The CNS Sichuan, China's largest and most powerful amphibious assault ship, has set sail from its shipyard in Shanghai to the South China Sea for testing and training operations, according to the People's Liberation Army Navy.

In a news statement on Tuesday night, the PLA Navy said engineers will check and verify the performance of multiple systems on the vessel.

The navy said the Sichuan has completed several sea trials, adding that the latest voyage is a routine cross-sea trial conducted in accordance with the ship's construction plan and is not aimed at any specific target.

Wu Peixin, a military affairs observer, said the Sichuan is among the world's most advanced amphibious warfare platforms in terms of overall combat capability. The South China Sea trial is expected to test the stability of key systems in open-sea conditions, including propulsion, power supply, the electromagnetic catapult and ship-aircraft coordination systems.

"This long-distance trial will verify the vessel's navigational and operational adaptability in different sea areas, especially the high-temperature and high-humidity environment of the South China Sea," Wu said.

He added that the vast waters of the South China Sea will enable comprehensive validation of compatibility between the electromagnetic catapult system and large shipborne drones, a critical stage in demonstrating its role as a drone carrier.

The trial will also generate essential data for the Type 076's future joint combat operations with the CNS Fujian carrier strike group and Type 055 destroyers in the South China Sea, Wu said.

"The Sichuan features formidable three-dimensional amphibious landing and over-the-horizon strike capabilities and will become a key platform to safeguard our interests in the South China Sea," he said. "It demonstrates the PLA Navy's capability to conduct high-intensity amphibious operations in distant waters, serving as an asymmetric deterrent to potential adversaries."

With a hull code of 51, the Sichuan is the first vessel in the Type 076 class, often categorized in the West as a landing helicopter dock. The ship displaces more than 40,000 metric tons and will carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and amphibious landing craft once it enters service.

The vessel is equipped with an electromagnetic launch system, or electromagnetic catapult, used to launch fixed-wing aircraft. This makes the Sichuan the first Chinese amphibious assault ship with such a system and capable of deploying fixed-wing drones. It is also the second Chinese vessel to use the technology, after the CNS Fujian aircraft carrier.

Once commissioned, the ship will be able to support a range of missions, from amphibious landings to airstrikes and airborne operations.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn