Beijing has unveiled the world’s largest amphibious assault ship, capable of launching fighter jets.

The new warship, the Sichuan, is a type 076 new-generation amphibious craft that officially launched on December 27. It has a full load displacement of 40,000 tons, a dual-island superstructure, and a full-length flight deck, reported Fox News.

The craft will reportedly play a critical role in the Chinese navy’s ability to operate in the far seas. Aircraft can launch from the warship using state-of-the-art electromagnetic technology and land on its deck, acting as a sort of light aircraft carrier, according to one Chinese military expert, reported Global Times. The vehicle is intended to launch ground troops in landing crafts while backing them with air support, per the Associated Press.

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In 2023, the U.S. and Chinese military had multiple close calls.

In June, the Pentagon released footage of a Chinese J-16 fighter jet flying directly in front of a U.S. Air Force FC-135 operating in the airspace above the South China Sea. Then, just days later, The Dallas Express reported that U.S. and Chinese ships sailed within hundreds of yards of one another in the Taiwan Strait, escalating the already tense relationship between the two powers following the U.S.’ shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

Earlier this year, tensions were further ratcheted up when Beijing sent a record number of warplanes over a US-delineated boundary in the Taiwan Strait. In total, 56 Chinese aircraft breached the line in the incident.

Next year, the U.S. Navy officially celebrates its 250th anniversary. Originally named the Continental Navy, it was initially used to intercept ships trying to deliver supplies to the British Army in or near the colonies. And yet, China now operates the largest navy in the world, though it still lacks nuclear-powered aircraft carriers like those found in the U.S. arsenal. The U.S. currently operates 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers worldwide, like the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was moved to the Middle East earlier this year amid the ongoing conflict in the region.