China's New "Drone Carrier" Amphib Test-Launches First Unmanned Fighter
The vessel launched in December 2024 and went out on her first sea trials in November 2025. For the last year, the ship - China's second vessel with a high-tech electromagnetic catapult system - has been engaged in "various maritime tests as planned, successfully completing the debugging of various equipment and overall operational stability tests," according to the PLA.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
The service's first announced flight test for the Type 076 is a stealth flying-wing drone design, the Hongdu GJ-21, itself a naval variant of the GJ-11 design. The selection was not a surprise: Mockups the size and shape of this drone fighter had been seen in satellite imaging of CSSC Hudong Zhonghua shipyard, home of the Type 076, for several years.
The GJ-11 aircraft is an older design, having achieved its first flight in 2013. It has internal weapons bays and a reported takeoff weight of about 20,000 pounds - enough mass to make the acceleration of a catapult useful. Elsewhere in PLA service, it is expected to serve in a "loyal wingman" role alongside manned fighters; it is unclear whether the Type 076 will support both drone operations and manned naval aviation. Song Zhongping, a military-affairs commentator and researcher at the Xuan Yuan (Hong Kong) Technology Exchange Center, told state-owned Global Times that the Type 076 might temporarily host manned aircraft for testing purposes. In this configuration, the ship could help the PLA Navy test out concepts of manned-unmanned teaming for later use aboard the Type 003 aircraft carrier - a full-size CATOBAR carrier design with electromagnetic catapults.
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
