China Aerospace Studies Institute – The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is comprised of five branches (兵种): the surface fleet, the submarine fleet, naval aviation, the marine corps, and coastal defense. As the PLAN modernizes, each of the branches has undergone its own modernization. This includes the PLAN Coastal Defense force (PLANCDF) which is primarily comprised of coastal artillery forces and coastal defense missile forces. Although the PLANCDF coastal artillery has become mostly obsolete, the missile component of this force (海军岸导部队or PLAN Coastal Defense Missile force (CDMF)) has not only been growing, but may play a critical role in many of the PLA’s envisioned operations on China’s periphery. The CDMF is comprised of anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) systems and represents the shore-based medium and long-range fires that the PLAN brings to fights on the periphery of China. In the past decade, the CDMF has consistently undergone upgrades to its organization, the missile systems that it fields, and its barracks (军营). This branch has also been highlighted in official media several times recently demonstrating an increased interest in enhancing its capabilities and bringing the CDMF into focus. This paper aims to document the CDMF organization, its role in PLA operations, the different CDMF regiments within the Theater Commands (TC), the missile technology, and the facility modernizations that the CDMF has undergone.

Naval News – New imagery reveals important development steps for Chinese carrier aviation. While the new KJ-600 was spotted on aircraft carrier Fujian, the next gen J-35 and catapult variant of J-15 also made new appearances.

China Maritime Studies Institute – Since 2017, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned a new class of ocean surveillance vessel into its order of battle: the Type 927. Similar in design and function to the U.S. Navy’s Victorious and Impeccable class T-AGOS ships, the Type 927 was introduced to help remedy the PLAN’s longstanding weakness in anti-submarine warfare. The PLAN has likely built six Type 927 ships to date, most based for easy access to the South China Sea. In peacetime, these ships use their towed array sonar to collect acoustic data on foreign submarines and track their movements within and beyond the first island chain. In wartime, Type 927 vessels could contribute to PLAN anti-submarine warfare operations in support of a range of different maritime campaigns. However, their lack of self-defense capabilities would make them extremely vulnerable to attack.

RUSI – Chinese development financing in sub-Saharan Africa has sought, among other aims, to bolster Beijing’s supply chain resilience and dual port maritime strength. While this may enhance its ability to raise geopolitical tensions or conduct territorial expansion, complications remain around the execution of such a strategy.

USNI News – Chinese ships blasted water cannons at ships on Manila’s latest resupply mission to the South China Sea outpost on Second Thomas Shoal today, resulting in an unspecified number of injuries and heavy damage onboard one of the Philippine vessels.

Atlantic Council – Large-scale war disrupts societies and technology in profound and often unexpected ways. But because of this feature and not in spite of it, US policymakers and military leaders must rigorously study and plan for a broad range of implications of a years-long war with China.

Global Times – China will unveil its fourth aircraft carrier soon and answer the question as to whether it will be nuclear-powered, said the political commissar of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy at the ongoing two sessions in Beijing.

The War Zone – The images come amid indications that the navalized fighter could operate aboard China’s first two aircraft carriers, as well as its third.

CIMSEC – China and the United States see each other as the pacing challenge, with Taiwan the obvious potential flashpoint. Correspondingly, different governments and think tanks repeatedly featured the Taiwan conflict in wargames. However, results from these studies varied significantly, ranging from swift Taiwanese capitulation and pyrrhic United States victories to bloody Chinese failures. This review compares several studies, explaining differences in the objectives, outcomes, and implications. As such, it is the first review to collate findings from a broad sample of wargames held over eight years between 2016 and 2023. It identifies a clear, regressive trend in the United States and Taiwanese chances of victory over the period and crucial factors influencing the outcomes for the People’s Liberation Army, the Republic of China, the United States, and allied forces. It concludes with recommendations for future wargame iterations.

China Daily – The 46th fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy on Wednesday set sail from a military port in the coastal city of Zhanjiang in south China’s Guangdong Province to take over an escort mission from the 45th naval fleet in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.

BBC – Taiwan has accused China’s coast guard of triggering “panic”, after six Chinese officials briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat.

The War Zone – A series of photos have appeared that suggest that a mockup of China’s stealthy J-35 carrier-capable fighter has been used for tests aboard the aircraft carrier Liaoning. As well as indicating further progress in the J-35’s path to a career as a frontline naval fighter, it also raises the possibility of a version of the jet operating from China’s two in-service carriers, which are not equipped with catapult launch gear, instead having ‘ski jump’ ramps. Previously, it had been expected that the J-35 was tailored to serve aboard newer types of carriers, of the kind fitted with catapults as well as arrestor gear.

China Maritime Studies Institute – CMSI Perspectives and Key Take-Aways:

• In addition to RO-RO ferries, the PLA also uses another class of RO-RO ship, the deck cargo ship, in sea transport training exercises.
• Deck cargo ships are widely used in China’s ocean engineering and construction industry, constituting an existing and large-scale volume of lift capacity.
• The simple design and relative ease of construction of deck cargo ships means they can quickly be built in large numbers.
• These vessels may be tasked to bring in large columns of logistics and follow-on forces to consolidate landing areas, possibly in waves not far behind landing assault forces.
• Deck cargo ships can distribute the risk for many units making transits and force an adversary to find suitable kill solutions to strike numerous lower value targets.

Global Times – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and Air Force are extending their reach with new milestones in replenishment ships and large cargo planes, a move experts said on Sunday contributes to not only China’s national defense but also world peace and stability.

BBC – The expected arrival of a Chinese research ship in the Maldives this week has escalated tensions between Beijing, Delhi and Male.

Naval News – A regiment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy)’s Northern Theater Navy (also known as “North Sea Fleet”) has deployed land-based YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) in a drill that took place in the coastal city of Haiyang in Shandong province in China. The move is likely a first and has implications for the strategic Yellow Sea.

Naval News – Speedy progress for program to field a new mid-sized combatant for the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

China Maritime Studies Institute – Since 2018, there have been significant changes to People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) submarine force training, and these changes have been driven by important revisions to strategic guidance and subsequent directives that focused PLA efforts to enhance its capabilities to operate in the maritime domain. While this guidance is applicable to all services, improving PLAN submarine force capabilities appears to have been of particular interest to senior Chinese leadership. This guidance expanded the PLA’s maritime domain requirements, which demanded that China’s submarine force improve its capabilities to operate independently or along with other PLAN assets at greater distances from coast and in the far seas. This has resulted in submarine training that is more realistic, rigorous, and standardized across the fleet. Though stressful on submarine equipment and crews, these changes to training may ultimately yield a more combat-capable submarine fleet operating throughout the western Pacific.

Washington Post – Chinese research vessels with ties to the People’s Liberation Army are conducting sweeping surveys of the undersea floor in the Indian Ocean, collecting data that could be crucial in deploying submarines in a region that is a critical energy supply line for Beijing in the event of a war with Taiwan.

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – More amphibious assault capacity, new frigates and aircraft carrier Fujian preparing for first sea trial this year.

War Zone – New official visuals of the carrier released by Chinese state media show it looking close to completion, foreshadowing upcoming sea trials.

Naval News – Territorial tensions in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait and East China Sea may occupy headlines, but China has maritime aspirations that extend well beyond those areas.

China Maritime Studies Institute – China’s Navy, the world’s largest by number of ships, has a new leader. On 25 December 2023, Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping, in his capacity as Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman, promoted Vice Admiral Hu Zhongming (胡中明) to Admiral and appointed him Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) (海军司令员). Hu’s predecessor Admiral Dong Jun (董军) attended the promotion ceremony, suggesting this is an orderly and expected transition—unlike recent removals of the PLA Defense Minister and the former Commander of China’s Strategic Rocket Forces.

USNI News – China’s President Xi Jinping appointed a new Chief for the People’s Liberation Army Navy in a Monday ceremony in Beijing while the post of China’s top defense minister remains vacant. 

USNI News – Chinese Maritime Militia vessels swarmed within and around Second Thomas Shoal this week in Beijing’s latest move against the Philippines in the South China Sea.