From cargo to combat: China urged to prepare civilian ships for wartime use

Beijing's top economic planning agency advises China to expedite the conversion of civilian ships for wartime operations, citing Britain's experience during the 1982 Falklands conflict. The National Development and Reform Commission's Research Centre for Coordinated Economic and National Defence Development, in a recent article, emphasizes the growing importance of maritime security and great-power competition.

Li Jin, a defense researcher at the centre, highlights the need for a large pool of civilian vessels, detailed mobilisation plans, and ships specifically designed for defence requirements. Britain mobilised dozens of civilian vessels within days of the Falklands war, using them to transport aircraft, fuel, supplies, and perform medical and support missions.

China should conduct a comprehensive survey of its civilian fleets to create a database with information on vessel speed, carrying capacity, ownership, and crew qualifications. The article also stresses the importance of command and communications arrangements, contingency plans, and practising dual-use logistics plans. China is already exploring methods to rapidly convert civilian ships for military use, as seen in the deployment of a 10,000-tonne passenger and cargo ship to transport a military unit over 1,000 nautical miles.

New civilian vessels should be designed, built, and modified to meet defence requirements, according to the article. Authorities should improve subsidies and compensation for companies and personnel involved in mobilisation and offer tax incentives and awards for participation.