The Chinese Marine Corps is currently evolving from an amphibious specialized combat force to an amphibious armed force with all-domain combat capabilities: the strengthening of armored forces is gradually changing its functions;
In the past, the main tasks of the Chinese Marine Corps were amphibious landings, the establishment of large-depth landing sites, and the use of high-mobility platforms to destroy the beachhead and the enemy in depth. However, with the entry into service of the enemy's heavy tanks and heavy military forces, the amphibious assault guns and light tanks of the Marine Corps gradually struggled, and the number of Type 15 light tanks was not large... At the same time, the amphibious armed forces pay more attention to the comprehensive capability of independent operations and all-domain operations, and the independent swimming ability of vehicles is not too important: the unique defects of light tanks are still obvious;
Moreover, the Type 15 light tank was only a tank company or a wheeled battalion: the number of assault forces formed was extremely limited. Strangely, the Chinese Marine Corps is required to undertake the most complex and brutal combat missions, but the accompanying direct support/anti-aircraft fire and armor forces are similar to those of medium brigades;
If the previous Chinese Navy amphibious ship group could not support the heavy armored brigade of the Marine Corps, then the Chinese Navy in 2024 will at least have the strength to support 1-2 heavy Marine Composite Brigades, right? What's more, the riders with the ability to swim bicycles are inherently weak in firepower and poorly protected – how do they deal with heavy tank forces?
With the advancement of military technology, China's smart weapons continue to be put into active service, which provides the basis for the rearmament of the Marine Corps: many urgent, difficult, dangerous and heavy tasks are handed over to smart weapons, and there is no longer a need for light vehicle families to perform. The crawler-type heavy-duty vehicle family can directly go ashore through the landing craft and intelligent temporary wharf, which forms a stronger assault force and establishes a deeper beachhead.
The Marine Corps has another feature of being heavy: it has the ability to carry out all-area campaign missions on its own. At present, overseas media speculate that the number of Chinese marines may exceed 100,000 - the establishment of two heavy group armies: they not only carry out amphibious landings, but also include terrain combat missions such as cities, polar regions, mountains, and deserts.
Rather than a hegemonic expansion similar to that of the United States, China's Marines may need to respond to invitations from other governments or missions assigned by the United Nations: terrorist groups in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, supported by Western intelligence agencies, are no less massive and powerful than regular armies. Therefore, the anti-terrorism effect of heavily armored units is far better than that of light military units;
For example, when Pakistan's war on terror is facing a severe test, if it needs support in the face of a brutal counterterrorism environment, the Pakistani government could invite China to send Marines to jointly defend the Gwadar port area and transportation hub.