Chinese navy would not go that way, just proper carrier+LPD/LHD combination, with EMALS installed on the Type 076.
So you’re saying the Type 076 would be a dedicated light to medium carrier? Looking at the compromises of in the design to make an LHA both a carrier and an amphibious assault ship, it’s probably better off building dedicated platform for each type. For the PLAN, building cheaper 45,000-50,000 ton conventional carriers maybe the way to go, if they can be build and operated in large enough numbers.
With the goal of distributed lethality and not having all your eggs in one basket, especially in a Taiwan scenario, a light to medium sized carrier in the tonnage and design similar to the French Charles de Gualle carrier maybe perfect for China and the export market.
Having the ability to carry the same heavy aircraft as on the “full” CATOBAR carriers will allow the PLAN to share equipment across platforms, and the only major difference will be the size of the air wings.
A Charles De Gualle sized carrier could carry 32 J-35s, 3 dedicated fixed wing AWACS, and a number of helicopters if you use the Charles de Gualle as the benchmark. A couple of these in the Indian Ocean could keep the Indian navy bogged down and not interfering with the PLAN in the SCS.
Having carriers in this size would also allow the PLAN to have carriers around the world, protecting Chinese and partner SLOCs, as well as operating as Floating PLA bases off shore for Chinese UN peacekeepers around the world; a good way to do training.
Operating along side 1-2 Type 052D, 1-2 Type 054A, 1 SSN, and one replenishment ship, it would be a way for all crews to gain training in operating together as a surface action group with an air wing, as well as show the Chinese flag, especially if it is trying to win over countries from medium powers like France and the UK, that field similarly sized naval task groups.
China could also bring a Type 075 along side ok of these medium carriers, but configure it as a half hospital ship in peace time, especially the oceans and visiting ports, to share the benefits of partner ship with China. Humanitarian crisis hit all the time, and having a hospital ship with a well deck can rapidly get people to and from the ship enmasse, while the type 076 can provide sustained fixed wing and rotary aircraft support high volume and at a heavy tempo if need be. In wartime having enough light/medium carriers could help address the malacca dilemma with carrier groups orbiting an area of the ocean and handing off convoys of ships from one carrier battle group to next, as their escorts sail with the convoys and the CBG provide continuous aerial coverage against aerial, surface and sub-surface threats.
Limitations of the America class LHA if the goal is fielding fully capable air wing.
The level of miniaturization being shown on the Type 003 (and J-35 compared to the J-15) would be applied the Type 076, allowing the ship to benefit from the efficiency of the design, meaning a conventional ship in the 50,000 ton size could be as capable as the 42,500 ton Charles De Gualle.
An updated design of the 75000 ton future French carrier could be scaled down to 50,000 tons and made conventional could be an efficient design to study, as the Type 002 and Type 003 seem like designs evolved for large platforms and the PANG (future French) carrier seems an evolution of the 42,500 ton Charles de Gualle carrier.
Back to the thread, the KAGA seems like a design built like a British ski jump carrier, so retrofitting it won’t give the optimal shape for a light to medium CATOBAR carrier, hence the need for F-35B fights.
What ever design is chosen for the Type 076, it has to be optioned for its primary mission. If it’s as a light to medium carrier, follow the French design evolution maybe the best model for a compact design, with the only other examples being US conventional carriers from 50 years ago such as the updated USS Oriskany of the Essex class.
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