A 4th Type 075 amphibious helicopter carrier under construction for the Chinese Navy?

Since the delivery to the Chinese Navy of Anhui, the third Type 075 amphibious helicopter carrier , in October 2022, the future of this class, representing the largest non-American global amphibious ship to date, remained uncertain.

Some rumors on Chinese social media claimed, in fact, that other ships of the class would be built to reach a fleet of 12 ships on parity with the large amphibious ships of the Wasp and America classes of the US Navy.

New LHD Type 075 or new class of Type 76 drone carriers?

Others, conversely, maintained that a new class of assault ship, designated Type 076 and specialized in the deployment of drones, would be developed to increase the means available to the PLA's amphibious forces.

Until now, there was nothing to decide in favor of one or the other of these hypotheses. Most notably, while intensively pursuing the construction of new destroyers and frigates, Chinese shipyards did not appear to have undertaken the manufacture of a new large amphibious vessel.

It is now done, according to an otherwise partially hidden photo broadcast on Chinese social networks and relayed on X. This shows, in fact, that the construction of a new large amphibious ship is well advanced, and that several sections of the ship have already been assembled.

For the moment, the only photo available does not allow us to decide between a new Type 075 and a new class of ship, even if several specialists on the subject seem rather inclined to favor the first hypothesis.

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