PLAN Amphibious assault capability

a) Right now, how many MBTs, trucks, troops, air-defence vehicles etc could the PLAN dump on a Taiwanese beach in a single go?

b) And how will that change in the coming few years as new systems (LPDs, large air-cushion vehicles, enhanced amphibious vehicles etc) enter service?

Just curious.

planeman said:

a) Right now, how many MBTs, trucks, troops, air-defence vehicles etc could the PLAN dump on a Taiwanese beach in a single go?

b) And how will that change in the coming few years as new systems (LPDs, large air-cushion vehicles, enhanced amphibious vehicles etc) enter service?

Just curious.

Click to expand...

Well. when you add commercial vessels that would be sure to be used, it is hard to tell. However, if considering just PLAN vessels, you can get a good start at overall capability at this site - .

Clearly, with something over 300 amphibious vessels in total, the PLAN could land a substantial number of troops and their equipment, including armor, in an amphibious operation.

But, in an opposed crossing, one has to all consider the likely attrition due to OPFOR and other conditions as well, but I am presuming you mean if the PLAAF somehow gained total air superiority and if the straits were clear of opposing force submarines and other naval vessels.

TYPE 072-III (YUTING-II CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
7+ in service, 10 MBTs = 70 MBTs


TYPE 072-II (YUTING CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
11 in service, 10 MBTs = 110 MBTs


TYPE 072 (YUKAN CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
7 in service, 5 MBTs = 35 MTS


TYPE 074 (YUHAI CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
?? in service, 2 MBTs = ?? MBTs

TYPE 073-III (YUDENG CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
11 in service, 6 MBTs = 66 MBTs

TYPE 079 (YULIAN CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
32 in service, 5 MBTs = 714 MBTs

CATAMARAN LANDING CRAFT
3+ in service, 2(?) MBTs = 6 MBTs

When you MBT do you mean the Type 99 and 96 or the light tank Type 63 shown in the picture? Cause the Type 99 is heavier than the Type 96, and the Type 96 is heavier than the Type 63

planeman said:

TYPE 072-III (YUTING-II CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
7+ in service, 10 MBTs = 70 MBTs
[qimg]http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/amphibious/yutingii2l.jpg[/qimg]
TYPE 072-II (YUTING CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
11 in service, 10 MBTs = 110 MBTs
[qimg]http://www.air-defense.net/dossier/485/plan485.jpg[/qimg]
TYPE 072 (YUKAN CLASS) LARGE LANDING SHIP
7 in service, 5 MBTs = 35 MTS
[qimg]http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/images/ch-yukan-933-cdf-001.jpg[/qimg]
TYPE 074 (YUHAI CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
?? in service, 2 MBTs = ?? MBTs
TYPE 073-III (YUDENG CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
11 in service, 6 MBTs = 66 MBTs
TYPE 079 (YULIAN CLASS) MEDIUM LANDING SHIP
32 in service, 5 MBTs = 714 MBTs
CATAMARAN LANDING CRAFT
3+ in service, 2(?) MBTs = 6 MBTs

Click to expand...

There are also ten Type 079 IIs in service, and over 200 Type 271s and 067s.

And that's not to mention the new Type 71 LPDs that are being built.


For an overall pictorial and basic specification comparison between PLAN and USN amphibious capabilities, just .

One correction: 5 x 32 = 160, not 714

The overall figure is around ~500 tanks theoretically to be moved in one sortie. That isen't even two divisions...but before you even get your eyes fixed on that number, here's few things that you need to take under consideration.

The number was just the tanks, it didn't include the mens and more importantly all the other elements of tank divisions. DOes anyone have any clue just how much equipment a single motorized or armoured division requires? A single towed artillery battery (company size unit) requires around 10-12 trucks, not to mention of the entire divisional artillery regiment. Add the guns and the artillery units of the tank/infantry regiments. And thats just the artillery...airdefence, engineers and other supporting units of the divisions requires at least the same ammount of vehicles so in overall the tanks and ACPs are barely the half of the total required vehicles and units of the divison.

And we still haven't counted the mens...these chinese amphibious ships are basicly the old WWII type LSTs which have quite limited capability to transport large units. If you wish to beach units that actually have some value in the combatfield, those numbers that were listed will drop considerably.

So even in theoretically (in real life, not in some battlefield 2.0 computer game) the current amphibious capability of PLAN is only capaple of transporting barely one motorized division size unit in one sortie. Is it sufficient enough? Depends what you are trying to invade. Spratly ilands mayby, but for example Taiwan? Well just think about it yourself, can one division take and hold a bridge-end with reinforcements coming in the size of one division and in the rate of what ever it takes to get those ships back to the mainland, load up and head back to the sea (and decreasing as the landing force will take damages) against an army sized opponent??

The current and past chinese amphibious capability is not even near the level which would be required if you wish to conduct operations of the size and scale as Taiwan invasion would require. Even the new LPDs that are about to enter service (and to operational service) in the following decades wont be enough, you need at least the size of USMC, and even it may proove to be insufficient...

Gollevainen said:

One correction: 5 x 32 = 160, not 714

The overall figure is around ~500 tanks theoretically to be moved in one sortie. That isen't even two divisions......

Click to expand...

I personally believe that the PLAN could move two divisions across the strait at a time if they used all of their newer (Type 72s, Type 79s, etc.) and a couple of the new Type 71 LPDs, particularly if commercial shipping is heavily used to augment it.

But this presumes that they are able to do this without serious loss to air or naval forces opposing the crossing.

Two divisions is not going to be enough at this point, IMHO, to be able to hold and maintain a beachhead while other units are brought across, so the PLAN will also have to depend on at least two divisions of airborn troops supplementing them, which would only add to the necessity of their elimintating any OPFOR beforehand.

This is something the PLAN and PLA are not able to do currently (quickly gain and maintain complete air ans sea control while crossing)...but I believe they are building towards that end.

One or two divisions or even three...It really doesen't make the difference. The general rule is that when you are attacking against organised army, you need to have considerable numerical advantage. What that ratio is, it depends on many factor and is very hard to determine.

But when attacking completely landblocked country, the ratio needs to be extremely high and add to it you need to have completele air and sea dominance just for getting your troops over the water. Thats why in modern days there haven't been a single case when a reasonable army would have been defeated when defending an Island.

Chinese amphibious capability is at this point large enough to conduct operational landings (in soviet terms). That means it's able to open a new theatre of operations, and perhaps even a new front to support existing groundtroops advancing on along the coastline. After introducting the new LPDs, chinese capability will come close to that of the soviet union just before it's breakdown (tough many improvements must be done before that). Soviets considered themselves beeing able to do this same level of operational landings, but Strategical landings were toughted to be able to done only by the US...

Gollevainen said:

One or two divisions or even three...It really doesen't make the difference.

Chinese amphibious capability is at this point large enough to conduct operational landings (in soviet terms). That means it's able to open a new theatre of operations, and perhaps even a new front to support existing groundtroops advancing on along the coastline. After introducting the new LPDs, chinese capability will come close to that of the soviet union just before it's breakdown (tough many improvements must be done before that). Soviets considered themselves beeing able to do this same level of operational landings...

Click to expand...

If they coud quickly land and support four divisions and in the process of doing that take and hold a port where they could quickly expand their beachhead, they may have a chance. But again, to do that, they would need complete air and sea dominance...and I do not see that happening in the near future at all. Taiwan's own resources are too strong for complete dominance and so there would be significant attrition in the crossing, and they therefore would not be able to accomplish the initial objective of securing a beachhead that would allow them to bring the follow on echelons...and then you factor in the US response and it all goes down the crapper pretty quick IMHO.

If the somehow could forestall any US response and then just fight a war of attrition against the ROC until they had complete sea and air dominance...then things might be different. But I do not see that happening in the near future.

The ROC Army has approx. 200,000 active (+3.87 million maximum potential reserve) service, plus 3,000 assorted armored combat vehiciles, 1,500 artillery, and 200+ helicopters, including AH-1W Cobra's.

Even if the PLA makes it way through ROCN and ROCAF to land 1-2 divisions on Taiwan's western shores, they're going to get zerged by the ROC Army.

I honestly can't see the PLA using a lot of commercial ships. Because to get them you have to recall the ships to port, assume control, then load your men and equipment. Doing so with commercial ships is near impossible to conceal, and will give Taiwan plenty of early warning to active its reserves.

However I do think the PLA has the capability to invade Kinmen & Matsu, and may actually do so to "send a message".