To intimidate the island, President Xi Jinping has ordered China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to step up preparations for an invasion of Taiwan. They need to be prepared by 2027 at the latest. This directive has raised international concerns, especially following reports of suspicious damage to Taiwan's undersea cables, which has fueled fears of Chinese efforts to undermine Taiwan's communications with the outside world. The PLA has developed advanced technology, including a powerful deep-sea cable cutter and massive barges, that could potentially play crucial roles in a future invasion scenario.
China ‘s new deep-sea device The PLA has created something truly unique. In short, it can significantly penetrate highly protected communications and power lines at depths reaching 4 kilometers. This new capability is almost twice as deep as the longest undersea cable in the world, showcasing a deep technological advancement. These hand-held cable-cutting tools are increasingly becoming the standard for routine maintenance jobs. The new ability to quickly cut cables at extreme depths is cause for concern.
“But what is alarming here is the political context that we attach to it,” stated Collin Koh.
Beyond the cable cutter, the PLA is responsible for inventing enormous barges that can be connected to create relocatable piers. These barges have the capacity to transport hundreds of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other heavy equipment. They feature an extendable ramp. This capability allows them to lower the ramp over seawalls or other barriers, facilitating rapid deployment of troops and equipment onto the coastal highway.
“Designed with an extendable ramp to serve as a makeshift dock, enabling the rapid offloading of main battle tanks and various vehicles in support of amphibious operations,” according to Taiwan’s defense ministry.
Satellite images show the barges sitting high and dry on metal legs. They’re linked by a series of bridges, forming one long super-causeway. This design is similar to Britain’s Mulberry Harbors launched during the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II. These floating munitions depots aren’t built for high-end marine, high-risk expeditionary activity. They can be highly effective as part of a second wave following the landing forces.
“Before they even think about embarking a landing force and sending troops across the (Taiwan) Strait, they would already make sure that they have seized air, information, and naval dominance all the way across the strait,” explained Thomas Shugart.
What gives PLA’s RO-RO ferries their remarkable operational capabilities is the sheer number of them. They permit high-density deployments on land and at sea, providing for real-time loading and unloading like never before. These innovations, if developed, could greatly enhance PLA logistics in the aftermath of an invasion.
“These barges can significantly improve the PLA capability to deliver logistics following an invasion,” commented J. Michael Dahm.
Even with these improvements, some experts warn that these innovations do not ensure operational success. The PLA would first have to achieve full air and sea control before deploying these assets.
“Whether it has translated into operationalized tool for use is a big question mark,” noted Collin Koh.
