See aboard China’s new massive assault ship that can launch fighter jets or drones

• China unveiled its newest amphibious assault ship in a launching ceremony in Shanghai on Friday.
• The Sichuan’s standout feature is a catapult system capable of launching fixed-wing aircraft.
• The first-in-class flattop also has a massive flight deck as large as three football fields.

China unveiled the new amphibious assault ship it has been secretly building this past year at a launching ceremony at a shipyard in Shanghai.

The Sichuan, the first Yulan-class landing helicopter assault (LHA) ship, has a massive flight deck as large as three football fields. Once completed, it will be the largest vessel of its kind.

But the ship’s large size isn’t the only detail that sets it apart.

While other amphibious assault ships have only been able to carry helicopters and vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft, the Sichuan is equipped with a carrier-style catapult system and arresting gear that allows it to launch heavier fixed-wing aircraft, the Chinese navy said. Even with the unveiling, mystery still shrouds what is essentially a light aircraft carrier and China’s ambitions for it.