Network Report by Reporter Guo Yuandan] Xinhua News Agency reported on October 30 that the PLA's first shipborne reconnaissance-strike integrated stealth drone, the Attack-21, has successfully taken off and landed on China's first 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan. Military experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that this practice is the first of its kind globally, indicating that the PLA is one step closer to the era of drone aircraft carriers, and the 076 amphibious assault ship will thus become the world's first catapult-equipped drone aircraft carrier.

"This official announcement indicates that the 076 amphibious assault ship has begun to conduct technical verification related to catapult-equipped drone aircraft carriers to a certain extent, and has initially formed the basic combat capability of a catapult-equipped drone aircraft carrier. In the future, the 076 will continue to carry out adaptation verification work for multiple types of drones," military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times on the 30th. As a large drone, the Attack-21 has a takeoff weight of over ten tons and cannot take off autonomously from a conventional deck; it must rely on a catapult system. At the same time, the 076 amphibious assault ship is equipped with an arrestor system to ensure stable and reliable arrested landings for the Attack-21.

Public reports indicate that the U.S. previously developed the X-47B shipborne drone project for traditional aircraft carrier platforms, but the project was ultimately terminated due to multiple technical constraints. Song Zhongping believes that, in comparison, the Attack-21 project is progressing smoothly and efficiently, with broad application scenarios in the future.

"In addition to being deployed on the 076 amphibious assault ship, there is also the possibility of the Attack-21 being equipped on the 003 electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier in the future. The 076 serves the function of verifying cutting-edge technologies, and can independently perform missions as a drone aircraft carrier, while also providing technical accumulation for the 003 aircraft carrier to create a manned/unmanned cooperative deployment platform, expanding the operational patterns of carrier battle groups," Song Zhongping stated. The Navy is exploring the application paths of shipborne drones using the 076 amphibious assault ship as a platform, verifying that this new equipment combination scheme is feasible, and the practical value of this technical route is prominent. "In the future, this ship can also temporarily carry manned aircraft to conduct verification of manned aircraft catapult and arrested landing modes."