Special Operations Brigade (PLA Navy Marine Corps)

7th Marine Brigade
海军陆战队第七旅 (Chinese)
Insignia of the 7th Marine Brigade
Active2002 - present
CountryPeople's Republic of China
BranchPeople's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps
TypeSpecial Operations Forces
Marines
RoleSpecial Operations
Amphibious reconnaissance
Sabotage
Combat diving
Anti-Piracy
Hostage Rescue
Size3000[1]
Garrison/HQYulin Naval Base, Sanya
Nickname(s)"Jiaolong Commandos"
Mascot(s)Jiaolong
EngagementsAnti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden
Evacuation of Chinese nationals from Yemen

The 7th Marine Brigade (Chinese: 海军陆战队第七旅) or Special Operations Brigade,[2] commonly known as the "Jiaolong Commandos" is a special operations forces in the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps based in Sanya, Hainan Island.[3][4][5][6]

"Jiaolong" refers to a variant of dragon in Chinese folklore, and is often rendered in the case of this unit, in English, as "Sea Dragon."[citation needed]

History

The unit was founded as the Naval Special Operations Battalion (Chinese: 海军特种作战大队)[7][6] in 2002.[8]

On 26 December 2008, 70 soldiers from the unit were deployed to Somalia, where they conducted anti-piracy operations.[9]

In 2015, Jiaolong commandos participated in the evacuation of 571 Chinese citizens and over 200 other foreign nationals from Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against the Houthi rebel group (Yemen Civil War). In April 2017 the Tuvalu-registered cargo ship OS35 was hijacked by Somali pirates in the waters of the Gulf of Aden. At the time, the PLA Navy's Yulin, a Type 054A Frigate in China's South Sea Fleet was participating in anti-piracy patrols.[10] Sixteen PLA Navy Special Forces, led by a special forces platoon leader, boarded the ship and rescued the crew.

On 5 May 2017, three pirates were captured by the unit's personnel and handed over to the Somali Police Force.[11][12][13]

Personnel of the 7th Marine Brigade boarding a ship during the United States Pacific Fleet Exercise RIMPAC

The Naval Special Operations Battalion was renamed to the 7th Marine Brigade (Chinese: 海军陆战队第七旅) in 2017.[7][6]

Missions

The brigade is used for Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS),[8] anti-piracy, air assault,[14][8] direct action, combat diving,[4][5] sabotage[8] and amphibious reconnaissance.[8]

Operation Red Sea (2018) is loosely based off the unit's involvement in the evacuation of Chinese and foreign nationals in the Yemeni Civil War and also depicts the unit.[3][15]

Equipment

See also

References

  1. ^ Kennedy 2021, p. 6.
  2. ^ Kennedy 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Jiaolong Commandos". PRC Ministry of Defense. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Newdick, Thomas (10 August 2020). "Watch Chinese [PRC] Frogmen Fire Their Special Underwater Guns". The War Zone. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Makichuk, Dave (11 August 2020). "Video reveals weaponry of China's [PRC] elite 'Sea Dragons'". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "百度安全验证".
  7. ^ a b https://navy.mnd.gov.tw/Files/Policy/5-%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%B1%E8%BB%8D%E6%94%B9%E5%BE%8C%E6%B5%B7%E8%BB%8D%E9%99%B8%E6%88%B0%E9%9A%8A.pdf, Archived 5/11/2020
  8. ^ a b c d e f "走进"蛟龙突击队"，感受海军特战尖兵的血性与忠诚 - 中华人民共和国国防部". www.mod.gov.cn. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b "揭秘中国海军陆战队"蛟龙突击队" 队员均具四栖作战和海上反恐能力_新闻_央视网(cctv.com)". m.news.cctv.com. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  10. ^ Wood 2018.
  11. ^ "中国海军"蛟龙"突击队武装押解海盗". v.cctv.com. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  12. ^ CGTN Africa (7 May 2017). Chinese navy hands over suspected pirates to Somali authorities. Retrieved 29 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "China's Somali pirate-catching commando gets a hero's welcome". South China Morning Post. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Marine corps' commandos in parachuting training at sea - Focus - 中国军网（英文版）". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (2 August 2024). "Chinese [PRC] Sea Dragon Commandos Show Off Drones That Look Just Like Birds". The War Zone. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  16. ^ Loh, Matthew. "China's naval commandos rode electric skateboards into a combat exercise with drones disguised as birds, then left in a pickup truck". Business Insider. Retrieved 3 December 2024.

Bibliography