Latest amphibious assault ship has been deployed to the South China Sea
China has revealed its latest warship, built for launching amphibious assaults, during a series of military exercises in the South China Sea.
The debut of the fourth Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship, CNS Hubei, occurs as Taiwan escalates its defensive military preparations in anticipation of a widely expected Chinese invasion.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 075 can deploy forces via helicopters while simultaneously carrying tanks, armored vehicles and landing vessels. Friction between China and multiple regional neighbors in the hotly disputed South China Sea has intensified as Chinese naval exercises grow more aggressive, prompting Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister to predict an invasion attempt in the coming period.
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“The population need to not be naive like in the past. China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Wu Chihchung announced in early August, reports the Express.
Despite these alerts, ongoing training exercises and China’s relentless pledge to “reunify” with independent Taiwan, approximately 65% of Taiwan’s citizens don’t expect China will launch an attack within the next five years, based on findings from the military-linked Institute for National Defense and Strategic Research (INDSR).
China has additionally positioned around 11 Coast Guard ships at the Second Thomas Shoal, a sunken reef in the contested Spratly Islands, as an aggressive display against the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Philippine military officials reported witnessing Chinese vessels “practising the employment of water cannons” while accompanied by military aircraft.
This observation aligns with an escalating trend involving China’s navy over the past two years, which has witnessed increasing numbers of vessels, including the most recent Type 075 deployment, operating frequently around the shoal.
Earlier this month, a Chinese naval ship was also captured on video crashing into one of its nation’s coast guard vessels while pursuing a Philippine patrol boat, resulting in substantial damage to both craft.
Additional incidents in the area include a last-minute alert from China directed at Australia, compelling the latter nation to reroute commercial flights away from the region so the People’s Liberation Army Navy could execute live-fire exercises from ships navigating the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles characterized the action as being “very disconcerting for the planes that were flying.”
The US, UK and other allied nations, including Australia, South Korea, France and Germany, have countered these provocations by intensifying collaboration through multiple drills and operations, including the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise.
Conducted from July 13 to August 4, this represented the 11th and most extensive version of the multinational military exercise, staged in Australia, highlighting the US commitment to prioritizing its Indo-Pacific strategy. China slammed Australia, labeling it a “US tool” for hosting the US Dark Eagle hypersonic missile during war games.
This marked the first time the weapon, capable of speeds surpassing 3,800 mph, was deployed outside the US mainland.
