China's Amphibious Assault Ship Sichuan Enters Final Testing Phase with Advanced Capabilities

The 40,000-tonne Sichuan had full deck line markings, meaning it had entered the final testing phase, military expert Wei Dongxu told state broadcaster CCTV. The amphibious assault ship, which has a 250-metre-long (820 feet) and 62-metre-wide flight deck, is expected to become one of Beijing’s most important assets in any potential action against Taiwan. It is designed to transport landing craft, troops, armoured vehicles and aircraft to support amphibious operations. Wei said the next step was to conduct ship-aircraft integration training. CCTV reported earlier that both the catapult system and the arresting gear had been completed. In a separate video released by CCTV on Tuesday, the Sichuan was seen with deck-line markings and deploying decoys. As the only amphibious assault ship in the world equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system, the Sichuan is expected to launch crewed and uncrewed fixed-wing aircraft, including the GJ-21 large stealth attack drone, as well as helicopters. In the computer-rendered graphics released by CCTV on Wednesday, the Sichuan launched the GJ-21 – the naval variant of the GJ-11 stealth attack drone. A further five GJ-21 UAVs were seen lined up on the island side of the deck as the sixth was catapulted into the air.