PLA marines carry out island-reef-seizing combat drill

Dozens of amphibious combat vehicles and assault boats with marines on board of a marine brigade under the South China Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) charged out of the bow and cabin door of the landing ship and moved rapidly toward the shore of the island and reefs in the front in an unfamiliar sea area on the evening of September 17, 2012, unveiling an island-reef-seizing combat drill under adverse sea conditions.

The troop units of the Blue Side on the island began to launch firepower strikes on the landing formations. The naval fleet of the Red Side immediately fired cannons and destroyed all the firepower points on the island and reefs.

The obstacle-breaching detachment which arrived at the shore first successfully conducted mine-sweeping and obstacle-breaching, clearing a safe passage for the following-up landing troops.

The tank assault detachment followed and rushed onto the positions in the foreshore to provide cover for the follow-up troops' beach-landing.

The troop units of the Blue Side relied on favorable terrains and fortifications to concentrate their firepower and military force to prevent the landing troops from pushing forward in depth. The battle was thus stuck in a stalemate.

At the critical moment, two armed helicopters took off from a new-type amphibious dock-landing ship, and flew over the island and reefs to initiate vertical strikes.

A new-type air-cushion craft carrying a number of amphibious armored vehicles and marines quietly turned to the back of the troop units of the Blue Side on the island to cut off the "enemy's" retreat path, giving the island-reef-seizing combat drill a successful closure.