Demonstrating its strong military power, China has unveiled the world’s largest amphibious assault ship. The launch closely followed reports of the communist nation testing flights of its new sixth-generation heavy stealth fighter jet, reportedly codenamed J-36, which features a tailless design aimed at enhancing stealth and maneuverability. Is.
Beijing is expanding its military capabilities on a war footing, with the country’s defense spending set to rise 7.2 percent to 1.67 trillion yuan in 2024. China has also become the world’s largest shipbuilder, with a capacity 230 times that of the US. ,
About China’s amphibious assault ship
The Chinese Type 076 amphibious assault ship entered the water at a shipyard in Shanghai on Friday, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) said in a statement.
Named Sichuan after the southwestern Chinese province, the new ship was independently hailed by the PLAN as a “key asset” to advance the navy’s transformation and enhance its long-range operational capabilities in the high seas. Has gone.
China’s first domestically developed and built Type 076 amphibious assault ship, Sichuan, left the dock in Shanghai on Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/FT9ZY0NbC1
– CCTV+ (@CCTV_Plus) 29 December 2024
Sichuan has a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, according to a report by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. It also reportedly features a dual-island superstructure with a full-length flight deck. In addition, the ship includes electromagnetic catapult and arrester technologies, enabling it to carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and amphibious equipment.
According to a CNN report, only one other warship in service worldwide, the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier ‘USS Gerald R Ford’ uses the electromagnetic catapult system.
About China’s J-36 jet
On Thursday, unverified pictures of what is being said to be a Chinese sixth-generation fighter aircraft went viral on social media. The jet has reportedly been named J-36.
The plane was seen flying over Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province in broad daylight, with a fifth-generation J-20 fighter jet beside it, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. It had a triangular tailless design, leading to speculation about its potential to alter the global balance of air dominance.
The Chinese government and military have not officially commented on the jet. However, the timing of its debut, which coincides with the birthday of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China, suggests a deliberate message.
The emergence of the J-36 signals a major leap forward in China’s military aviation capabilities and a challenge to existing US air superiority. This comes a month after Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) unveiled its Baidi White Emperor ‘B Type’ sixth-generation fighter jet at the Zhuhai Airshow in November.
China’s dominance in defense sector
China has made rapid progress in the military field since the first attempt to modernize the People’s Liberation Army under Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. This included regular updates to its doctrine, organizational structure, equipment, and weapon systems to better reflect the changing needs of modern warfare.
But Beijing’s rapid military rise has increased the scale of regional power in the Indo-Pacific, which has been largely dominated by the US since the end of World War II.
