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China’s latest flat-deck amphibious assault ship, Sichuan, has officially departed the shipyard to begin sea trials—an impressive milestone reached just two years after keel laying and only 11 months after the vessel’s launch. According to a statement from the PLA Navy, the ship has already completed mooring trials and equipment commissioning smoothly and on schedule. The upcoming trials will focus heavily on the vessel’s advanced diesel-electric power system, which supports both propulsion and the extensive electrical demands of modern combat systems, state media reported.
Sichuan has drawn global attention for its size and technological sophistication. It is now the world’s largest amphibious assault ship and the first of its kind to feature an electromagnetic aircraft launch system—technology first pioneered by the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford in 2017. While its deck is smaller than that of a full-size carrier, China already operates conventional carriers, leading experts to believe that the catapult has been tailored for compact fixed-wing aircraft, particularly unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). This suggests that Sichuan may be the world’s first purpose-built “drone carrier.”
Satellite imagery of the ship during construction revealed a rectangular deck measuring approximately 850 feet by 170 feet, giving it a footprint nearly an acre larger than U.S. America-class amphibious assault ships. Its dual aircraft elevators—positioned on both port and starboard sides—hint at high-tempo flight operations involving UCAVs. In addition to aviation capabilities, Sichuan retains full amphibious functionality, including a stern well deck for deploying landing craft.
Observers first identified signs of a catapult when construction photos showed a long trench embedded in the flight deck. Chinese media later confirmed that both the launch system and arresting gear are electromagnetic—marking a major step in naval aviation technology for the PLA Navy.
The ship’s rapid build time underscores the capacity of China’s integrated civil-military shipbuilding model. Built at CSSC Hudong-Zhonghua’s expanded facility on Changxing Island, Sichuan was assembled alongside a range of commercial vessels—including methanol dual-fuel containerships for CMA CGM and several LNG carriers. This mix of military and commercial output demonstrates the economies of scale that support China’s naval shipbuilding, from the industrial supply chain to the trained labor force.
From keel laying to sea trials, Sichuan took just 25 months to complete. By comparison, the U.S. Navy’s smaller USS America required 53 months to reach sea trials, and the latest America-class vessel, the future USS Bougainville (LHA-8), is expected to take 89 months from keel laying to delivery. The contrast highlights China’s rapidly advancing shipbuilding efficiency and its growing capacity to produce complex warships at remarkable speed.
