China's first shipborne stealth reconnaissance-strike integrated drone GJ-21 has recently completed its first takeoff and landing operation aboard the Sichuan, China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, a navy source said.

This represents another breakthrough made by China in the development of amphibious assault ships and marks that the Chinese Navy has acquired the capability to operate fixed-wing stealth drones from large maritime combat platforms, the navy source noted.

The Sichuan, hull number 51, is the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship designed and built independently by China. It was launched on December 27, 2024, and is named after southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Sichuan has a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tonnes and features a dual-island superstructure along with a full-length flight deck.

The vessel features the innovative application of automated landing guidance system, integrated electric power system, and electromagnetic catapult and arrestor technologies. It is designed to carry fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and amphibious equipment.

Since beginning its first sea trials in November 2025, the Sichuan has steadily conducted various maritime tests as planned, successfully completing the debugging of various equipment and overall operational stability testing, the source said.