Will China's Type 076 be a drone carrier or a light aircraft carrier?
If the construction of a successor to the Chinese Navy's Type 075 amphibious assault helicopter carrier, called Type 076, has been discussed since 2020, the characteristics and exact function of this ship have given rise to numerous speculations, enriched official Chinese statements.
This is how over the years, the Type 076 went from an LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock), like the Type 075, to an assault drone carrier, replacing part of its assault helicopters and attack, by fixed-wing drones, to ensure protection and support functions for the ship and dismounted troops.
Recent photos appearing on social networks, showing the progress of the construction of the first ship of the class, by the CSSC shipyards in Shanghai, show that, as mentioned, the ship will indeed have a catapult, and will therefore have the ability to implement these fixed-wing combat drones.
However, the size of the ship, and the length of the trench which will accommodate its single catapult, outlines another possibility, that of using the Type 076, as a light aircraft carrier, a class of ship which disappeared with the withdrawal of the HMS illustrations of the Royal Navy, in 2014, but which seems to regain appeal in recent years.