The People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force is one of five branches of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Coastal Defence Force is a land-based fighting force with a strength of 25,000 personnel, they serve to defend China's coastal areas from invasion via amphibious landings or air-attack. Throughout the 1960s to 1980s, the Coastal Defense Force was focused on defending China's coast from a possible Soviet sea-borne invasion. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the threat of an amphibious invasion of China has diminished and therefore the branch is often considered to no-longer be a vital component of the PLAN. Especially as the surface warships of the PLAN continue to improve in terms of anti-ship and air-defence capabilities.
The role of the coastal defense is now not so much to deter enemy landings, as to produce a defense in depth zone protecting the fleet, and a refuge in case of needing to retreat.
There are as of 2024 3 Coastal Defense Regiments (one per Fleet), armed with 72 YJ-82 and the land-based version of the YJ-12 (the YJ-12B). launched from road mobile units.[1]
Not to be confused with the PLAGF's Sea Guard Regiments (海防团）that are simply border guards posted to coastal areas, and have no large anti-ship capacities.
^The International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS) (15 February 2024). "6 Asia". The Military Balance 2024. London: Routledge. ISBN978-1-032-78004-7.
