On February 6th, the official media of the Chinese Communist Party reported that Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier had officially entered service, stealing the limelight from the Chinese navy. By the end of 2024, the Chinese Communist Party’s amphibious assault ship, codenamed Type 076, claimed to be the world’s first “unmanned drone aircraft carrier.” However, while the Type 076 was only undergoing sea trials and not yet in active service, Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier had already been commissioned, putting China in an awkward position. It coincided with the recent statement by Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Military Commission, He Weidong, that they aim to “forge credible and reliable combat capabilities that can be used at any time,” further exposing the weaknesses of the Chinese military.
On February 6th, Xinhua News Agency cited a report from the Iranian news agency stating that Iran’s “Ghaem carrier” unmanned drone aircraft carrier had officially joined the Iranian navy. According to the report, this unmanned drone aircraft carrier is 240 meters long, 21 meters high, with a runway of 180 meters, capable of carrying multiple formations of drones with various functions for reconnaissance and combat missions. The commander of the Iranian navy stated that this unmanned drone aircraft carrier is an important step for Iran to enhance its defense and deterrence capabilities in distant waters.
Like the Chinese Communist Party, Iran is known for its boastful claims, but compared to China’s exaggerations, Iran’s claims are relatively modest. The “Ghaem carrier” unmanned drone aircraft carrier is a converted civilian ship in Iran, which can be considered the world’s first dedicated unmanned drone aircraft carrier in operation. This has exposed China’s earlier exaggerations.
On December 27, 2024, China announced the launch of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, equipped with electromagnetic catapults and recovery arresting cables, claiming that if various attack and reconnaissance drones at the Zhuhai Airshow can take off using the electromagnetic catapult on the Type 076, the ship would transform into the world’s first “unmanned drone aircraft carrier.”
This claim was quickly refuted by China’s so-called little brother, which may have been one of the reasons why China intentionally hyped up the Type 076 amphibious assault ship. Following the launch of the Type 076, a series of sea trials still need to be conducted before it can be put into service. However, upon learning of Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier undergoing sea trials, China hastily organized the launching ceremony for the Type 076.
On January 6, 2025, Xinhua News Agency quoted foreign media reports stating that Iran’s “Ghaem carrier” unmanned drone aircraft carrier conducted sea trials in the waters of the Persian Gulf, featuring a ski-jump deck and an angled deck that can accommodate fixed-wing drones, with a displacement of approximately 42,000 tons, enabling short takeoffs and arrested landings of drones. The report concluded that this would enhance Iran’s asymmetric naval warfare capabilities.
Xinhua’s report was not prominently featured, and intentionally delayed, as Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier had already launched and undergone sea trials in November 2024. China deliberately postponed related reports, first publicizing the launch and sea trials of the Type 076, likely to prevent Iran from stealing the spotlight.
However, Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier was launched ahead of schedule, and the sea trials concluded quickly, announcing its commissioning on February 6th, claiming the spotlight. This time, Xinhua News Agency placed the related report on its homepage, with China urgently needing to gather anti-American propaganda material.
Nevertheless, Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier was launched first, and its sea trials ended quickly, being declared in service on February 6th, stealing the show. Xinhua News Agency deliberately omitted the 42,000-ton displacement of Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier, likely to avoid comparisons with the approximately 50,000-ton Type 076. The report also did not mention the world’s first dedicated unmanned drone aircraft carrier, intentionally downplaying such claims.
China being outdone by its little brother, essentially having its weaknesses exposed, naturally lost face, attempting to handle the situation discreetly. However, there are insiders within China revealing the truth.
On January 26, Xinhua News Agency reported that Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Military Commission, He Weidong, visited troops stationed in Beijing on January 22 for research. He emphasized the need to “forge credible and reliable combat capabilities that can be used at any time.”
In March 2024, He Weidong attended discussions with a military delegation during the National People’s Congress sessions, raising the issue of “false combat capabilities.” At that time, having just been appointed as Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Military Commission, he sought to increase his influence quickly, indirectly adopting a derogatory approach towards his predecessors, seemingly preparing to contend with another Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, who was over-aged to stay in office, not hesitating to expose the Chinese military’s weaknesses.
Approximately a year later, He Weidong once again stressed the need to “forge credible and reliable combat capabilities that can be used at any time.” This statement appeared somewhat milder than the “false combat capabilities” remark, yet still indirectly criticizing the Chinese military for lacking such capabilities.
There were rumors in Beijing that Xi Jinping had lost control of the military, while Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia had effectively taken command of the armed forces. He Weidong, as a trusted confidant of Xi Jinping, might have also found his role and influence within the Military Commission somewhat limited, unwilling to accept this, thus opting to expose the Chinese military’s weaknesses, making a certain gamble.
At the same time, Zhang Youxia accompanied Xi Jinping in meeting military representatives in Shenyang, visiting independently to conduct research within the Information Support units of the Northern Theater Command, seemingly indicating a different status. Unlike He Weidong’s direct targeting of military weaknesses, Zhang Youxia only emphasized the military’s “transformation and development requirements.”
On February 5th, Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi Jinping had signed an order to issue the newly revised “Regulations on Military Equipment Research and Development,” to be implemented from March 1, 2025. The specific contents of the regulations were not disclosed by Xinhua News Agency, only outlining requirements for “high-quality, high-efficiency, low-cost” weapon equipment management and emphasizing “independent innovation,” regulating “quality control, cost control, acceptance evaluation of equipment research and development,” as well as improving “supervision” and “specific accountability.”
This new regulation aligned with He Weidong’s statements, highlighting the ongoing concerns regarding the quality of military equipment in the Chinese military. Due to the economic downturn in China, the defense budget of the Chinese Communist Party is likely to be significantly impacted, necessitating the emphasized requirements for “low cost” and “cost control.” In this regard, Iran seems to have once again stolen the limelight.
The Iranian navy, despite being relatively weak, possesses three Kilo-class submarines from the former Soviet Union/Russia, with a displacement of approximately 3,000 tons, considered their largest operational warships. Additionally, Iran has produced over 20 micro submarines ranging from several hundred tons in displacement.
Most of Iran’s surface warships are smaller in tonnage, with seven patrol boats ranging from 1,400 to 1,500 tons, including three early British-made vessels. The remaining patrol boats are primarily from the United States, France, and the Netherlands, with a displacement of fewer than 1,000 tons. Iran has only produced several 275-ton fast attack craft and four 2,500-ton landing ships manufactured in the UK.
Iran seeks to expand its influence in the Middle East, particularly demonstrating a confrontational posture against the US military. However, due to its limited naval strength, Iran has been looking to increase the size of its warships. Lacking the capability to construct large warships, Iran has resorted to converting large cargo ships into warships to reduce costs — the “Makran” serving as an initial experimental vessel.
The “Makran,” originally a Japanese-built oil tanker measuring 229.6 meters in length, 42 meters in width, with a gross weight of approximately 55,900 tons and deadweight of around 105,300 tons, was completed in 2010. After Iran acquired the vessel, it underwent modifications, featuring a large deck installed at the bow, and was launched in November 2020.
With a displacement of 121,000 tons, the “Makran” is designated by Iran as an ocean-going platform, purportedly aspiring to rival the US’s expeditionary sea-based platforms. While lacking certain functionalities, in theory, the vessel can be utilized for more helicopter landings and takeoffs, potentially equipped with missile launchers, rocket launchers, fast attack craft, and mine deployment for long-distance military projection. Despite its weak self-defense capabilities and limitations against the US military, the vessel poses a threat to neighboring countries.
Official Iranian statements indicated that in June 2021, the “Makran” and its escorting warship arrived in the Atlantic Ocean, eventually proceeding to St. Petersburg, Russia, to participate in the Russian Navy Day festivities. Iran was likely excited about the retrofitting of the first ship, with relatively shorter construction time and lower costs. It is reported that Iran is planning similar modifications for two other cargo ships while the recently commissioned unmanned drone aircraft carrier represents another experimental endeavor.
The first successful test flight of drones from a large warship was conducted by the US military. In 2013, the US military’s X-47B unmanned drone successfully conducted carrier-based launch and recovery tests. However, such attack-based drones were later discontinued, with the military focusing on unmanned aerial refueling aircraft. China’s CH-11 drone appears to have mimicked the US’s X-47B design and is expected to operate from the Type 076 amphibious assault ship.
Turkey became the second nation to conduct dedicated tests with ship-based drones. Turkey’s “Anadolu” amphibious assault ship, designed similarly to the Spanish Juan Carlos I-class aircraft carrier, featuring a full-length deck, a ski-jump deck at the bow, serving dual purposes of a light aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship. While Turkey initially intended to purchase the US’s F-35B, it fell through, leading them to develop two types of ship-based drones for testing. On November 19, 2024, Turkey’s TB3 armed drone successfully launched and landed on the “Anadolu,” without employing arresting gear, superficially qualifying it as the world’s first ship-based drone aircraft carrier, out of the necessity of lacking suitable carrier-based fighter jets.
Iran lacks carrier-based fighter jets and opted to convert the “Ghaem carrier” unmanned drone aircraft carrier, a former South Korean commercial vessel, completed in 2000 with a displacement of approximately 42,000 tons. Iran maintained the vessel’s main structure, adding a tilted deck beside it, along with a ski-jump deck at the bow for the takeoff and landing of drones along the angled deck. This vessel was launched and tested in November 2024, a month earlier than China’s Type 076.
On February 6, 2025, the “Ghaem carrier” was officially revealed and commissioned, carrying multiple drones on the deck in addition to helicopters produced by the US/Canada and Russia. Despite being a converted commercial ship, it can be considered the world’s first specialized unmanned drone aircraft carrier. The vessel is claimed to be equipped with short and medium-range air defense systems, capable of carrying anti-ship guns and cruise missiles.
Analysts have pointed out that the narrow angled deck retrofitted on the vessel could pose risks during drone takeoff and landings when considering the proximity to other facilities, although the retrofitting costs were significantly lower. Nonetheless, this development likely left China embarrassed. Shortly after, a Chinese article deliberately sought to downplay the achievement, stating that China can produce hundreds of aircraft carriers at once, implying that Iran’s carrier was not a genuine carrier but a converted commercial vessel, unworthy of being emulated by China, projecting the standard of civilian ship construction as being unsuitable for real combat situations, liable to be incapacitated by a few anti-ship missiles.
The article further suggested that Iran’s carrier offers no value for China, disparaging its usefulness. Iran’s early commissioning of the unmanned drone aircraft carrier likely poses a significant challenge to the Chinese military, exposing its shortcomings through comparison. China has squandered significant funds through continuous emulation of the US military, yet has failed to produce “credible and reliable” weapons, losing most of its investment to corruption.
China likely enlisted individuals to craft this article, concluding with statements emphasizing Iran’s weaker alliances such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the situation in Syria, implying instability while suggesting a potential shift towards the West even within Iran. Developing such a poorly constructed unmanned drone carrier, the article questioned the motivations behind blocking the Persian Gulf or possibly providing missiles to the Houthis. Iran’s most pressing concern should be to consolidate its position rather than acting impulsively.
This article attempted to support China’s position, hastily exposing Iran’s vulnerabilities, inadvertently revealing China’s military weaknesses in the process. While the Type 076 may expedite its commissioning and drone capabilities, the practical combat capabilities likely still fall short compared to Iran’s unmanned drone aircraft carrier, despite potentially costing several times more.
Iran’s conversion of an unmanned drone carrier likely intended to counter the US military, but instead managed to provoke China, resulting in a significant embarrassment for the latter. It can be deemed a laughingstock of sorts.