Amphibious Ambitions

Strategic Vision vol. 7, no. 37 (April, 2018)

Development of Chinese Marine Corps has strategic implications for Taiwan

Pei-sung Ho

A Royal Marine performs a beach assault from an LCAC Hovercraft in Harstad, Norway as part of the NATO COLD RESPONSE 16 Exercise.

photo: Donny Osmond

China has made great strides in developing its amphibious ships and vehicles in recent years, and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has greatly expanded the size of its marine corps as part of its military reform efforts. The PLA Marine Corps (PLAMC) has also become more involved in overseas operations, including activities such as the PLA Navy’s escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, joint island-seizing exercises in South China Sea, the evacuation of Chinese civilians from Yemen in 2015, and the establishment of China’s first overseas military logistic support base in Djibouti in 2017. An examination of the PLAMC shows that the PLA is developing a marine corps patterned on the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in an attempt to enhance China’s sharp power and to protect China’s overseas interests. With such aspirations, it raises concerns regarding future PLAMC missions and deployment.

As China’s overseas interests and security concerns increase, it appears that the PLA is seeking to develop power projection capabilities similar to the US Marine Corps. The key component of US Marine Corps rapid power projection capability is the Navy/ Marine Corps Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG). A typical ESG is composed of a Landing Helicopter Dock/Assault (LHD/LHA), a Landing Platform Dock (LPD), a Landing Ship Dock (LSD), and surface warships and attack submarines, plus a Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is a reinforced battalionlevel Marine Air Ground Task Force (with both rotary-wing and STOVL fixed-wing aircraft) embarked on board the above three amphibious ships. The ESG is one of the most valuable crisis-management assets

for the United States; it serves as a maritime rapid response force with considerable firepower and mission flexibility. It is a successful operational concept for a sea power like the United States.

In an effort to create its own strike groups, the PLA has begun producing a number of amphibious assault ships. The 071-class LPD (NATO reporting name: Yuzhao), is basically the PLA Navy (PLAN) equivalent of the US Navy’s San Antonio-class LPD. They both have a low radar cross-section design, a displacement of roughly 25,000 tons, and the ability to operate two or more helicopters at the same time, and both can carry a landing force of 600 to 800 personnel, plus more than a dozen armored vehicles.

Overseas deployments

Currently there are four 071-class LPDs in service; three in the Southern Theater and one in the Eastern Theater. The fifth and the sixth have already been launched and are being fitted out. The 071-class LPDs with different-sized PLAMC detachments have been included in many overseas missions, such as joint landing exercises, humanitarian assistance operations and Gulf of Aden escort missions.

Reports also suggest that a 40,000-ton 075-class LHD is being built in China. According to various analysts, the 075-class is a bit smaller than the US Navy America-class LHA, which has a 45,000 ton displacement, 20 to 30 helicopters/tiltrotors or Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft such as the F35B, and about 1000 troops. So the 075-class LHD could probably carry upwards of 20 helicopters, 800 to 900 troops, and a dozen or so amphibious vehicles if there is a well deck. Furthermore, the 075-class could also carry STOVL fighters when they become available.

The US Navy received its first Expeditionary Transfer Dock, the USNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1, displacement 34,500 tons) in May 2013. The T-ESD-1 is not just a semi-submersible heavy-lift (SSHL) ship, it is equipped with a side port ramp and a vehicle staging area, which can be used together to offload heavy equipment or vehicles from Roll-On Roll-Off (RO-RO) ships and then load them into Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) or Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) for subsequent landing operations in the absence of any dock facilities or harbor support.

American Marines and People’s Liberation Army (Navy) Marines shake hands at the start of Marine Day in Zhanjiang, China.

photo: Jeremy Harper

China must have noticed the above developments, because the PLAN acquired its first SSHL ship (displacement 20,000 tons), the Dong-Hai-Dau, in July 2015. Though it is not as large, advanced, or well-designed as the T-ESD-1, the Dong-Hai-Dau has been included in various landing operations to augment the PLA’s transport capacity. According to media reports, China’s first civilian-owned military-standard 50,000-ton SSHL ship, the Tseng-Hwa 33, was launched in March 2017, and China’s largest such ship (and the world’s second-largest), the 98,000-ton Hsin-Gwang-Hwa, was delivered in early December 2016. China currently owns and operates about 10 such ships of various sizes.

In November 2017, China’s Ministry of Defense announced the completion of acceptance tests for the first civilian small-sized, 2,200-ton commercial RORO ship. It was built to match several military requirements regarding structural strength and design, communication and navigation equipment, etc., and could therefore be readily used in military operations. Since the PLA is free to mobilize civilian vessels for military purposes, with China’s existing SSHL ships and dozens of RO-RO ships, the PLA’s overall sealift and amphibious transport capability could be dramatically increased in a very short time.

“The Republic of China (ROC) must use its limited defense resources creatively and asymmetrically.”

A Sailor stands on the bow of a Soviet Pomornik-class air cushion landing craft after a demonstration for visiting Americans.

photo: Mark Kettenhoffen

China has so far purchased eight Zubr-class LCACs (NATO reporting name: Pomornik). Four new ones were purchased from Ukraine in 2009 and four used ones from Greece in 2016. The Zubr-class is the world’s largest LCAC, it could carry up to three main battle tanks, or 10 armored vehicles, or 500 troops, with a top speed of 63 knots and a maximum range of 300 nautical miles. The Zubr-class could therefore effectively enhance the PLAMC’s medium-range shoreto-shore assault landing capability, and hence the element of surprise. There are at least three already in service, and China is also building more of them.

A US Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle lands at the beach at Camp Pendelton in California.

photo: Jacob Farbo

Amphibious infantry

The PLAN has also recently begun production of its own 726-class LCAC (NATO reporting name: Yuyiclass). Though a bit smaller, it is very similar to US Navy LCACs in size, capability, as well as capacity. It can carry one main battle tank, or two amphibious tanks, or around 80 troops. The 071-class LPD could carry up to four 726-class LCACs in its well deck, and such a combination has been seen many times in various operations. There are about ten 726-class vessels in service as of January 2018. China has equipped various Army and Marine Corp units with the ZBD-05 amphibious infantry fighting vehicles and ZTD-05 amphibious assault vehicles. The design of the ZBD-05 is very similar to the US Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. The ZBD-05 is the world’s fastest amphibious armored vehicle right now, and it greatly increases PLAMC’s operation tempo.

The PLAMC has just acquired the ZBL-08 8X8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (equipped with a 30mm cannon) and its 105mm assault gun variant, the ZTL-11, in early 2017. Both are capable of operating at about 8 km/hr in water, with a top speed of 100 km/hr on land. A PLAMC detachment with newlyacquired ZBL-08s was sent to Djibouti to protect the PLA’s first overseas logistic support base in July 2017.

Since wheeled armored vehicles have much better fuel economy, mobility, and agility than tracked armored vehicles, they are perfectly suited for inland and urban operations, which are definitely something new for the PLA Marine Corps, whose traditional mission is to secure landing beachheads for follow-up forces. By equipping marine units with such wheeled vehicles, the PLAMC’s expeditionary and ground combat capabilities are greatly enhanced.

A Zubr-Class LCAC similar to those operated by the PLA Marine Corps.

photo: Mil.ru

The PLA Marine Corps only had two brigades (of about 4000 marines each) by the end of 2016. On February 17, 2017, Chinese media reported that the former PLA 77th Brigade of the 26th Group Army was to be transferred to the PLA Navy. Later in March, various reports claimed that the PLAMC would likely be expanded to form an independent corps-level force with about 100,000 marines. In late May, 2017, the new Commander and Political Commissar of the PLA Marine Corps appeared in public for the first time; both were Major Generals, providing evidence that the PLAMC was becoming a corps-level force. In early December, 2017, Chinese media reported that there were already six marine brigades with about 30,000 marines in total, with two in each of the three PLAN fleets. Among the six brigades, two were “original” PLAMC brigades, one was from the Army, and three were from coastal defense forces.

In addition to its size, the PLA Marine Corps has enhanced its capabilities in such areas as overall capacity in transport/sealift, assault landing, inter-island/cross-strait maneuvers, as well as land operations. However, rapid growth and expansion could cause many problems. For example, new equipment fielded hastily might have unresolved technical issues; insufficient tactical experimentation could also lead to battlefield disasters, and so on. In addition, for those “new” PLAMC units who used to be doing completely different jobs like coastal defense, troops must meet a tougher standard for physical fitness, complete mission-essential amphibious/combat training, familiarize and master new amphibious equipment/vehicles, learn new chains of command, etc. It might take a full year or longer to get them ready for marine-style expeditionary missions, provided all of the necessary personnel, equipment, and facilities are available when training starts. Moreover, since four of the new brigades were not “real” marines, the politics and infighting among senior leadership would further hamper the overall efficiency and progress of the transformation, as well as the amphibious development to a certain degree.

Expeditionary fighting force

When all the above difficulties are eventually ironed out, the new PLA Marine Corps will become a more powerful, capable, flexible, versatile expeditionary fighting force. It will be able to handle a variety of different tasks such as ground combat operations, maritime rapid response/power projection operations, protecting overseas facilities, in addition to all its current missions. The future PLA Marine Corps will be more like the US Marine Corps in many ways, and it will likely eventually get its own aviation assets to make it truly independent, just like the USMC. With a much stronger and more capable Marine Corps, China will definitely have more options and influence in regional and international affairs, and the PLAMC will certainly be a significant part of Beijing’s foreign policy as it develops its Belt and Road strategic plan.

Since engaging in an arms race with China is not a viable option, the Republic of China (ROC) must use its limited defense resources creatively and asymmetrically. First, the ROC Marine Corps (ROCMC) should acquire more cheap, small, and fast vessels like Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) and Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRCs). To develop effective deterrence, the ROCMC must be able to send out all its well-trained and amphibious-capable forces on wide-area distributed raiding operations against PLA coastal targets and wreak havoc using hundreds of RHIBs/CRRCs launched from motherships sailing the Taiwan Strait. Such a potential threat would force the PLA to deploy more coastal defense troops and thus have a less-powerful cross-strait punch.

Secondly, since PLA landing forces will be transported primarily by ship, the ROC should procure more high-performance anti-ship missiles such as the Hsiung-Feng II and III missiles, as well as more launching vehicles and vessels. Mobile platforms are small and have better survivability, and could therefore be used to effectively take out a significant number of approaching PLA amphibious ships from anywhere ashore or in the surrounding waters.

Finally, the ROC military must purchase more weapons that are effective, simple, and relatively cheap, such as sea mines that could be used to block or impede a PLA amphibious landing; as well as shoulder-launched rockets that could knock out landing craft, light-armored vehicles, and low-flying helicopters. These asymmetrically cheap and low-tech weapons could cause heavy casualties in the littoral and urban environment, and could therefore be another serious problem for the PLA should it attempt an amphibious operation against the ROC.

Soldiers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army 1st Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division stand at attention.

photo: Chad McNeeley