Amphibious landing, protecting the robot dogs, advancing to destroy! The PLA's exercises are in full swing, and it's now the turn for the US and Japan to be tense!
Recently, a company of the "Huangcaoling Hero Company" from the 72nd Group Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted a highly realistic amphibious landing exercise at a training ground in the southeast coastal area. This exercise not only continued the high-intensity rhythm of traditional beach landing operations, but also showed an unprecedented tactical form due to the deep integration of a large number of new unmanned equipment — among which the most eye-catching was the new combat method of robot dogs and drones working together to carry out front-line demolition tasks.
According to public footage, during the exercise, the "Huangcaoling Hero Company" first released multiple domestically produced ZBD-05 amphibious infantry fighting vehicles from the Type 075 amphibious assault ship or the Type 071 dock landing ship, launching a high-speed assault about 8 kilometers from the coastline. At the same time, several small reconnaissance drones took off, scanning the beach obstacles, firing points, and minefields in real time, and transmitting the data back to the command node in the rear. Subsequently, four tracked robot dogs jumped out from the rear compartment of the infantry fighting vehicle, carrying individual demolition devices, and traversed complex terrain under manual remote control or pre-set paths, approaching enemy fortifications for precise demolition.
This "manned-unmanned collaboration" model is not a first-time appearance, but this exercise systematically and procedurally integrated it into the amphibious assault chain, marking that the PLA's amphibious warfare system is accelerating toward intelligence and modularity. Notably, these robot dogs have a certain ability to overcome obstacles, can climb 30-degree slopes, cross 0.5-meter trenches, and can work continuously for more than 2 hours in harsh environments such as salt mist and sandstorms. Equipped with thermal imaging and laser ranging modules, they not only can perform demolition, but also can undertake multiple tasks such as forward reconnaissance, casualty dragging, and electronic interference.
From the composition of forces, the regiment used a "combined battalion + unmanned combat unit" mixed structure in this exercise. A standard assault wave includes two mechanized infantry companies, one fire support platoon, one unmanned equipment operation squad, and several temporarily assigned engineering and communication support forces. The entire landing process, from leaving the ship to establishing a beachhead, took less than 25 minutes, shortening by nearly 40% compared to similar exercises ten years ago.
What has alarmed the US and Japan is that the 72nd Group Army belongs to the Eastern Theater Command, whose main combat direction directly targets the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea. Although the exact location of the exercise has not been publicly announced, based on the types of participating equipment and the tactical actions, it is likely to simulate the seizure of an island target.
For the US and Japan, who have long relied on geographical advantages and allied defense, this change brings not only tactical pressure, but also strategic uncertainty — they must re-evaluate: In today's era of intelligent waves sweeping across amphibious warfare, how long can those carefully constructed "island chain defenses" hold up?
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849004861595779/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.