Photos emerged Friday that apparently show China’s newly constructed and behemoth naval vessels that experts have reportedly suggested would fit right into a strategy for an invasion of the coveted island of Taiwan.
China was building at least five unique, massive barges outfitted with a long road-bridge extending 393-feet from their bow that could be used to land tanks on a shore.
The pictures circulating on social media show vessels fitting that description in Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China upriver of the coastal Hong Kong.
“Any invasion of Taiwan from the mainland would require a large number of ships to transport personnel and equipment across the Strait quickly, particularly land assets like armored vehicles,” Dr. Emma Salisbury, Sea Power Research Fellow at the Council of Geostrategy
This extended reach capability of the ships means that China could choose from a wider range of targets for landing their ships than previously considered and would no longer be reliant on Taiwanese ports for landing military vehicles
Underneath the massive ship are eight “jack-up” pillars which can be dropped to stabilize the platform as military vehicles pass over like a makeshift highway, according to diagrams included in the report.
On the back of the ships is a self-supporting ramp that allows for the docking of other boats.
The barges are designed specifically to work with China’s roll-on/roll-off ferries, which are required to meet military specifications, though they are mainly used for commercial purposes.
Those RO-RO ferries are built to carry military vehicles including heavy battle tanks and would latch directly onto the backs of the barge, according to images circulated in the report.
“China is constructing a huge fleet of dual-use ships — commercial vessels that could be easily requisitioned for military use when needed,” Dr. Salisbury told the outlet.
