China bolsters amphibious fleet amid Taiwan tensions
The Chinese navy is expanding its amphibious forces. In addition to solutions that allow for the use of civilian ferries to invade Taiwan or the construction of new transport ships, China is also building new, specialised units to transport heavy equipment across marshy, sandy beaches.
While the threat of a mainland Chinese invasion of Taiwan has been present for decades, effectively carrying it out has long exceeded Beijing's capabilities. Simulations have shown that one of the main problems is the lack of amphibious resources.
As a result, the first wave of an invasion, deployed from ships or helicopters, would likely be too weak to maintain a foothold on the coast until the amphibious ships could return to the mainland to deliver additional forces.
China has been seeking ways to change this situation for years. One method is to construct special ramps that allow civilian ferries to be used for invasion purposes, greatly increasing transport capabilities.
Amphibious ships with ramps
As Defence 24 reported, unusual units were also being constructed in the Guangzhou shipyard. These are amphibious ships equipped with long, 120-metre ramps.
The ramps are equipped with additional supports that, once unfolded, can rest on the ground. This creates a stable bridge connecting the ship's deck with solid ground behind the beach.
Invasion of Taiwan
This solution allows heavy equipment to land onshore. Thanks to the ramps, it does not need to land on marshy beaches but can pass over them, driving off the amphibious ship directly onto firm ground.
This allows China to bypass the need to capture at least one Taiwanese port to transfer heavy equipment onto the island. Thanks to the new ships, this will not be necessary in the event of an invasion of Taiwan; heavy equipment will be able...
