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PLA Experimentation with Armed Cargo Ships
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PLA Experimentation with Armed Cargo Ships
by Stephen Miles
Recently there have been numerous pictures released to the public showing civilian-type cargo ships modified with military armament. These weapons range from small Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) to large caliber artillery and even entire tanks. Most photos show the armed cargo ships apparently participating in some sort of trials or training. The motivation for this weaponization of cargo ships is the subject of much speculation among China analysts. The fundamental question is: do these armed cargo ships represent an emerging amphibious tactic, or are they just more of the same "we will liberate Taiwan" saber rattling? This article summarizes the author's original analysis of this topic, and offers some possible methods of employing these ships.
Armed Cargo Ship fires a "broadside"
New Tactics or Old Tricks?
At first glance these pictures appear confusing; dissimilar land combat systems, complete with camouflage, chained down and firing from the deck of a civilian-type cargo ship at sea. Other pictures show elaborate contraptions designed to simulate firing from the pitching deck of a ship. Still more portray Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRL) prefabricated for rapid installation on cargo ships. What all these images have in common is the mating of land combat systems to ships.
The idea of mounting traditionally land-based weapons on a ship is not a novel concept. The origins of all naval artillery can be traced back to land-based roots. What is remarkable is that a nation with an established navy is apparently pursuing an unorthodox method of fire support for amphibious operations. There are two possible reasons for this departure from the norm:
1) The PLA has determined that the PLAN will not be able to provide sufficient support for planned amphibious operations and alternate sources are being examined.
2) The PRC propaganda machine is attempting to portray preparations for an impending invasion in order to deceive and/or intimidate potential target nations.
These two possible reasons are not mutually exclusive, the truth may be a combination of both.
