Recently, a group of surface units from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) conducted an amphibious landing exercise in the South China Sea, deploying various assets and support capabilities for these operations. Helicopters, hovercraft, and amphibious vehicles of different classes also participated in these landing activities.
According to Chinese media reports, the participating vessels were under the command of the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, engaging in a drill that involved various phases of an amphibious landing. The exercise began with the deployment and takeoff of helicopters, followed by the launch of landing craft and combat vehicles tasked with carrying forces to conduct multidirectional assaults on simulated enemy beaches.
The exercises, conducted at an undisclosed location in the South China Sea, included the integration of new vessels with the objective of enhancing combat readiness for the Asian giant’s military operations. These missions transitioned from coastal to open-sea scenarios to improve the crews’ skills and readiness for combat in worst-case scenarios.
Simultaneously, coinciding with the activity in the South China Sea, a significant number of PLAN and China Coast Guard vessels were observed near the Miyako Strait, simulating a naval blockade. Analysts interpret this as a move to expand operational areas in preparation for a potential naval blockade of Taiwan. During these maneuvers, CCG vessels turned off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) while navigating the strait alongside navy ships, despite keeping them active near the Senkaku Islands, mimicking the behavior of military vessels.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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