China might prepare for landing troops in Taiwan - Naval News
China is building a fleet of special barges suitable for landing troops in Taiwan (photo: Getty Images)
China is building at least five new special-purpose barges. They appear to be designed for amphibious operations, Naval News reports.
The media outlet writes that defense analysts who monitor Chinese shipyards have noticed an increase in a certain type of vessel. Several special and unusual barges, at least 3 but probably 5 or more, have been spotted at the Guangzhou shipyard in southern China.
They have unusually long road bridges extending from the bow. This configuration makes them particularly relevant for the future landing of Chinese troops in Taiwan. In addition, the vessels can allow the unloading of a large number of tanks onto Taiwanese roads. To confirm the analysis, Naval News reviewed numerous sources confirming the construction of the ships and spoke with military experts.
Barges look like Mulberry Harbors
According to the media, each of the spotted barges has a very long span of road that extends in front. The length of the road is over 120 meters, which makes it possible to use it to access a coastal road or a hard surface behind the beach. At the stern, there is an open platform that allows other vessels to dock and unload.
Some of the barges have “jack-up” legs that can be lowered to provide a stable platform even in bad weather. During operation, the barge will act as a pier, allowing trucks and tanks to be unloaded from cargo ships.
The barges are similar to the Mulberry Harbors (a British system of temporary coastal structures used on an unequipped coast) built for the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. Like those, these barges were built extremely quickly and to new designs. Although a smaller prototype may have appeared as early as 2022, the batch of new barges has only recently appeared.
The construction of such specialized barges is one of the indicators that defense analysts are watching to provide early warning of a potential invasion.
These vessels may have a civilian function. But the construction of such a large number, much larger than similar civilian vessels that have been recorded before, makes this version implausible.
There are several different designs of these barges, which also indicates that they are not intended for commercial orders. These vessels are only suitable for moving large volumes of heavy equipment ashore in a short time. They also seem to be much too large for civilian use.
Recently, in his New Year's address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that no one could stop the “reunification” of China with Taiwan. According to him, this event is inevitable.
“People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can break our family ties, and no one can stop the historical process of national reunification," he said.
