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Military


Type 076 Yulan" LHA - Program

By May 2024 the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship was building in the dock of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co. , Ltd. Most of the decks on the bow had reached the height of the flight deck. But there is only one electromagnetic catapult installation slot left, which means that the 076 may really only have one electromagnetic catapult, which is very surprising. But the unexpected thing is not just the electromagnetic catapult design. There is another thing that is even more surprising, that is, the hull module in the upper right corner of the dock. It is the hull module with the electromagnetic catapult installation slot on the top that has been placed there for a long time.

The first time 076 was known to everyone was in the public tender 2022. At that time, it was felt that drone carriers were a brand new thing, and the actual effect of drones in actual combat remained to be seen. In recent wars, drones have shown their power and have proved to the world that drones have subverted modern warfare.

A set of procurement request notices released by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) 708 Institute stirred speculations among foreign and Chinese media about a new type of Chinese amphibious assault ship dubbed Type 076, which is purported to feature electromagnetic catapults, fixed wing aircraft and integrated electric propulsion system. An early 2020 RFPs relating to 076 LHA project showed it features UAV, EMALS, AAG, IEP, 30 tonnes elevator, 21MW gas turbine engine. Over the next several month, some well known sources indicated that PLAN plan to build a new type of Amphibious Assault Ship which operate the UAVs instead of the SVTOL like F-35B. In 29th July, POP3 said PLAN is going to build a new LHA ship - type 076.

CITIC International Tendering Co., Ltd. (the bidding agency) was entrusted by the 708th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (the bidder) to conduct domestic public bidding for projects and invite qualified bidders to submit sealed bid documents. Bidders should possess the third-level (including) confidentiality qualification unit certificate issued by the National Defense Weapons and Equipment Research and Production Unit Confidentiality Qualification Review and Certification Committee, and the certificate is valid. Deadline for bidding: 9:30 am, June 10, 2020 (Beijing time).

Over a period of two months, seven bidding announcements have been posted on the PLA’s military weapons and equipment bidding website, all of which are “XX6 project” announcements. Series design development contract bidding. I looked at the bidding project. It is a warship project. There are 21MW gas turbines, 6MW diesel engines, 1600KN main propulsion shafts, medium-voltage DC integrated power systems for ships, flight decks, organic storage, vehicle decks, vehicles and boats. The research of ship layout and access includes electromagnetic ejection, feasibility study of unmanned aerial vehicle, 30-ton inboard lift, integrated communication mast, and closed metamaterial mast. Then guess the name is 076 type amphibious landing ship, guess it is an amphibious landing ship with electromagnetic catapult, full electric propulsion system, full flight deck and dock, guess that carrier-based aircraft also has large drones in addition to helicopters. The total budget or bidding limit is 478.31 million yuan. The seven bid-winning announcements have come out, but you can’t see it without an account, you can only see the bidding announcement.

Seven documents about XX6 (076?) program were posted on the official platform of Procurement bidding for PLA:

    Part-1:
  1. (56)(Electromagnetic XX device) Electric CXX installation X structure performance calculation and structural strength calculation guide
  2. (58). (Munitions Elevator) Elevator X Structure Performance Calculation and Structural Strength Calculation Guide
  3. (63). (Island) -island superstructure performance calculation
    Part-2:
  4. (24). (Medium voltage DC integrated power system) Research on magnetic field characteristics and protection technology of the medium-voltage DC integrated power system
  5. (33). (UAV deck) Full J Multifunction Water Curtain System Optimization and Simulation Test Study (UAV deck) based on unmanned J deck
  6. (41).(Amphibious Assault Ship) Two Q Attack JHSH Protective Equipment Optimization and Washing Process Research
    Part-4:
  7. (8).(30 tons flight deck elevator) 30 tons of in-board lift research and development
  8. (17). (1600kN Main Thrust shaft) 1600kN class main thrust bearing research and development
  9. (19).(6MW Diesel Engine) 6MW diesel engine inlet and exhaust silencer development
  10. (21).(21MW Gas Turbine) 21MW Grade Gas Turbine Intake Filter (Part Kit)
    Part-6:
  11. (10). (EMALS) Development of electro-CTS slot ventilation and ventilation device

Judging from the bidding information disclosed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation 708, the Type 076 amphibious assault ship will adopt a variety of new technologies, the most eye-catching of which is the "DCTS tank". "DCTS" should be the pinyin abbreviation of "electromagnetic catapult", which means that the Type 076 amphibious assault ship is likely to adopt electromagnetic catapult technology in the future. In addition, the tender content also mentioned the development projects such as 21MW gas turbines, 6MW diesel engines and "medium voltage direct current for J", which indicates that the power system of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship should be an all-electric propulsion system with 21MW gas turbines and 6MW diesel engines as the core. In fact, electromagnetic catapult technology requires huge electrical energy. The configuration of gas turbines plus integrated power systems can just meet the energy consumption requirements of the electromagnetic catapult system, which is also a major direction for the development of future ships in China.

H.I.Sutton reported July 23, 2020 "The Chinese Navy is building assault carriers to support amphibious operations, like a possible invasion of Taiwan or landings on disputed islands in the South China Sea. ...the PLAN is building its capabilities as an astonishing rate. No sooner have we become used to seeing the Type-075 LHD, which was seen as a massive step forward less than a year ago, and already we are on to the next generation.... information is already emerging suggesting that the follow-on design, the Type-076, will have much more firepower.... Learning how to use regular assault carriers, let alone ones with UCAVs, could take years.

At the 2021 Zhuhai Air Show, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showed a video depicting the scene of a "Grike-11" (GJ-11) stealth unmanned attack aircraft taking off from a ship similar to the Type 075 , showing the potential of UAV application in future combat.

The Congressional Research Service report by Ronald O'Rourke "China Naval Modernization" updated January 20, 2022 stated "In July 2020, it was reported that China might be planning to build the first of a new class of amphibious assault ships, called the Type 076 by observers, that would be equipped with electromagnetic catapults, which would enhance its ability to support operations by fixed-wing aircraft and make it somewhat more like an aircraft carrier.... "

A report by IDA Masafumi of Japan's National Institute for Defense Studies noted September 27, 2022 "In April 2021, the PLAN commissioned the Hainan, the first of the Type 075-class landing helicopter docks (LHD), and deployed her to the South Sea Fleet. ... Some indicate that the PLAN is also planning to build the Type 076 amphibious assault ship which will be equipped with catapults and enable the use of fixed-wing aircraft."

China Arms noted in December 2023, " As the first ship of the 076 type and with the trial use of a new electromagnetic catapult device, its construction time is expected to be longer than that of the Type 075, with a possible launch not earlier than 2024. It is aimed at meeting the future Chinese demand for amphibious ships in overseas operations."

Naval News reported in Janury 2024 that "construction may move onto the much speculated about Type 076 amphibious carrier. This new design is supposedly equipped with a scaled down catapult launch system for enhanced drone-operations. New shipyard facilities for Hudong on Changxing Island, next to Jiangnan, have over the last few months of 2023, become operational and will be a significant asset for further naval construction."

In January 2024, the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, which had often been rumored in the past, finally received more definite news. A photo from the Internet shows that the Type 076 amphibious assault ship being built at a shipyard has begun construction of the upper hull, and some sections of the hull's outboard part have been completed.

Whether it was an official leak or an unintentional one, in a photo of the "Fujian" returning to the shipyard dock in May 2024, a Type 076 ship that was suspected to be under construction appeared rarely. This may be the first time that the two new types of ships have appeared in the same frame. When the latest satellite images of the expansion dock of the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard were exposed, domestic media followed up and revealed that in addition to building the fourth 075 amphibious assault ship, the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard also started building the first 076 amphibious assault ship at the same time. According to satellite images disclosed in the West, the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard had recently completed the expansion project, and the dock is There is another newly built large ship, which is speculated to be the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship.

China urgently desires to expand the size of its naval fleet, but the construction cycle of aircraft carriers is still too long. Take the Type 003 aircraft carrier as an example: the construction of the ship started in 2016 and is expected to be delivered at the end of 2025. It took about 9 years from the start of construction to delivery, and it will take at least one year of training after delivery to form combat effectiveness. The construction cycle of the Navy's Type 075 amphibious assault ship is only 14 months on average. Even though the assembly technology of Type 076 is more complicated than that of Type 075, its construction cycle is estimated to be only 16 to 18 months. Compared with the 10-year delivery time of aircraft carriers, it is extremely fast.



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