Is Sichuan a new type of amphibious warfare platform for China or a drone carrier?
China's new amphibious warfare ship is large and different:
The ability of the class to support large-scale UAV operations, alongside traditional amphibious assault ship roles, was a key capability, according to Kandlikar Venkatesh, defence analyst at GlobalData.
“With the reported electromagnetically powered catapult to support an air wing, the 076 could handle heavier UCAVs such as those used for ISR, strike support, and electronic warfare,” Venkatesh stated. ...
“Type 076 also complicates Taiwan’s defensive plan. It gives China a way to keep ISR and targeting coverage over the strait and around potential landing zones even if access to carriers or mainland aviation is disrupted,” Venkatesh said.
This vessel is too large to be a real CVE that disperses naval aviation with drones. It seems more like the America class that is a large amphibious warfare ship with a backup light carrier role.
I have to wonder if the Sichuan tries to do too much.
And I must comment on this claim, "An amphibious assault is the only way that China could successfully seize the island by force." The only way? It is a major way to deposit grains of sand on Taiwan to build a beachhead. But that is not the only way.
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NOTE: Image of Sichuan from the article.
