LOOKOUT TAIWAN

zubr_1, originally uploaded by gpj631.

Note the size of this puppy. That's an armored vehicle unloading. The image is courtesy Defense tech.

Defense Tech reports that China has just ordered 6 "Zubr" hovercraft from Russia's Almaz Shipbuilding. The Zubr Class is the world's largest hovercraft, displacing 555 tonnes. It has just over twice the tonnage carrying capacity of the US Navy's LCACs (150 tons to 70 tons); the ability to carry a number of weapons including 140mm rocket pods, 30mm cannon, or air defense missiles; and a cruising range of around 300 nautical miles. They would be extremely difficult to deploy from another ship in the manner of the USN's LCACs, but the Zubr's cruising range and load makes its usefulness in Taiwan invasion scenarios extremely obvious. Defense News believes the Chinese plan to buy them in order to initiate additional production of their own knock-offs.