Invasion of Taiwan – Part 4
The PLAA has increased its posture in the Eastern Theater Command and along the Taiwan Strait, providing the PLAA with enhanced firepower, mobility, and rapid strike capabilities. Significant reorganizations and amphibious assault training in recent years likely indicate that the Taiwan contingency is a high priority for the Army. Major PLAA contributions to a Taiwan invasion scenario likely include extensive amphibious, army aviation, and air assault operations. The PLAA fields six amphibious combined arms brigades—four in the Eastern Theater Command (nearest Taiwan) and two in the Southern Theater Command. PLAA units continued amphibious assault training as a single service and with joint service counterparts in 2022. Training events refined the tactics of rapid loading, long-distance transport and beach assault under complicated sea situations, and logistic support capabilities. Press reports also claimed that the PLA extensively used sea, air, and ground UAS in support of the amphibious assault operation. PLAA amphibious brigades reportedly conduct realistic, large-scale amphibious operations that are almost certainly aimed at supporting a Taiwan invasion scenario.
PLAN. The PLAN is improving its anti-air, anti-surface, and ASW capabilities, further developing an at-sea nuclear deterrence, and introducing new multi-mission platforms capable of conducting diverse missions during peace and war and has increased its posture surrounding Taiwan since August 2022. New attack submarines and modern surface combatants with anti-air capabilities and fourth-generation naval aircraft entering the force are designed to achieve maritime superiority within the FIC as well as to deter and counter any potential third-party intervention in a Taiwan conflict.
The PRC’s amphibious fleet has in recent years focused on acquiring a modest number of ocean- going LPD and LHA ships. There is no indication the PRC is significantly expanding its number of tank landing ships (LSTs) and medium sized landing craft at this time. Although the PLAN has not invested in the large number of landing ships and medium landing craft that analysts believe the PLA would need for a large-scale assault on Taiwan, it is possible the PLA assesses it has sufficient amphibious capacity and has mitigated shortfalls through investment in other operational capabilities, such as civilian lift vessels and rotary-wing assets to address this gap. The PLA may also have confidence in the PRC’s shipbuilding industry’s massive capacity to produce the necessary ship-to-shore connectors relatively quickly.
PLAAF. The PLAAF has maintained a ready force posture for a variety of capabilities necessary in a Taiwan contingency. It has acquired a large number of advanced aircraft capable of conducting operations against Taiwan without requiring refueling, providing it with a significant capability to conduct air and ground-attack operations. A number of long-range air defense systems provide a strong layer of defense against attacks on key military installations or population centers on China’s mainland. The PRC’s development of support aircraft provides the PLAAF with improved ISR capability to support PLA operations. The PLAAF also has improved refueling capabilities, expanding its ability to operate further from China and increasing its ability to threaten third party intervention. Throughout 2022, Eastern Theater Command-based PLAAF units operated at higher levels than in previous years. Taiwan ADIZ incursions involved greater numbers of aircraft and were more frequent than in 2021, demonstrating the PLAAF’s improved ability to sustain pressure on Taiwan.
PLARF. The PLARF is prepared to conduct missile attacks against high-value targets, including Taiwan’s C2 facilities, air bases, and radar sites, in an attempt to degrade Taiwan’s defenses, neutralize Taiwan’s leadership, or break the public’s will to fight. As of 2023, the PLARF is increasing its presence along the Taiwan Strait with new missile brigades, possibly indicating an increasing number of deployed missiles.
Strategic Support Force (SSF). PLA doctrinal writings emphasize the importance of space and cyberspace domains in joint operations. PLA writings suggest that the SSF would be responsible for the use of EW and cyberspace operations during a Taiwan contingency, as one of the missions of the force is to seize and maintain information dominance. The SSF 311 Base would be responsible for political and psychological warfare, such as disseminating propaganda against Taiwan to influence public opinion and promote the PRC’s interests. The SSF would also play a strategic information and communications support role, centralizing technical intelligence collection and management and providing strategic intelligence support to theater commands involved in a Taiwan contingency. Following the U.S. Speaker of the House’s CODEL in August 2022, Taiwan’s MND claimed that China launched widespread cyber-attacks against Taiwan.
Joint Logistic Support Force (JLSF). The JLSF’s primary goal is to provide joint logistics support to the PLA’s strategic and campaign-level operations, such as a Taiwan contingency, by conducting C2 of joint logistics, delivering materiel, and overseeing various support mechanisms. The JLSF participates in joint, theater-level exercises, becoming most relevant when units operate far from their home garrisons and beyond their organic logistics capabilities.
Eastern Theatre Command
The Eastern Theater Command consists of a joint headquarters, a joint logistics support center (JSLC) from the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, a PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) service component, a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) service component, a PLA Navy (PLAN) service component, and a PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) service component. Within Eastern Theater Command these units these are the Nanjing headquarters, Wuxi Joint Logistics Support Facility, Eastern Theater Command Ground Forces, Eastern Theater Command Air Force, Eastern Fleet, and Base 61. It’s HQ is at Nanjing
The PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) component of Eastern Theater Command is composed of three major units: The 71st, 72nd, and 73rd Group Army.
71st Group Army headquartered in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, is composed of six combined-arms brigades and seven support brigades.
2nd Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
160th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
235th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
178th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
179th Light Combined-Arms Brigade
71st Army Aviation Brigade
71st Artillery Brigade
71st Air Defense Brigade
71st Special Operations Brigade
71st Service Support Brigade
72nd Group Army
The 72nd Group Army headquartered in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, consists of the below units.
10th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
5th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
124th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
85th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
90th Light Combined-Arms Brigade
72nd Army Aviation Brigade
72nd Artillery Brigade
72nd Air Defense Brigade
72nd Special Operations Brigade
72nd Service Support Brigade
The 73rd Group Army headquartered in Bantou, Jimei District, Xiamen City, of Fujian Province consists of the below units.
86th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
14th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
91st Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
145th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
3rd Light Combined-Arms Brigade
73rd Army Aviation Brigade
73rd Artillery Brigade
73nd Air Defense Brigade
73rd Special Operations Brigade
73rd Service Support Brigade
PLA Air Force
The Eastern Theater Command Air Force is
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The PLA’s Posture Against Taiwan
contd from page 16
composed of the following units.
8th Fighter Brigade
9th Fighter Brigade
25th Fighter Brigade
40th Fighter Brigade
41st Fighter Brigade
78th Fighter Brigade
83rd Fighter Brigade
85th Fighter Brigade
95th Fighter Brigade
10th Bomber Division
28th Bomber Regiment
29th Bomber Regiment
30th Bomber Regiment
76th Air Regiment
77th Air Regiment
93rd Regiment
Unidentified drone attack brigade
PLA Navy
Eastern Theater Command Navy (East Sea Fleet)
Ningbo Fleet Headquarters
Shanghai Naval Base
Xiangshan Naval Base
Zhoushan Naval Base
Fujian Naval Base
1st Coastal Defense Brigade (Shanghai)
2nd Coastal Defense Brigade (Shanghai)
Coastal Defense Brigade (Fujian)
13th Coastal Defense Division, (Jinjiang, Quanzhou)
31st Pontoon Bridge Brigade
PLA Naval Air Force
1st Air Division (Shanghai)
17th Air Regiment (Changzhou)
5th Independent Bomber Regiment (Changzhou)
4th Naval Aviation Brigade (Taizhou)
11th Air Regiment (Ningbo)
18th Air Regiment (JH-7)
PLA Rocket Force
The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) component of Eastern Theater Command is Base 61 in Huangshan, Anhui, which has 611 to 618 Brigades armed as follows:
611 Brigade DF-21A Chizhou
612 Brigade DF-21/DF-21A Jingdezhen
613 Brigade DF-15B Shangrao
614 Brigade DF-11A/DF-17 Yong’an
615 Brigade DF-11A Meizhou
616 Brigade DF-15 Ganzhou
617 Brigade DF-16 Jinhua
618 Brigade Unknown Unknown
