PLA releases videos showing marines in island landing drills ‘targeting Taiwan’

Navy says recent exercises involving amphibious landing docks aimed to improve rapid response in enemy territory

Analyst says combat training is preparation for a possible conflict over Taiwan and more such drills are expected

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Marines land on an island during one of the recent drills. Photo: PLA Navy

Published: 8:46pm, 11 May 2021Updated: 11:24pm, 11 May 2021

The People’s Liberation Army has conducted island landing drills apparently targeting Taiwan, amid heightened tensions across the strait.

Video footage released by the PLA Navy on Monday shows marines from the Eastern Theatre Command in a recent landing exercise involving a Type 071 amphibious transport dock, the Yimengshan, along with landing craft and armoured vehicles. It was not clear where or when the drill was conducted.

The navy also released a video last week showing a recent landing drill by the Southern Theatre Command in which another Type 071 amphibious landing dock, the Qilianshan, made its debut with sister ship the Wuzhishan, in an exercise in an unknown location that included vertical landing training using ship-borne helicopters.

The navy said the drills were aimed at training marines in rapid response in enemy territory and using different amphibious platforms and weapon systems.

The Marine Corps use landing craft during the island exercise. Photo: PLA Navy

Both the PLA and Taiwan’s military have launched new amphibious vessels in the past month, and analysts expect more such exercises in the weeks to come, ahead of the typhoon season.

The Type 075 amphibious landing helicopter dock and two other warships were commissioned on April 23 to mark the PLA Navy’s 72nd anniversary. The 40,000-tonne amphibious warship is the biggest of its type and is estimated to be able to carry 30 helicopters and nearly 1,000 personnel.