These Chinese ships would be useful to seize small islands in the South China Sea:
In early January, 2013 China commissioned a new 4,000 ton patrol ship for its Coast Guard. While not carrying much in the way of weapons, it has surface and air search radars, a helicopter, boarding craft and space for several hundred people. ...
China is building several dozen of these larger patrol ships, ranging size from 1,500 tons to 12,000 tons.
When I speculated about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, I assumed that the Chinese would use older frigates and destroyers (called APDs) as part of the invasion flotilla:
With light infantry already unloaded from civilian shipping in Taiwan's harbors, the invasion force will sail in to reinforce them. Obsolete warships, either converted into troop ships or just emptied of most ammunition and crammed with troops, will make a high speed dash for the ports.
China did convert some older ships to APDs, as I noted nine years ago. With China's fleet modernizing at a rapid rate, they have lots of older hulls that could be converted this way.
Or they could simply be laid up with most weapons and ammo removed, and crammed with troops without regard to converting them.
So what has China done with their older warships?
And does China really need several dozen coast guard vessels capable of carrying hundreds of troops each if the objective is to capture islands in the South China Sea?
