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If China Invades Taiwan, This Is What The Fleet Could Look Like
H I Sutton
H I SuttonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I cover the changing world of underwater warfare.

The types of ships which the Chinese Navy (PLAN) may use against Taiwan in the 2020s

A Chinese landing on Taiwan would involve many different assets, mostly built up in the last twenty ... [+] H I Sutton

Scenarios involving China taking military action against Taiwan have been a hot topic for decades. The most dramatic one would be a full-blown invasion involving amphibious landings. Back in the 1990s it was derided as the ‘million man swim’ because it was not believed that China had the naval means to pull it off. Some may still make that joke, but it may no longer reflect reality.

Reuters recently reported that the Chief of China’s Joint Staff, General Li Zoucheng, stated that the country could attack Taiwan to stop it becoming independent. The island has been de facto an independent country since the Communists took control of the mainland in 1948, but Beijing views it as a wayward province. The threat of force has always been there, but this latest comment is seen as an escalation of rhetoric.
The Modernized Chinese Navy

The Chinese Navy, officially known as the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), is unrecognizable compared to twenty years ago. The most visible change is that it now has two aircraft carriers, and more are being built. These are escorted by modern air-defense destroyers generally modeled on the U.S. Navy’s AEGIS warships.

This ‘blue water’ navy makes indirect approaches, from the Pacific side of Taiwan, more viable. In the past China's ability to operate in the open ocean, away from land-based air cover, was doubted. Now the new warships, particularly the destroyers and frigates are well defended enough to encircle Taiwan. China’s fleet of submarines, the world’s largest, could also be used in this way. This could make it harder for the Taiwanese Navy to outflank the invasion fleet.

In an invasion the PLAN's aircraft carriers would likely operate over the horizon where they are safer from counter-attack. But unlike in past wars, their position
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