China's missile arsenal facing Taiwan has plateaued in numbers as far as I can tell. Which makes sense given the rapid increase in advanced aircraft that China now has to fight for control of the skies over Taiwan and to provide air support and strike capabilities.
So what role with the missiles play in a Taiwan war? The Department of Defense report reports one role:
China could use missile attacks and precision air strikes against air defense systems, including air bases, radar sites, missiles, space assets, and communications facilities to degrade Taiwan’s defenses, neutralize Taiwan’s leadership, or break the Taiwan people’s resolve.
But China's air force is getting much better. It should need less support from the missile force. What else could the missiles be used for if the aircraft can do more?
I recalled a presentation made that described Russian use of massed precision fires. The description of Russian capabilities was scary as it described the destruction of Ukrainian units under such fire.
Could China see those missiles as unneeded as an air strike replacement and instead envision using only a small portion to hit command and key air and air defense targets to pave the way for air strikes?
And then the rest of the missiles would be reserved for hitting Taiwanese army battalions and brigades that try to resist the invasion? If the missiles carried multiple guided warheads or even conventional submunitions, a lot of units--enough?--could be disrupted if not destroyed as a combat force before they even come in contact with the PLA Army ashore.
Taiwan's army is much smaller. While the idea is to make them much better, even if that is successfully achieved Taiwan will have fewer units that China has to target. How many brigades could Taiwan afford to have put out of action and still defeat a Chinese invasion?
NOTE: Don't be alarmed. Dr. Karber is not explaining Russian opera. That's what it looks like on my screen, anyway.
