Type 076 landing helicopter dock

In mid-2020, official request for proposals (RFP) associated with the Type 076 were published on the Internet. Specifications from the RFPs were for a 21 MW gas turbine and diesel powerplants, a medium-voltage direct current integrated power system, and a well deck. The specified aviation equipment included a UAV deck, a munition elevator, a 30-ton flight deck elevator, an electromagnetic CATOBAR system for light aircraft. The lead ship of this class was constructed at Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard and was initially expected to be launched in early 2025. In November 2025, Sichuan started sea trials. ==Design==

The Type 076 has a full-length flight deck, an internal hangar, two large aircraft elevators on both sides and one small elevator at the front deck section. The ship is intended to operate naval helicopters and UAVs, or possibly manned fixed-wing aircraft such as the J-35. A floodable well deck is located at its stern, capable of launching amphibious vehicles for landing operations. The main propulsion of the class appears to employ a gas turbine setup. For this reason, the ship has a "twin-island" superstructure configuration that allows one superstructure dedicated to navigation while the other one focusing on flight operations. The overall tonnage of the ship was estimated as at full displacement by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ==List of ships==