Sea Dragons: Special Operations and Chinese Military Strategy
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Description
As China continues to rise as a global sea power, its maritime strategy continues to evolve. Among these critical evolutions is one of the People’s Liberation Army’s naval special operations forces’ most elite units: the Sea Dragons. A small yet highly specialized unit, the Sea Dragons entered the global spotlight and international consciousness with the 2018 film Operation Red Sea, raising several questions for Chinese naval experts. What does Chinese military strategy and doctrine require of special forces, and specifically naval SOF, to be able to accomplish the mission, particularly along the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea? What are their capabilities and limitations? What real-world experience do they have and how might they be employed in the future? This volume attempts to answer those questions and many more regarding one of China’s more enigmatic units and its role in future peacetime and low-intensity conflicts.
Document Type
Book
Topic(s)
Chinese Military
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
China Maritime Studies Institute/Naval War College Press
City
Newport, Rhode Island
ISBN
978-1-935352-90-7
Keywords
China Maritime Studies, China, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, PLA Navy, PLAN, Special Operations, Sea Dragons, SOF, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait
Recommended Citation
Chen, John and Wuthnow, Joel, "Sea Dragons: Special Operations and Chinese Military Strategy" (2025). Books and Book Chapters. 1.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/cscma-books/1