One of the most recent and fast-moving credible rumors to come from the online communities watching the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a new landing helicopter dock (LHD) type vessel dubbed the 076. This 076 class LHD was first brought to the attention of the community in mid-2020, and in a rather unprecedented fashion a number of official request for proposal documents were found, and some credible insiders with established track records began to speak about the details of 076. It then reached a number of overseas and English language news outlets.

最近中國(guó)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)上傳言解放軍（PLA）計(jì)劃建造一款新的直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦，被稱(chēng)為076型。
關(guān)于076型直升機(jī)航母的消息在2020年年中突然出現(xiàn)，引起中社會(huì)的注意，并伴隨流出若干官方采購(gòu)文件，一些比較可靠的內(nèi)部消息人士也開(kāi)始談?wù)?76的細(xì)節(jié)。隨后，一些海外和英語(yǔ)新聞機(jī)構(gòu)也報(bào)道了076型直升機(jī)航母。

The 076 is described as an LHD – following on from, or perhaps complementing, the 075 class LHD – however, it is believed to be capable of conducting fixed wing flight operations via electromagnetic catapult (EMCAT) and arresting gear. Indeed, the greatest difference between the 076 compared to the 075 LHD, or other LHDs such as the U.S. Navy’s Wasp or America classes, is that the 076 is described as providing a similar capability as the F-35B gave to U.S. Navy LHDs, but without using a vertical short take off and landing (VSTOL) aircraft.

076型被稱(chēng)為是075型直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦的后續(xù)升級(jí)型號(hào)，然而，與075不同的是，076據(jù)稱(chēng)將安裝電磁彈射器(EMCAT)和攔阻裝置，以起降艦載固定翼戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)。
考慮到中國(guó)沒(méi)有像F35B那樣能夠短距起飛/垂直起降的艦載機(jī)，
那么與075型甚至美國(guó)的“黃蜂”級(jí)“美國(guó)”級(jí)直升機(jī)航母相比，076型的最大作用，就是提供一種新的作戰(zhàn)能力，使得中國(guó)未來(lái)的艦載機(jī)也能在直升機(jī)航母上起降。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://www.top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請(qǐng)注明出處


As if it was not already rather jarring to consider an LHD equipped with catapults and arresting gear – essentially making such a ship technically a “CATOBAR” carrier (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) – those same insiders then revealed the primary fixed wing complement of 076 would consist of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or UCAVs for combat). Specific types of UAVs and UCAVs included a flying wing UCAV (possibly a navalized derivative of the GJ-11, a mockup of which was shown at the 70th anniversary National Day parade in 2019), as well as a conventional high altitude long endurance UAV known as “Wind Shadow,” which has previously been observed at the catapult testing facility at the Chinese Navy’s (PLAN’s) Huangdicun naval air station.

裝備彈射器和攔阻裝置的076型，本質(zhì)上已經(jīng)是一艘“彈射”航母了。
一些內(nèi)部人士透露，076型的主力艦載機(jī)將由偵查無(wú)人機(jī)和戰(zhàn)斗無(wú)人機(jī)組成。具體的型號(hào)可能是攻擊11無(wú)人機(jī)的海軍版本(中國(guó)在2019年國(guó)慶70周年閱兵式上展示過(guò))，以及另一種名為“風(fēng)影”的常規(guī)高空長(zhǎng)航時(shí)無(wú)人機(jī)，此前在中國(guó)海軍航空兵荒地村空軍基地的彈射測(cè)試設(shè)施中，觀察到了這種無(wú)人機(jī)。

A floodable well deck is also explicitly described, enabling the deployment of vehicles and amphibious craft from ship to land. A well deck is one of the cardinal features expected for a ship with an amphibious assault mission, and its inclusion aboard the 076 points to it still deserving the classic “LHD” designation. Furthermore, credible insiders have spoken of the 076 still as an “amphibious assault ship” like 075.
The aforementioned EMCAT and the arresting gear are the most noteworthy subsystems relevant to flight operations. However, other subsystems documented include a munitions elevator and a flight deck elevator capable of supporting a weight of 30 tons. Also mentioned is a “UAV deck.”

076型依然保留有井甲板，其攜帶的車(chē)輛和兩棲運(yùn)輸艇，可以實(shí)行兩棲登陸作戰(zhàn)。井甲板是判斷艦艇能否執(zhí)行兩棲攻擊任務(wù)主要特征之一，因此，076型仍然符合“兩棲攻擊艦”的定義。此外，可靠的內(nèi)部人士也稱(chēng)，076型仍然是一艘類(lèi)似075型的“兩棲攻擊艦”。
人們大都將注意力集中在076型的電磁彈射和攔阻裝置上。然而，更值得注意的是，其他相關(guān)文件表示，076型還將安裝一個(gè)彈藥升降機(jī)，和一個(gè)能夠支持30噸重量的甲板升降機(jī)。文件中還提到了“無(wú)人機(jī)甲板”。

The immediate area of contention for the 076 LHD is whether its fixed wing capability should be secondary to its function as an amphibious assault ship or if it should be primarily be considered a medium aircraft carrier. Similar debates exist for other navies as well, such as the USN, whose LHDs can function as medium aircraft carriers when operating large complements of VSTOL jets like F-35Bs or Harriers.

目前，圍繞076型的爭(zhēng)議，主要集中在076型的任務(wù)定位上。
人們爭(zhēng)論076型到底應(yīng)該扮演兩棲攻擊艦的角色，還是扮演中型航空母艦的角色。
其他國(guó)家海軍也存在類(lèi)似的爭(zhēng)論，比如美國(guó)海軍，當(dāng)裝備有鷂式戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)或F35B時(shí)，美國(guó)的直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦，其實(shí)也可以充當(dāng)中型航母的角色。

However, there are also key differences between an LHD and a proper carrier. The flight deck geometry and area of an aircraft carrier are typically far greater than those of an equivalently sized LHD, and feature greater reinforcement and arrested recovery gear as well. Most international LHD designs in the world conversely do not have their flight decks extend significantly beyond the hull width, whereas a carrier’s flight deck does. Larger flight deck area and “carrier” flight deck geometry enables more efficient and higher tempo fixed wing flight operations. The presence of an angled flight deck aboard aircraft carriers is one of the more obvious examples of this.

然而，直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦，和真正的航空母艦有很大的區(qū)別。
真正的航空母艦，其飛行甲板的面積和幾何形狀，通常比同等噸位的直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦大得多，并且安裝有更大的彈射器和攔阻回收裝置。
世界上大多數(shù)國(guó)家的直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦，它們飛行甲板的寬度沒(méi)有明顯超出自身船體的寬度，而真正航母的飛行甲板寬度，會(huì)明顯超出自身船體的寬度。
更大的飛行甲板面積和幾何形狀，使得艦載機(jī)的起降更高效、節(jié)奏更快。
真正的航空母艦，都會(huì)安裝傾斜飛行甲板，這就是一個(gè)比較明顯的例子。

Aircraft carriers typically require greater top speeds than LHDs, in turn requiring more powerful prime movers. At this stage, it is not known whether the 076 will have an angled flight deck; however the emphasis on its primary LHD role suggests the flight deck will also have more similarities with an LHD than a true aircraft carrier.

真正的航空母艦，最大航行速度要比直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦更快，也就是說(shuō)，真正的航空母艦會(huì)安裝動(dòng)力更強(qiáng)勁的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。
目前，我們還不知道076是否會(huì)有斜角飛行甲板；然而，就目前的信息來(lái)看，076型似乎更偏重兩棲攻擊作戰(zhàn)，所以我認(rèn)為076型不會(huì)像真正的航空母艦?zāi)菢?，安裝斜角飛行甲板。

Therefore, the current body of evidence suggests the 076 will be an LHD first, and a CATOBAR carrier second, with its CATOBAR provisions seeking to provide fixed wing aerial capabilities to enable the 076 to carry out its amphibious assault role. The 076 might still be capable of fielding an airwing made up of a large fixed wing aerial complement, but may lack the flight deck area to operate as efficiently as a true medium aircraft carrier.

因此，076型首先是一艘兩棲攻擊艦，其次才是一艘彈射航母。安裝彈射器，更多是能讓固定翼艦載機(jī)在076上起降，使076型的兩棲戰(zhàn)力成倍增加。
所以，076型的飛行甲板可能還是全通式甲板，而不會(huì)有（中型）航空母艦的斜角甲板。

Why Not VSTOL?
One might then ask why the PLAN would seek to integrate these subsystems onto an LHD to operate fixed wing flight aircraft, rather than going the route of the USN and developing a VSTOL fighter such as the F-35B.
Indeed, one might be forgiven for thinking that developing a VSTOL fighter is the most sensible and easiest route to provide LHD sized ships with a fixed wing capability. However, the development of a new VSTOL combat aircraft is far from fast or inexpensive, and given the Chinese aerospace industry has never developed a VSTOL combat aircraft in the past, this would represent a significant undertaking. Indeed, while the Chinese aerospace industry has conducted pre-research into VSTOL, the path to develop a viable VSTOL combat aircraft would be long and costly and fraught with risk and delay.

可能有人會(huì)問(wèn)，為什么解放軍要在在076型上裝那么多子系統(tǒng)，只為了能夠起降固定翼艦載機(jī)，而不是走美國(guó)海軍的路線，開(kāi)發(fā)一種能夠短距起飛/垂直降落的艦載機(jī)，如F-35B。
人們一般會(huì)認(rèn)為，開(kāi)發(fā)一款VSTOL（能夠短距起飛/垂直降落的）戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，是提升076型戰(zhàn)斗力最明智和最簡(jiǎn)單的途徑。
然而，想要開(kāi)發(fā)一款VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，需要花費(fèi)大量時(shí)間和資金。
開(kāi)發(fā)VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，是一項(xiàng)重大的工程項(xiàng)目。事實(shí)上，盡管中國(guó)之前已經(jīng)對(duì)VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)進(jìn)行了預(yù)研，但開(kāi)發(fā)VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的道路仍將是漫長(zhǎng)而昂貴的，不僅充滿風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，還可能超出預(yù)定期限。

Furthermore, any VSTOL capable “combat aircraft” must also be sufficiently capable and survivable in the relevant threat environment. For the modern threat environment into the 2020s and decades beyond, such an aircraft would inevitably require a high level of stealth and capable sensors and weapons. Developing a fifth generation strike fighter is within the Chinese aerospace industry’s capability; developing such an aircraft that is also VSTOL capable is something else entirely. Not to mention, such an aircraft would require a sufficiently high performance turbofan .

此外，考慮到2020年后至未來(lái)幾十年的空戰(zhàn)環(huán)境，所有的戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)都需要隱形能力和先進(jìn)的雷達(dá)和武器。中國(guó)已經(jīng)發(fā)展出了第五代戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，這些對(duì)中國(guó)來(lái)說(shuō)不是難事。但要把這些整合在VSTOL（能夠短距起飛/垂直降落的）戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)上，就是另一回事了。
更不用說(shuō)，VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)對(duì)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的性能，有著極高的要求。

The procurement potential for a dedicated VSTOL fighter is also somewhat limited. Even generously assuming the PLAN eventually pursues a fleet of 10 LHD ships similar to the Wasp or America class capable of operating a hypothetical VSTOL fighter, the total number of VSTOL fighters needed to outfit 10 such ships would number less than 200. Devoting time, expertise, funds and industry to the development of such a unique aircraft with such a relatively limited production run would not make sense, unless other branches in the PLA also procured this aircraft or if China designed this aircraft with export in mind.

另外，即使研發(fā)出來(lái)，中國(guó)對(duì)VSTOL（能夠短距起飛/垂直降落的）戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的采購(gòu)量終歸有限。即使大膽地假設(shè)，中國(guó)最終建造10艘直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦（類(lèi)似于“黃蜂”級(jí)或“美國(guó)”級(jí)），那么10艘這樣的艦艇，所需的VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)總數(shù)也只有不到200架。
為了200架飛機(jī)，投入大量時(shí)間，專(zhuān)業(yè)技術(shù)，資金和工業(yè)是沒(méi)有意義的，除非中國(guó)解放軍其他軍種也采購(gòu)VSTOL戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，亦或者中國(guó)考慮出口自己研發(fā)的飛機(jī)。

The unmanned nature of UCAVs and UAVs may also mitigate certain disadvantages of operating fixed wing aircraft aboard an LHD sized ship with a suboptimal flight deck. For example, the longer endurance of unmanned aircraft may reduce the need for higher tempo flight operations and sortie rates that manned aircraft could demand, which an LHD would be incapable of executing in the first place. Furthermore, unmanned aircraft tend to be able to attain greater endurance and range than equivalent weight fifth generation manned fighters as a reflection of their different competing requirements; after all, a flying wing UCAV does not need to sustain a pilot, or be capable of sustaining high Gs, nor is it required to attain supersonic speeds.

相反，使用無(wú)人偵查機(jī)和無(wú)人戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，要比固定翼艦載機(jī)存在一些優(yōu)點(diǎn)。
例如，無(wú)人機(jī)的續(xù)航時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)，相比固定翼艦載機(jī)高節(jié)奏的飛行操作和出動(dòng)率，無(wú)人機(jī)的需求更低。
此外，無(wú)人機(jī)往往擁有比同等重量的第五代載人戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)更大的續(xù)航力和航程。畢竟，無(wú)人機(jī)不需飛行員，也不需要過(guò)載機(jī)動(dòng)，速度也不需要達(dá)到超音速。

In other words, a UCAV with competitive and relevant combat radii, endurance, and payload could enjoy a significantly lighter weight compared to a manned fifth generation fighter, reducing the rating (and thus potentially size and power consumption) of the 076’s EM catapult and arresting gear. For example, a full sized aircraft carrier may be required to launch fully loaded, 30-plus ton manned combat aircraft; however, the 076’s catapults may be less powerful and only capable of launching aircraft up to 20 tons
Finally, a fleet of carrier-borne UCAVs and UAVs would be capable of operating from both 076s as well as future catapult aircraft carriers (003 and onwards). This opens up the potential for a larger production run and cross deck operations and flexibility as well.

換句話說(shuō)，與第五代載人戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)相比，無(wú)人機(jī)在作戰(zhàn)半徑、續(xù)航性和有效載荷方面，更具競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力，重量也更輕。
076型上的電磁彈射器和攔阻裝置，也可以相應(yīng)減少尺寸和功耗。
打個(gè)比方，一艘大型航空母艦可以彈射30噸以上的，滿載燃料和彈藥的艦載機(jī)；而076的彈射器可能動(dòng)能較小，只能彈射20噸以下的無(wú)人機(jī)。
最后，無(wú)人機(jī)編隊(duì)可以在076型，以及中國(guó)未來(lái)的003航母上起降。這為更大規(guī)模的生產(chǎn)和跨甲板（航母）起降提供了發(fā)展?jié)摿?，也帶?lái)了靈活性。

One of the most controversial questions surrounding the 076 is whether it will be capable of operating the manned aircraft that the PLAN’s future large deck CATOBAR carriers will field, such as the future FC-31 derived carrier-borne fighter. The expected relatively small size and limited geometry of the 076’s flight deck makes it unlikely the ship will routinely operate manned fixed wing aircraft, and the likely downrated catapults and arresting gear means it will be unable to launch and recover manned aircraft at their maximum loads. However, in theory, the 076 could still launch and recover manned aircraft with reduced loads, and offer the option to operate a limited number of manned aircraft in an ad hoc capacity if a specific mission requires it.

圍繞076型還有一個(gè)極具爭(zhēng)議的問(wèn)題，就是如果中國(guó)未來(lái)制造出新一代艦載機(jī)，比如以FC-31（殲31）為基礎(chǔ)開(kāi)發(fā)的艦載機(jī)。076型是否有能力起降中國(guó)新的艦載機(jī)。
預(yù)計(jì)076的飛行甲板相對(duì)較小，幾何形狀有限，這使得076不太可能起降有人駕駛的固定翼艦載機(jī)。而縮小的彈射器和攔阻裝置意味著，076將無(wú)法彈射和攔阻攜帶最大載荷的艦載機(jī)。
當(dāng)然，從理論上講，當(dāng)艦載機(jī)減少攜帶燃料和武器彈藥時(shí)，076是可以彈射和降落艦載機(jī)的。
也就是說(shuō)，076在特定任務(wù)需要時(shí)，可以以臨時(shí)航母的身份起降有限數(shù)量的載人戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)。

Therefore, the current vision of the 076 represents a markedly different way of providing an LHD with fixed wing aviation capability compared to the U.S. Navy and other Western navies that operate F-35B or Harrier jump jets. Comparisons between the 076 and its Western contemporaries will likely be made in the future, as the 076 emerges as a more visible and concrete project; however, it is valuable early on to recognize that the 076’s airwing will not be designed to fulfill the same variety of air-to-air, strike, and ISR missions in the same supersonic capable package that F-35B is. Instead, the 076’s UCAV and UAV aircraft will likely emphasize longer endurance and longer range strike and ISR missions instead. The value of the two approaches can only be assessed in context of each navy’s own respective naval aviation and amphibious assault strategy.

因此，與美國(guó)海軍和其他使用F-35B或鷂式戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的西方海軍相比，在為直升機(jī)航母/兩棲攻擊艦選擇固定翼艦載機(jī)的問(wèn)題上，076代表了中國(guó)與西方不同的發(fā)展思路。
076的艦載機(jī)不會(huì)像F-35B那樣，強(qiáng)調(diào)超音速空對(duì)空、空對(duì)地和監(jiān)視偵查能力。
相反，076的無(wú)人機(jī)可能會(huì)強(qiáng)調(diào)更長(zhǎng)的續(xù)航時(shí)間，更遠(yuǎn)的打擊距離，以及監(jiān)視偵查能力。
這兩種思路，是中美考量各自海軍航空部隊(duì)和兩棲攻擊的戰(zhàn)略規(guī)劃后，發(fā)展而來(lái)的。其價(jià)值需要放在中美各自的戰(zhàn)略背景下才能評(píng)估。