9 ms·

China Suddenly Building Fleet of Special Barges Suitable for Taiwan Landings

28 points by reducesuffering 2y ago

wumeow 2y ago
If you say why not tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o’clock, I say why not one o’clock?
datavirtue 2y ago
In other news, US is building a fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings.
- krapp 2y ago
  Imperialism is OK when we do it.
  - tekbruh9000 2y ago
    Log off your government funded technology to socially reach out with “democracy and rationality”. Not sure where the tech crowd gets off being offended when the backbone of their lives is an info network used to manipulate sentiment that props up their jobs. “When a person paycheck depends on their not understanding…” and all that
- lysace 2y ago
  > In other news, US is building a fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings. Do you actually believe that the US is currently building a "fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings"? For real?
  - datavirtue 2y ago
    It's obviously a joke, which is usually lost on HN.
    - lysace 2y ago
      yeah no. you don't get to gaslight us this way.
      - datavirtue 2y ago
        Found the troll
more_corn 2y ago
Huh, I wonder if they’re going to invade Taiwan like they promised to do by 2027. I love how people somehow still think it’s not going to happen.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > invade Taiwan like they promised to do by 2027 When did Beijing say this?
  - pandemicsyn 2y ago
    2027 is the date by when Xi wanted the military modernized and ready for an op, 2027-2030 is the optimal time frame for them to try it: https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/24/2003205865/-1/-1/1/07-AMONSON%20&%20EGLI_FEATURE%20IWD.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/24/2003205865/-1/-1/1/07-...
  - more_corn 2y ago
    Your googling fingers work as well as mine. Look for xi instructing his military to “have all options” for “reunification” by 2027.
lysace 2y ago
Trump needs to address this. CCP is getting antsy.
- netsharc 2y ago
  "What's in it for me?". "Ok China, Taiwan offered me X, Y, Z. What've you got?"
  - lysace 2y ago
    > "What's in it for me?". TSMC
    - rasz 2y ago
      Already got one at home.
plurby 2y ago
it's only a matter of time, but certainly in the next 3 years
- jncfhnb 2y ago
  Xi could feasibly get overthrown if the economy continues to suck. It would not surprise me if the successor wants to suck up the US
  - wood_spirit 2y ago
    It is common for dictators to go to war to divert attention away from internal discontent and unite a country
    - rudasn 2y ago
      Not just dictators..
    - jncfhnb 2y ago
      A war against Taiwan would be hugely costly in terms of sanctions. That would hardly unite the country.
      - wood_spirit 2y ago
        Trump is putting the sanctions on anyway In fact, you can imagine a blockade of Taiwan being introduced to enforce Chinese sanctions that are levied in direct response to American sanctions etc. that could well be the escalation path that china chooses
        jncfhnb 2y ago
        The problem is that China is very weak right now. If they tank their economy and seize Taiwan… they’ll be much worse off. The threatened trump tariffs are bad but nearly as bad as what’s being done to Russia For example
    - 2y ago
rhelz 2y ago
Is there anybody on here with the military chops to tell me why these wouldn't just be sitting ducks? You could bomb them with plains, you could torpedo them with submarines, you could mine the area where they land....
- krapp 2y ago
  Because China is a nuclear power. Nuclear powers get to do what they want, as per the precedent set by the US.
  - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
    > Nuclear powers get to do what they want, as per the precedent set by the US It's a Cold War precedent. (Since the Cold War, one underlined by America, Russia and China.) America had a global nuclear monopoly for years and didn't exploit it.
- exabrial 2y ago
  They certainly wouldn't be the first waive. China would start with cyber attacks, the destroy communication infrastructure (fiber, satellites), jam communications, fire standoff weapons, then land bombardment, and then this. Roughly in that order if I've watched enough simulations (no military background here btw, just repeating).
  - hker 2y ago
    > destroy communication infrastructure Chinese ships are just “testing the waters” this week by cutting the Internet cables near Taiwan. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42615939 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42615939 "Chinese Vessel Cuts Taiwan Internet Cable in Apparent Sabotage" https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/china/undersea-cable-taiwan-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/china/undersea-cable-taiwan-i... "A cut undersea internet cable is making Taiwan worried about ‘gray zone’ tactics from Beijing"
- maxglute 2y ago
  I mean they are. Realistically some will be hit during intial exchanges, current specialized amphib like this vessel mostly used for training and CONEMPs. PRC will rebuild at leisure once TW is defanged / US removed from equation, last year they built more dry tonnage than entire 5 year US ship building program during WW2. They can crank these out during amphib phase... By the time these are employed, landing will mostly be largely uncontested. TBH by the time these are employed TW will have no energy, no calories, no running water, no sewage etc... they'll probably be looking forward to logistics barges to bring in supplies.
wood_spirit 2y ago
Some satellite photos show the new barges clearly https://allsourceanalysis.com/featured-analysis/ https://allsourceanalysis.com/featured-analysis/
metalman 2y ago
The "special" barges could have a commercial use. China has a huge number of mega products and services it is offering to the rest of the developing world, and is useing non traditional engineering to get jobs done quickly and on budget. Railways, mines, solar and wind ,and new ports are, point and click. The idea of China conducting a DDay type attack are preposterous, they will use an overwhelming scale, ultra high tech, remote warfare attack. It will be very, very, quick, and close to bloodless. Drones, missles, precision removal of all ranking officers and comunication hubs, total coms denial, 1.5 million armed combat troops, landing in personal vtol, and water based craft, 20 min latter, the very high likely hood of a surrender and declaration of joyous re-integration of greater China. With, most importantly the anouncement, that it will be business as usual next Tuesday, just the flag, head of government, and certain departments will change. China has a file on everyone in Taiwan, what they do, where they do it, and where there most basic loyaltys lie and they are making it known, that peoples best move, is to ignore the whole thing, as an inevitability, that does not have to effect them at all. Its working.
- magic_smoke_ee 2y ago
  You're absolutely mistaken. These are obviously designed exclusively to bypass Taiwanese coastal defenses to move masses of extremely heavy vehicles rapidly a great distance over the coastal barriers. Ordinary transport ships that would move large quantities of heavy vehicles would be designed in a different manner that would load and unload slower, and wouldn't need absurdly-long, self-contained ramps. Taiwan must immediately build littoral landing craft denial barriers in the regions just outside of the surf zone. They have a little time to mobilize and make these landing craft obsolete. Japan must also continue to prepare and coordinate joint exercises as they've been doing.
- reducesuffering 2y ago
  No, they do not. This is "Russian troops in Belarus with blood supply lines is just training exercise" level take.
- Khaine 2y ago
  The Defence Analyst who wrote this article has posted a YouTube video where they outline why they are specifically designed for invasion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klkpk_hO4FQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klkpk_hO4FQ

wumeow 2y ago

If you say why not tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o’clock, I say why not one o’clock?

datavirtue 2y ago

In other news, US is building a fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings.

krapp 2y ago
Imperialism is OK when we do it.
- tekbruh9000 2y ago
  Log off your government funded technology to socially reach out with “democracy and rationality”. Not sure where the tech crowd gets off being offended when the backbone of their lives is an info network used to manipulate sentiment that props up their jobs. “When a person paycheck depends on their not understanding…” and all that
lysace 2y ago
> In other news, US is building a fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings. Do you actually believe that the US is currently building a "fleet of barges suitable for Greenland landings"? For real?
- datavirtue 2y ago
  It's obviously a joke, which is usually lost on HN.
  - lysace 2y ago
    yeah no. you don't get to gaslight us this way.
    - datavirtue 2y ago
      Found the troll

more_corn 2y ago

Huh, I wonder if they’re going to invade Taiwan like they promised to do by 2027. I love how people somehow still think it’s not going to happen.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
> invade Taiwan like they promised to do by 2027 When did Beijing say this?
- pandemicsyn 2y ago
  2027 is the date by when Xi wanted the military modernized and ready for an op, 2027-2030 is the optimal time frame for them to try it: https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/24/2003205865/-1/-1/1/07-AMONSON%20&%20EGLI_FEATURE%20IWD.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/24/2003205865/-1/-1/1/07-...
- more_corn 2y ago
  Your googling fingers work as well as mine. Look for xi instructing his military to “have all options” for “reunification” by 2027.

lysace 2y ago

Trump needs to address this. CCP is getting antsy.

netsharc 2y ago
"What's in it for me?". "Ok China, Taiwan offered me X, Y, Z. What've you got?"
- lysace 2y ago
  > "What's in it for me?". TSMC
  - rasz 2y ago
    Already got one at home.

plurby 2y ago

it's only a matter of time, but certainly in the next 3 years

jncfhnb 2y ago
Xi could feasibly get overthrown if the economy continues to suck. It would not surprise me if the successor wants to suck up the US
- wood_spirit 2y ago
  It is common for dictators to go to war to divert attention away from internal discontent and unite a country
  - rudasn 2y ago
    Not just dictators..
  - jncfhnb 2y ago
    A war against Taiwan would be hugely costly in terms of sanctions. That would hardly unite the country.
    - wood_spirit 2y ago
      Trump is putting the sanctions on anyway In fact, you can imagine a blockade of Taiwan being introduced to enforce Chinese sanctions that are levied in direct response to American sanctions etc. that could well be the escalation path that china chooses
      - jncfhnb 2y ago
        The problem is that China is very weak right now. If they tank their economy and seize Taiwan… they’ll be much worse off. The threatened trump tariffs are bad but nearly as bad as what’s being done to Russia For example
  - 2y ago

rhelz 2y ago

Is there anybody on here with the military chops to tell me why these wouldn't just be sitting ducks? You could bomb them with plains, you could torpedo them with submarines, you could mine the area where they land....

krapp 2y ago
Because China is a nuclear power. Nuclear powers get to do what they want, as per the precedent set by the US.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > Nuclear powers get to do what they want, as per the precedent set by the US It's a Cold War precedent. (Since the Cold War, one underlined by America, Russia and China.) America had a global nuclear monopoly for years and didn't exploit it.
exabrial 2y ago
They certainly wouldn't be the first waive. China would start with cyber attacks, the destroy communication infrastructure (fiber, satellites), jam communications, fire standoff weapons, then land bombardment, and then this. Roughly in that order if I've watched enough simulations (no military background here btw, just repeating).
- hker 2y ago
  > destroy communication infrastructure Chinese ships are just “testing the waters” this week by cutting the Internet cables near Taiwan. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42615939 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42615939 "Chinese Vessel Cuts Taiwan Internet Cable in Apparent Sabotage" https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/china/undersea-cable-taiwan-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/china/undersea-cable-taiwan-i... "A cut undersea internet cable is making Taiwan worried about ‘gray zone’ tactics from Beijing"
maxglute 2y ago
I mean they are. Realistically some will be hit during intial exchanges, current specialized amphib like this vessel mostly used for training and CONEMPs. PRC will rebuild at leisure once TW is defanged / US removed from equation, last year they built more dry tonnage than entire 5 year US ship building program during WW2. They can crank these out during amphib phase... By the time these are employed, landing will mostly be largely uncontested. TBH by the time these are employed TW will have no energy, no calories, no running water, no sewage etc... they'll probably be looking forward to logistics barges to bring in supplies.

wood_spirit 2y ago

Some satellite photos show the new barges clearly https://allsourceanalysis.com/featured-analysis/ https://allsourceanalysis.com/featured-analysis/

metalman 2y ago

The "special" barges could have a commercial use. China has a huge number of mega products and services it is offering to the rest of the developing world, and is useing non traditional engineering to get jobs done quickly and on budget. Railways, mines, solar and wind ,and new ports are, point and click. The idea of China conducting a DDay type attack are preposterous, they will use an overwhelming scale, ultra high tech, remote warfare attack. It will be very, very, quick, and close to bloodless. Drones, missles, precision removal of all ranking officers and comunication hubs, total coms denial, 1.5 million armed combat troops, landing in personal vtol, and water based craft, 20 min latter, the very high likely hood of a surrender and declaration of joyous re-integration of greater China. With, most importantly the anouncement, that it will be business as usual next Tuesday, just the flag, head of government, and certain departments will change. China has a file on everyone in Taiwan, what they do, where they do it, and where there most basic loyaltys lie and they are making it known, that peoples best move, is to ignore the whole thing, as an inevitability, that does not have to effect them at all. Its working.

magic_smoke_ee 2y ago
You're absolutely mistaken. These are obviously designed exclusively to bypass Taiwanese coastal defenses to move masses of extremely heavy vehicles rapidly a great distance over the coastal barriers. Ordinary transport ships that would move large quantities of heavy vehicles would be designed in a different manner that would load and unload slower, and wouldn't need absurdly-long, self-contained ramps. Taiwan must immediately build littoral landing craft denial barriers in the regions just outside of the surf zone. They have a little time to mobilize and make these landing craft obsolete. Japan must also continue to prepare and coordinate joint exercises as they've been doing.
reducesuffering 2y ago
No, they do not. This is "Russian troops in Belarus with blood supply lines is just training exercise" level take.
Khaine 2y ago
The Defence Analyst who wrote this article has posted a YouTube video where they outline why they are specifically designed for invasion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klkpk_hO4FQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klkpk_hO4FQ