Maritime Executive: China's Naval Drills Show Growing Focus on Capturing Taiwan
China's military has been conducting exercises near the self-governing island of Taiwan for years, simulating naval blockades, air incursions and landings. But a round of drills conducted last fall appeared to be a much more "focused, realistic and sophisticated" simulation of an amphibious assault on the island, down to the distances between exercise locations and the conditions found near shore, according to a new analysis by satellite intelligence firm ingeniSpace and the U.S. Naval War College. The report arrives amidst news of concern within the Pentagon about the status of U.S. interceptor and long-range strike missile stocks, which would be needed to mount a defense of Taiwan.
The PLA amphibious exercise launched in August, and was bigger and more complex than ever. The drill consisted of three simultaneous landings at three different sites spanning roughly 220 miles of shored on China's eastern seaboard, roughly corresponding to the distance between the north and south ends of Taiwan - and, concerningly, the distances between Taiwan's main seaports.
"The exercise reflected a specific geographical and operational focus. It appears to be part of a larger trend whereby the PLA is mapping its exercises onto analogous geography that reflects envisioned targets," the authors assessed.