Chinese Naval Platform & PLAN discussions
- Thread starter Beijingwalker
- Start date
ety
Trusted Member
Is this just a picture of the 096 model or a real thing that has been deployed ?
Beijingwalker
VIP Member
- Thread starter
- #577
China’s rate of warship construction shows no sign of waning
By David Oliver-January 12, 2026
This is China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, which was launched but not commissioned last year. (chinamil.com)In China the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned more than 18 new warships last year.
The largest entrant was the aircraft carrier ‘003’ that was commissioned on 5 November 2025 at Sanya Naval Base on Hainan Island in a ceremony attended by Chairman Xi Jinping.
The Fujian’s hull is more than 300m long and its displacement is estimated at some 80,000 tonnes. It is the first Chinese aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system.
Earlier, the carrier had conducted a series of launches and arrested landings of the PLAN’s catapult take-off but arrested recovery Shenyang J-15T fighter, the carrier-borne version of the Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter, and the new twin turboprop Xian KJ-600 long-range airborne early warning aircraft.
Furthermore, another even larger aircraft carrier is believed to be under construction in China, with analysts predicting the Type 004 will be nuclear powered.
Only weeks later, China’s first new-generation Type 076 amphibious assault ship, Sichuan, began sea trials. The 252m-long, 45,000-tonne vessel is one of the largest amphibious assault ships in the world. It features stern access for hovercraft or amphibious vehicles, while the flight deck has two side-mounted elevators for moving aircraft to the hangar below.
The PLAN also commissioned Hubei (‘34’), a Type 075 landing helicopter dock, on 1 August 2025. The PLAN now has four of these 35,000-tonne Type 075s in service.
Surface combatants were also a focus for Chinese naval shipbuilding. Seven Type 052D destroyers entered PLAN service in 2025 (‘125’-‘128’, 158’, ‘166’ and ‘176’) along with two Type 054AG frigates (hulls ‘535’ and ‘543’).
As well, the first Type 054B frigate, Luohe (‘545’), was commissioned in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN’s northern fleet is based, on 22 January 2025. It was followed a few months later by another, Qinzhou (‘555’). Construction of a second batch of six Type 055 destroyers continues at Jiangnan and Dalian, though none entered service in 2025.
China is actively expanding its submarine fleet too, including the development of new classes such as the Type 096 ballistic missile submarine to succeed the Type 094.
A new Type 093B nuclear-powered attack submarine was commissioned into the PLAN in April 2025. (Chinese internet)In April 2025, a Type 093B nuclear-powered attack submarine – which marks a major advance in the PLAN’s underwater capabilities – was commissioned at the Huludao Shipyard.
It is difficult to ascertain accurate submarine production numbers, but two Type 093Bs are believed to have been commissioned last year. The Type 093B’s vertical launch system is capable of launching an array of cruise missiles, both land-attack and anti-ship, including the advanced YJ-21 hypersonic missile designed for long-range strikes that could bypass conventional naval defences.
As well, it is estimated that possibly three Type 039C diesel-electric submarines fitted with air-independent propulsion entered PLAN service in 2025.
At the same time, a series of submarine rescue ships were commissioned in 2025, including the Type 927 Xiua and two Dakai-class vessels that were commissioned as part of the Northern Theatre Command Navy.
In 2025 the PLAN’s Type 920 hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, left Quanzhou in East China’s Fujian Province for the first time. It is China’s second domestically designed and constructed 10,000-tonne-class ocean-going hospital ship.
The PLAN’s expansion is expected to continue in 2026 and beyond, with no diminishment in the pace of naval construction foreseeable.
China’s rate of warship construction shows no sign of waning - Asian Military Review
In China the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned more than 18 new warships last year.
www.asianmilitaryreview.com
Ali_Baba
VIP Member
Nice - they should send it to the Persian Gulf, lots of electronic signatures to "snoop" on with the USN Carrier group potentially going into combat operations.
Hussain
Trusted Member
Ali_Baba
VIP Member
They have only so far deployed destroyers and not EW monitoring equipment like the Liao Wang-1.
Hussain
Trusted Member
When you deploy a 30,000 ton ship your opponents are extra careful.
When you deploy other surface assets with passive sensors, its a whole different ball game.....
Shui
Registered Member
Users who are viewing this thread
Pakistan Defence Latest
-
-
Can Pakistan Win Bangladesh’s Trust Without Apologizing for the Genocide of 1971? (10 Viewers)- Latest: Muji.Iqbal
-
-
-
Country Watch Latest
-
-
-
-
How India’s New Nuclear Submarine Base Challenges China’s Naval Plans | WSJ (7 Viewers)
- Latest: Nimble
