Russia Developing Command System for China’s Amphibious Operations Against Taiwan

Russia is collaborating with China to create an automated command system for amphibious operations under the codename Sword (R&D Sword).

This became known from documents leaked by the hacking group BlackMoon.

According to the information, the Russian state company Rosoboronexport signed a contract with the Chinese CETC International Co., Ltd in June 2024 for the supply of technical documentation for the development of this system, valued at €4.284 million.

According to the documentation, the Sword system includes software and hardware complexes for command and staff vehicles, communication devices, field command posts, amphibious assault vehicles, and wearable devices, ensuring secure data transmission and coordination at both tactical and operational levels.

The system will be managed at the following levels: corps, brigade, company/platoon, squad, and individual soldier. The system is implemented in the form of mobile data transmission devices and other related systems.

According to the documents, these command elements will be transferred to the client, i.e., China, which will integrate them into domestic military vehicles, specifically on the basis of the CSK131A Dongfeng Mengshi armored vehicles.

As of now, Russia has successfully completed two stages of the research and development work for Sword – the preliminary project and the sketch design project, both of which have been approved by the client.

The third stage of the system’s development is currently underway, which involves the production of prototype samples and their practical testing at the testing ground.

In addition, documents verified through Russian customs data confirm that Russia is also conducting training for 60 representatives of the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA).

The program includes 152 hours of lectures, 130 hours of group exercises, and 150 hours of practical training using radios such as R-187VE, R-188E, and InmarSat-BGAN Explorer 727. The training takes place partly at the Tulatotchmash base, where special simulators have been created.

It is worth noting that this system is designed to manage military units, and its functionality allows for real-time display of troop positions, enemy locations, and coordination of actions with other parts of the Chinese military, including artillery and aviation, on a digital tablet.

As a reminder, the development of this system could be related to preparations for potential operations against Taiwan, where naval and airborne assault forces would play a key role.

Militarnyi previously reported that Chinese drone battery manufacturers, who had been on the brink of bankruptcy until then, had received a new boost for development due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.