China's Amphibious Assault IFV/Light tank ZBD 2000

weig2000

Captain
I wrote the following almost a year ago, advocating/predicting that PLA combine the Army Amphibious Units and the Navy Marine Corp form a larger MC.

Well, it looks like that's what's happening. Chinese news report that PLA is transferring the two Army Amphibious divisions (1st Division at Hangzhou, 124th Division at Boluo) to Navy to combine with the two MC brigades currently at Zhanjiang. Eventually the Chinese MC will have six brigades, close to 100,000 soldiers.

A quite substantial change.

Good discussions about PLANMC and USMC. I think the structures and missions of PLANMC and USMC are quite different although they do overlap somewhat. The PLANMC is part of PLAN, and its missions have been traditionally limited and modest (taking beaches and small islands); whereas the USMC is almost a self-contained military branch, able to launch much larger-scale wars globally rather independently. These missions have been shaped by their respective experiences and histories.

That being said, I think the PLANMC is gradually changing and enlarging its missions, and indeed moving closer to the USMC model. This is reflected in the assets they're acquiring (and to be acquired). Historically, the PLANMC has set their sights on the small islands off the Chinese coast, and SCS reefs/islands. I don't even think the MC has been given a large role in a Taiwan contingency, which is really the job of PLA Amphibious group. With China's expanding global interest and footprints, it is very reasonable to expect that PLANMC to become more expeditionary in their missions. Personally, I think it makes sense down the road to combine the Army Amphibious Units and the Navy Marine Corp to form a more beefy MC, that is, closer to the USMC model.

The recent training of PLANMC in the Gobi Dessert, along with Army units, has raised a lot of interest, and has IMO given hints about the potential future direction of the PLANMC.

Here is an article from the National Interest commenting on the recent developments and likely trajectory of the PLANMC. One of the authors is a retired US Marine Colonel. I found the analysis quite rational.

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A superpower can never have too many elite forces.

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January 29, 2016

Much has been reported about the recent structural reforms undertaken by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)—the end goal being a leaner and meaner military force, capable of undertaking a broad spectrum of missions under modern, high-tech conditions. Part of this drive towards a “new-age” PLA has been efforts to modernize the PLA Marine Corps (PLAMC), which notably carried out its latest winter training in the Gobi Desert, in Xinjiang.

Reported by Chinese sources as a combined-arms, live-firing war game involving over ten different PLAMC branches, this exercise featured state-of-the-art equipment, as observed in official
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released by Chinese media. The exercise was designed to enhance the PLAMC’s ability to operate in a real war situation, under day and night conditions. Besides conventional combat maneuvers against “Blue Force” adversaries, the exercise also included counterterrorism training.

To be certain, these PLAMC winter maneuvers are just one of several such training drills conducted under various climatic conditions. One such instance is
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, whose 2015 iteration was staged in the tropical southwestern province of Yunnan. The varied PLAMC training syllabus can be deemed a natural expansion of its capabilities and missions, considering that it is traditionally tasked to undertake operations against Taiwan in particular.

But there is more to it than that. In recent years the PLAMC is not merely maintaining its readiness to mount an amphibious invasion across the Taiwan Strait (or conduct other operations in the context of the East and South China Sea disputes). Rather, it is bulking up in order to give the Chinese political leadership another flexible tool for responding to contingencies not just within China’s immediate East Asian region, but also beyond.

Taking a Leaf from the USMC Playbook?

[Omitted]

Building “Chinese ARGs and ESGs”?

[Omitted]

“Out-of-Area” CT Connection

[Omitted]

Potential Ramifications

The recent PLAMC force developments constitute a huge change from the last sixty years, when USN/USMC forces were the “only show in town” in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, especially East Asian waters. Consider the potential ramifications of such a Chinese amphibious force maintaining a constant presence in, say, Southeast Asia, Beijing’s erstwhile “southern periphery” that is of such great political, economic and military significance. If one can observe that the Thirty-First MEU only patrols in the region a couple times annually, there is no reason why the PLA cannot have an equivalent force (or two) maintaining an even more regular presence, taking advantage of its geographical proximity.

And one should expect the PLA to use its own brand of ARGs and ESGs for various expeditionary-type operations, such as noncombatant evacuation (a role the PLA demonstrated in Yemen in March–April 2015), humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the region and further afield. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, the Chinese—though acting partly out of spite to punish Manila—could only belatedly deploy a hospital ship, while watching the Americans and Japanese reap political benefits from humanitarian operations in the Philippines. A PLAMC/PLAN expeditionary amphibious force will allow China to more effectively conduct “disaster diplomacy” in the future.

One must also consider that the next time a local ethnic Chinese populace in Southeast Asia gets roughed up, as has happened before (in Indonesia in the late 1990s, and possibly in Malaysia following a recent
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), the PLA might not just watch from a distance. A Chinese ARG/ESG, primed for overseas “gunboat diplomacy” on short notice, is an intimidating prospect. Therefore, the PLAMC’s recent developments and likely future advances in its expeditionary capabilities mark a significant change in the regional security dynamic. Without forgetting other aspects of the PLAN buildup, such as its vaunted aircraft carrier program, one should not overlook the importance of China’s amphibious forces buildup.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
I wrote the following almost a year ago, advocating/predicting that PLA combine the Army Amphibious Units and the Navy Marine Corp form a larger MC.

Well, it looks like that's what's happening. Chinese news report that PLA is transferring the two Army Amphibious divisions (1st Division at Hangzhou, 124th Division at Boluo) to Navy to combine with the two MC brigades currently at Zhanjiang. Eventually the Chinese MC will have six brigades, close to 100,000 soldiers.

A quite substantial change.

Interesting, very interesting.

Do you have a link for it?

Going from their current force level to nearly 100,000 is quite a boost.
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
Amphibious exercise of the Chinese Marine Corps near Zhanjiang, in the south of China.

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Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
World fastest amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. I believe somebody posted the picture before but now we have data. Any beach landing is difficult due to defender advantages like shooting a slow moving Amphibious vehicle so speed can change the equation. I don;t know in the age of precision ground to surface missile if amphibious landing is still possible
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Nation developing fastest amphibious multi-role vehicle
(
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) 10:35, October 14, 2017
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(The world's fastest amphibious multi-role vehicle developed in China. Photo/NetEase)

China is developing the world's fastest amphibious multi-role vehicle, which can be used in personnel and supply transportation at sea as well as for special warfare.

The four-wheeled vehicle is being developed at the China North Vehicle Research Institute in Beijing's southwestern suburbs. The facility is one of the biggest institutions under China North Industries Group Corp, the country's largest maker of land armaments.

The vehicle uses a v-shaped hull to minimize the hydraulic drag. It is propelled by compact pump jets in waters with the wheels retracted.

With a weight of 5.5 metric tons, the proof-of-concept vehicle reached a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour as it traveled through calm waters during a test earlier this year, the institute said. This bested the world's fastest amphibious vehicle of its kind, made by the British company Gibbs Amphibians, which has a maximum speed of 48 km/h in water.

The institute has not published other specs about the vehicle such as its land speed and operational range.

Amphibious vehicles are mainly used for military purposes and are usually launched at sea from amphibious assault ships, amphibious transport docks or hovercraft to conduct a forced entry into semi-aquatic areas. Their core mission is to spearhead a beach and to secure coastline for landing troops. Other tasks include transporting personnel between shores and ships and providing fire support.

Most amphibious vehicles in the world move slowly in water. For instance, the United States Marine Corps' Assault Amphibious Vehicle, commonly known as AAV7, has a top water speed of 13.2 km/h, and Italy's Iveco Super-AV, an eight-wheeled amphibious vehicle, is able to move 10 km/h in water. The US and Japan are developing new-generation military amphibious vehicles that will be capable of traveling at least 40 km/h.

A chief designer of the vehicle at China North Vehicle Research Institute who requested anonymity said designing such vehicles is never an easy job, as the engineers overcame a number of technical difficulties.

"We spent a lot of time and resources on finding proper methods to reduce hydraulic drag and the hull's weight. We also focused on devising a set of equipment to make sure the vehicle would be able to move fast on both land and water," he said, adding that all of the major parts used on the vehicle were developed by Chinese engineers on their own.

"Designs for some parts on this vehicle had never been worked out by others before us," the designer said. "We are leading in this field."

Qin Zhen, executive editor of Ordnance Knowledge magazine, said the ability to move fast in water is crucial to any amphibious combat vehicle. "It is difficult for them to use rapid-changing maneuvers in waters to dodge enemies' fire, therefore moving fast is the most reliable way to increase their survivability," he said.
 
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by78

General
A Chinese documentary on the development of the ZBD-05:

Several interesting points of note:
1) The basic hull is of welded aluminum construction to reduce weight.
2) The wheels and tracks are retractable to reduce underwater resistance.
3) Top speed in water is 25km+ per hour.
4) Due to the power output limitation of the engine, the bow flap and transom flap are fully adjustable in order to achieve the least resistance in water. According to the documentary, the
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doesn't feature adjustable flaps but uses a preponderance of engine power to overcome the problem.

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Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
Now this is news via Taishang
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China builds world's first armed amphibious drone boat that can lead land assault


By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/4/14


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The world's first armed amphibious drone boat Marine Lizard is successfully delivered on April 8, 2019, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) announced on Friday. Photo: screenshot of CSIC's Sina Weibo account


China has built the world's first armed amphibious drone boat which military analysts said could be used in land assault operations and is capable of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other drone ships.

Built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the drone ship, named Marine Lizard, successfully passed delivery checks and left factory on April 8 in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, CSIC revealed on Friday via Sina Weibo.

In ship form, the 12-meter-long Marine Lizard is a trimaran propelled by a diesel-powered hydrojet and can reach a maximum speed of 50 knots while maintaining stealth.

When approaching land, the amphibious drone ship can release four continuous track units hidden under its belly, and travel at 20 kilometers an hour on land, the Hubei Daily reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed company manager.

The manager also noted the maximum land speed can be increased if larger track units are installed.

The Marine Lizard's payloads include an electro-optical system and a radar system. In the weapon department, it is equipped with two machine guns and a vertical launching system for anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, the manager said, noting it can autonomously sail, avoid obstacles and plan routes.

This amphibious drone boat is suitable for island assault operations as a swarm of such drone ships could lead an attack following a first wave of artillery and air strikes, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times on Sunday.

Approaching land from the sea is a dangerous task, and the Marine Lizard can take advantage of its unmanned nature to discover enemy positions and provide suppressive fire as troops follow, the expert said.

The drone boat is also a great choice for coastal defense. The company manager said it can remain dormant on an uninhabited island for up to eight months before engaging in combat once it receives orders, according to the Hubei Daily report.

Provided with world-class navigation by China's independently developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the Marine Lizard can cooperate with other battle units in an integrated command system, the manager said.

The anonymous expert also pointed out the amphibious Marine Lizard can possibly form an unmanned sea-land-air integrated combat system with aerial armed reconnaissance drones and other drone ships, which can engage in combat with great efficiency and low risk of casualties.

Having a maximum operation range of 1,200 kilometers, the Marine Lizard can be remotely controlled via satellites, the company manager said.

The drone is available for export, as it is developed with the needs of international clients in mind, according to a statement released by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group.



Shipbuilder Wuchuan delivers the first Amphibious UAV to a Chinese customer. The 12m long craft can sail at a speed of 50 knots.


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Biscuits

Major
Registered Member
Very cool and potentially a game changer. Marine operations typically rely on overwhelming numbers to weather the massive defender’s advantage. A first wave of missile armed unmanned attackers could soak up the initial defenses and massively reduce the number of marines required for an amphibious assault.
 

Tetrach

Junior Member
Registered Member
Looks like a promising and versatile high tech platform.

Is it going to enter service in the PLAN or only for export ?
 
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