China unveils massive drone-carrying amphibious ships

Satellite photos have revealed new Chinese training installations. According to experts, they show the deck of the future large amphibious ship Type 076, on which Hongdu GJ-11 attack drones are placed. The new Chinese units are expected to be comparable in size to aircraft carriers.

China is building enormous amphibious ships that surpass the America-class American units in displacement. Photos of the docks where the first ship, Type 076, is being constructed revealed this. New satellite images reveal that something disturbing has appeared near the construction site.

It is an installation resembling Chinese mock-ups used for training. The shape, reminiscent of a fragment of the flight deck, and its very large width suggest that it is a mock-up of the Type 076 ship currently being built. Recently, unusual shapes have appeared on its makeshift deck.

Most likely, these are mock-ups of Chinese Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword attack drones. These stealth unmanned aerial vehicles have been in development for over a decade and are intended for precision strikes and reconnaissance missions. Their estimated payload capacity reaches 4,400 pounds, and weapons can be carried in two internal bays.

The GJ-11 is just over 39 feet long and has a wingspan of 47 feet. It is designed in a flying wing configuration. In the future, machines of this type will be able to perform the role of loyal wingmen or be controlled by the second crew member of the new two-seater version of the J-20 aircraft.

The presence of unmanned aerial vehicle mock-ups indicates that China is building future amphibious ships with an aviation component consisting of new unmanned aerial vehicles. Their estimated length exceeds 827 feet, and the deck width reaches 157 feet. The displacement of units in this class is estimated at 53,000 tons.

The new ships' catapult-equipped capabilities are expected to further enhance the capabilities of both the ships and the drones launched from them. In practice, the new units will be the equivalent of large CATOBAR-class aircraft carriers for unmanned aerial vehicles, similar to the American Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford classes, the French Charles de Gaulle, or the latest Chinese aircraft carrier, Fujian.