According to CCTV Military Channel, the Chinese Navy’s Wuzhishan ship recently conducted multi-subject, high-intensity combat training exercises in a certain area of the South China Sea. During the training, various types of artillery were fired to enhance the basic training level of the soldiers and improve their coordinated response capabilities. The specific location of this exercise is believed to be Xianbin Reef, east of the Nansha Islands. The Philippine side has captured footage of the Wuzhishan ship, with hull number 987, deploying “Wild Horse” LCAC hovercrafts and conducting beach landing drills at Xianbin Reef.
The Wuzhishan is a Type 071 amphibious transport dock of the Chinese Navy. The Type 071 class has a full-load displacement of up to 25,000 tons, slightly smaller than the U.S. Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, making it the second-largest dock landing ship in the world by displacement. Each Type 071 LPD can transport a complete marine battalion, including personnel and equipment, and can also carry four Z-8 medium transport helicopters and four 726 “Wild Horse” LCAC hovercrafts. Strictly speaking, a single Type 071 ship is capable of independently carrying out small-scale landing operations, making it a highly capable large amphibious warship.
As an amphibious warfare ship, the Type 071 LPD focuses primarily on transport, with relatively simple armaments. It is equipped with one 76mm dual-purpose gun, four H/PJ-13 six-barrel 30mm Gatling guns (a Chinese version of the Russian AK-630), and four multi-purpose rocket launchers that can be loaded with various infrared/radar jamming rounds or, if necessary, lethal rockets. Due to its relatively weak self-defense armament, the Type 071 typically operates in formation with other naval ships, such as destroyers and frigates. The discovery of the Type 071 Wuzhishan ship near Xianbin Reef by the Philippines implies that it is likely accompanied by other escort ships of the PLA Navy.
Xianbin Reef is a small reef that barely rises a few square meters above sea level. However, due to its proximity to the Philippines’ Palawan Island, it can be seen as a “forward post” for Ren’ai Reef and Meiji Island, making it strategically significant. Currently, the Philippines’ stranded ship on Ren’ai Reef is being blockaded by the China Coast Guard. Even when the Philippines attempts to airdrop supplies to the personnel on the wrecked ship, most of these supplies are intercepted and destroyed by the China Coast Guard. As a result, the Philippines might be unable to maintain its presence on Ren’ai Reef and may attempt to settle on Xianbin Reef instead.
