Special Operations Brigade (PLA Navy Marine Corps)

7th Marine Brigade
7th Marine Brigade
海军陆战队第七旅 (Chinese)
	Insignia of the 7th Marine Brigade
Active	2002 - present
Country	People's Republic of China
Branch	People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps;
Type	Special Operations Forces; Marines
Role	Special Operations; Amphibious reconnaissance; Sabotage; Combat diving; Anti-Piracy; Hostage Rescue
Size	3000
Garrison/HQ	Yulin Naval Base, Sanya
Nickname(s)	"Jiaolong Commandos"
Mascot(s)	Jiaolong
Engagements	Anti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden; Evacuation of Chinese nationals from Yemen

The 7th Marine Brigade (Chinese: 海军陆战队第七旅), commonly known as the "Jiaolong Commandos", is a special operations forces in the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps. The brigade is based in Sanya, Hainan Island. The brigade was named the Special Operations Brigade. According to a 2024 Baijiahao article the brigade has been renamed the 7th Marine Brigade.^{[full citation needed]}

History

The unit was founded as the Naval Special Operations Battalion (Chinese: 海军特种作战大队) in 2002.

On 26 December 2008, 70 soldiers from the unit were deployed to Somalia, where they conducted anti-piracy operations.

In 2015, Jiaolong commandos participated in the evacuation of 571 Chinese citizens and over 200 other foreign nationals from Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against the Houthi rebel group (Yemen Civil War). In April 2017 the Tuvalu-registered cargo ship OS35 was hijacked by Somali pirates in the waters of the Gulf of Aden. At the time, the PLA Navy's Yulin, a Type 054A Frigate in China's South Sea Fleet was participating in anti-piracy patrols. Sixteen PLA Navy Special Forces, led by a special forces platoon leader, boarded the ship and rescued the crew.

On 5 May 2017, three pirates were captured by the unit's personnel and handed over to the Somali Police Force.

Personnel of the 7th Marine Brigade boarding a ship during the United States Pacific Fleet Exercise RIMPAC

The Special Operations Brigade was renamed to the 7th Marine Brigade (Chinese: 海军陆战队第七旅) in 2017.

Missions

The brigade is used for Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS), anti-piracy, air assault, direct action, combat diving, sabotage and amphibious reconnaissance.

In popular culture

The 2018 film Operation Red Sea is loosely based off the unit's involvement in the evacuation of Chinese and foreign nationals in the Yemeni Civil War and also depicts the unit.

Equipment

QBZ-95 assault rifle
QBZ-191 assault rifle
QSZ-92 semi-auto pistol
QBS-06 underwater assault rifle
Night-vision devices
Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)

References

^ Kennedy 2021, p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jiayao, Li (15 April 2019). "The Jiaolong Commandos". China Military Online. PRC Ministry of Defense. China Global Television Network. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Makichuk, Dave (12 August 2020). "Video reveals weaponry of China's [PRC] elite 'Sea Dragons'". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Newdick, Thomas (10 August 2020). "Watch Chinese [PRC] Frogmen Fire Their Special Underwater Guns". The War Zone. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
^ Kennedy 2021, p. 4.
^ Yuwen 2019, p. 60.
^ ^a ^b "百度安全验证".
^ Yuwen, Huang (October 2019). "中共軍改後海軍陸戰隊的建構與發展" (PDF). Naval Bimonthly Journal (in Chinese). 53 (5). Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
^ "揭秘中国海军陆战队"蛟龙突击队" 队员均具四栖作战和海上反恐能力_新闻_央视网(cctv.com)". m.news.cctv.com. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
^ Wood 2018, p. 29.
^ "中国海军"蛟龙"突击队武装押解海盗". v.cctv.com. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
^ CGTN Africa (7 May 2017). Chinese navy hands over suspected pirates to Somali authorities. Retrieved 29 November 2024 – via YouTube.
^ "China's Somali pirate-catching commando gets a hero's welcome". South China Morning Post. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "走进"蛟龙突击队"，感受海军特战尖兵的血性与忠诚 - 中华人民共和国国防部". www.mod.gov.cn. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
^ "Marine corps' commandos in parachuting training at sea - Focus - 中国军网（英文版）". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b Trevithick, Joseph (2 August 2024). "Chinese [PRC] Sea Dragon Commandos Show Off Drones That Look Just Like Birds". The War Zone. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
^ Loh, Matthew. "China's naval commandos rode electric skateboards into a combat exercise with drones disguised as birds, then left in a pickup truck". Business Insider. Retrieved 3 December 2024.

Bibliography

Kennedy, Conor (October 2021). "China Maritime Report No. 15: The New Chinese Marine Corps: A "Strategic Dagger" in a Cross-Strait Invasion". CMSI China Maritime Reports (10–2021).
Wood, Peter (August 2018). "The Emergence of the PLA Navy's "Jiaolong" Commando Unit" (PDF). OE Watch. 8 (8). Foreign Military Studies Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2021. This article incorporates public domain material from The Emergence of the PLA Navy’s “Jiaolong” Commando Unit. United States Army.