China places ‘loyal wingman’ drones for tests on the deck of the Type 076 Sichuan ship (X @RupprechtDeino)
Recent images reveal low-observable Chinese combat drones positioned at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai, where the Type 076 Sichuan amphibious landing ship was built.
The footage suggests a possible preparation for naval tests of unmanned aircraft of the “loyal wingman” type, with a focus on the project informally known as Type C, considered the Chinese equivalent of the United States’ CCA programs.
Photos and satellite images show at least six CCA-type drones, along with a model similar to the Wing Loong MALE, suggesting that the People’s Liberation Army Navy is evaluating several platforms to make up the Type 076’s air wing. While these may only be models, China’s history of using these models in the development stages reinforces the importance of the material observed, especially in light of the unique capabilities of the vessel, which is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult and was designed for sustained air operations.
At 44,000 tons, the Type 076 could significantly expand China’s naval aviation capability, complementing traditional aircraft carriers such as the recently commissioned Fujian. Integrating onboard drones would enable strike, reconnaissance and support missions for combat groups, strengthening China’s power projection in strategic areas such as the South China Sea and marking a new phase in the employment of unmanned aircraft on large ships.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @RupprechtDeino | This content was created with the help of AI and has been reviewed by the editorial team
Well, back from work and back to this strange picture: 🤔
I start with my layman’s attempt to sort them a bit + adding the names according to Huitong’s CMA-Blog.— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) September 10, 2025
The so far closest and clearest images of these new naval CCA/UCAV mock-ups were posted.
(Via@太湖军I名) pic.twitter.com/8yOKzRKzpK
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 29, 2025
