China’s 2nd “Operational” Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship Threatens & “Breaks” Japan’s First Island Chain
China’s new Type 075 amphibious assault ships “broke” the first island chain surrounding Japan
·
By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
The large and fast-modernizing Chinese Navy is well known as a serious threat to Taiwan as the island is merely 100 miles away from mainland China and often thought of as a likely target of a Chinese amphibious assault.
The threat to Taiwan is well known, particularly given the pace at which the People’s Liberation Army – Navy is adding new destroyers carriers and amphibs. What about the threat to Japan? As roughly 1,000 miles or less away from parts of mainland China, the island-nation of Japan is frequent target of Chinese provocations and intimidation.
For the first time in history, one of China’s new Type 075 amphibious assault ships “broke” the first island chain surrounding Japan in what a Chinese government-backed Global Times newspaper called a “warning” to Taiwan seccessionists.
The move can also be seen as a transparent Chinese attempt to demonstrate that its second new Type 075 amphibious assault ship is now fully operational. The second Type 075 amphib is called the Guangxi and it has broken the first island chain in what could be seen as a deliberate threat and message to Japan.
Japan deployed reconnaissance and fighter aircraft as well as a missile boat on alert missions in attempts to monitor Chinese activities, the Chinese paper quoted Japanese officials saying.
China Type 075 Amphibs vs USS America-class amphibs
The People’s Liberation Army – Navy is taking new steps to prepare its new class of Type 075 amphibious assault ships for networked, multi-domain combat landings which integrate air, land and sea units.