How do China’s new ‘Water Bridge’ ships work?

• China has a history of conducting naval drills around Taiwan, but recent footage revealed new Shuiqiao barges that can form a 2,700-foot-long causeway for troop and equipment transport. Analysts suggest these barges could play a role in a potential Taiwan invasion.
• The Shuiqiao ships come in 110, 135, and 185 classes and connect using Bailey bridges. These vessels provide flexibility in landing locations but are slow and vulnerable to attacks from multiple directions.
• While the barges enhance China’s amphibious capabilities, their success depends on neutralizing Taiwan’s defenses.

---

Full Story

China running naval drills around Taiwan isn’t new, but the People’s Liberation Army Navy recently made waves when a video showed new Chinese barges in action.

These vessels link together to form a 2,700-foot-long causeway, which China could use to transfer large numbers of troops and equipment from ship to shore. Analysts and military experts point to China’s potential plans to invade Taiwan and suggest these barges could play a key role in such an operation.

How do China’s Shuiqiao barges work?

According to satellite imagery and U.S. Naval War College analysis, the Shuiqiao ships come in three classes: the 110, the 135 and the 185. The class number refers to the ship’s length in meters, and Shuiqiao means “Water Bridge,” which is exactly what China designed these ships to create.

The smallest craft, the Shuiqiao 110, is the one that makes contact with land by lowering a Bailey bridge. The mid-sized Shuiqiao 135 then connects to it with a Bailey bridge of its own. The largest vessel, the Shuiqiao 185, forms the last link of the causeway by connecting with another Bailey bridge. Notably, because of the distance from shore that the barges provide, the last two barges also serve as a dock where ships can off-load.

Each barge has several legs that lower into the seabed for stability and raise the barge out of the water to provide a stable platform.

Chinese military drills and strategic implications

The Chinese military was recently observed running drills with these barges. Current estimates suggest that the Shuiqiao system could off-load a heavy arms battalion of 150 vehicles with five off-load points in 40 to 60 minutes. However, off-loading ships would need to leave the area before new ships could move in. Since the Chinese still practice these maneuvers, how many vehicles they could off-load in a single day is unclear.

The main advantage of the Shuiqiao craft is that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) could select multiple landing sites in a potential Taiwan invasion. This flexibility would prevent them from being forced into amphibious landings at well-known, heavily defended locations.

Do the barges have weaknesses or vulnerabilities?

Despite their strategic advantages, the barges are highly vulnerable to attacks from land, air, sea, and even underwater threats. They are also extremely slow, meaning China would likely only deploy the barges if the military could neutralize most of Taiwan’s missile defenses and artillery.

Additionally, if the first ship in the chain, the Shuiqiao 110, is disabled, it is unclear whether the remaining ships would still be able to get equipment to shore.

According to U.S. Naval War College analysts, the Shuiqiao-class landing barges provide China with a critical capability, fulfilling a long-sought requirement to deliver large volumes of troops and equipment in an amphibious landing. While China is still refining the deployment process, these water bridges are another example of China’s growing commitment to a potential cross-strait operation in the coming years.