Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a first island chain blockade over Taiwan?

The People’s Liberation Army could use minelaying drones to blockade Japan and other waters in the strategic first island chain during a conflict over Taiwan, a mainland Chinese military magazine has suggested.

The PLA’s strategy would see AJX002 drones used for “offensive minelaying” missions targeting Japan’s islands, including the Ryukyu archipelago, as well as the waters of the Philippines, according to an analysis in the latest edition of Shipborne Weapons.

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The article said there would be “no need to deploy naval mines around the island of Taiwan” in a cross-strait operation as some US think tanks have suggested.

Instead, it said the PLA was “fully capable of rapidly establishing a comprehensive blockade” of the surrounding waters and airspace using firepower interception, naval and airpower.

That would include using land-based missiles, aircraft, submarines and aircraft carrier strike groups to isolate Taiwan.

The analysis suggested the PLA could also lay naval mines to blockade key maritime corridors, ports, shipping lanes and coastal areas along the first island chain that is controlled by US allies and stretches from Japan down to the Philippines.

The aim would be to impede mobility and stop supplies reaching Taiwan from “interfering forces” – namely the US and Japan.

South China Morning Post