Development of Chinese Naval Barges 

At the start of 2025, analysts noticed a series of unusual military barges constructed at the Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China. What makes the barges unusual is the long road span running down the centre of the ship.

The road span extends from the front of the ship itself, enabling vehicles on the barge to be driven off into a coastal road or surface beyond a beach.

Some of the barges identified also have ‘jack up’ pillars, which can be lowered into the sea to provide a stable platform.

These modifications would allow the barges to operate as a series of piers, capable of unloading heavy vehicles from cargo ships, not dissimilar to the famous ‘Mulberry Harbours’ .

The biggest concern from the development and testing of these barges is that it may signify China’s attempts to negate the known challenges that amphibious operations associated with a future invasion of Taiwan could bring.

Our analysts used environmental data in Roke’s Crucible® platform to interrogate the extent of Taiwan’s terrain which is notoriously mountainous; much of the coastal areas are not suitable for any large-scale landing attempt by Chinese forces.

The few beaches that could be used for such an effort are well known by both sides, where shallow waters along these beaches will also present difficulties.

The development of these barges could open up more areas to China, further complicating any defensive efforts by Taiwan.

It may also signify that China is growing more committed to taking action against the island, possibly seeking to exploit the geopolitical uncertainty emanating from the current US  administration.

In the coming years, China may decide that the benefits outweigh the risks of a potential invasion of Taiwan. The People’s Liberation Army has embarked upon a significant rearmament program in recent years, with amphibious capabilities remaining a focal point.

While any conflict over Taiwan could occur in a number of ways, the build up will likely involve a wealth of information that will require verification, fusing and visualisation for an accurate representation of the operating picture.

Using Roke’s Crucible® platform, our users can access a wide variety of complex datasets, enabling rapid understanding of developing geopolitical incidents.

Roke’s Analysis Team provide further bespoke in-depth analysis, from identifying flashpoint indicators and warnings to analysing second and third order effects for differing courses of action.

For more information as to how Crucible® and Roke’s Analysis team can help your mission, click here to contact us.

Header image source: The Guardian

In article image source: NBC News