The
Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu, Diaoyutai or Pinnacle Islands
are a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan in the East China
Sea. The islands are a contentious issue in the foreign relations between
Japan and the PRC and between Japan and Taiwan.
According the television report, setting off from the closest naval
facilities in eastern China, the Zubr-class could reach the Senkaku
Islands in just three hours.
Currently the world’s largest hovercraft, development of Zubr
landing ships started in the USSR in 1978, and the first serial ship
joined Soviet Navy in 1988. Its carrying capacity is 3 main battle tanks
with overall mass of 150 tons or 10 armored personnel carriers weighing
up to 131 tons plus 140 marines, or 8 infantry fighting vehicles with
mass up to 115 tons. If not carrying armor, Zubr is capable to accommodate
366 men.
In total, 14 Zubr-class ships have been launched; only two of them remain
in inventory of Russian Navy. Five ships were decommissioned , two uncompleted,
and five sold to Greece for the Hellenic Navy and where they are generally
used in support of Special Forces. With the recent Chinese order, the
total of Zubr-class ships to have been launched will reach 18.
Taiwan and its allies are concerned that these platforms may be used
as part of Chinese offensive against Taiwan while south east asia nations
are starting to voice concerns regarding the Spratly islands, a group
of disputed islands claimed by China, Brunei, Vietnam, the Philippines,
Malaysia and Taiwan.
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