The 7th Marine Brigade ({{Langx|zh|海军陆战队第七旅}}), commonly known as the "Jiaolong Commandos" or as the "Sea Dragons" ({{Langx|zh|(蛟龙突击队|link=no}}), is a special operations forces in the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps.{{sfn|U.S. Department of Defense|2024|page=81}}{{sfn|Erickson|Kennedy|Martinson|2024|pp=197-198}} The brigade is based in Sanya, Hainan Island.{{Cite web |last=Makichuk |first=Dave |date=2020-08-12 |title=Video reveals weaponry of China's [PRC] elite 'Sea Dragons' |url=https://asiatimes.com/2020/08/video-reveals-weaponry-of-chinas-elite-sea-dragons/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Asia Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Newdick |first=Thomas |date=2020-08-10 |title=Watch Chinese [PRC] Frogmen Fire Their Special Underwater Guns |url=https://www.twz.com/35578/watch-chinese-naval-commandos-fire-their-special-underwater-guns |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=The War Zone |language=en-US}} The brigade was named the Special Operations Brigade ({{Langx|zh|特種作戰旅|link=no}}).{{sfn|Kennedy|2021|page=4}}{{sfn|Yuwen|2019|page=66}}{{sfn|Masafumi|2022|page=3}} According to a 2025 Voice of America article, the Jiaolong Commandos is now named the 7th Marine Brigade.{{Cite news |date=2025-01-29 |last=Liu |first=Natalie |title=人民解放军海军陆战队：中国梦的刀尖？ |url=https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-pla-marine-corps-taiwan-u-s-south-china-sea-djibouti-20250128/7948852.html |access-date=2025-02-17 |work=Voice of America |language=zh |trans-title=People's Liberation Army Marines: The Tip of the Chinese Dream?}} The brigade has at least three special operations battalions and one reconnaissance battalion.{{cite report |author=U.S. Department of Defense |title=Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China |date=2024 |page=58 |url=https://media.defense.gov/2024/Dec/18/2003615520/-1/-1/0/MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2024.PDF |access-date=18 February 2025}}

History

The unit was founded as the Naval Special Operations Battalion ({{Langx|zh|海军特种作战大队|link=no}}){{cite journal |last1=Yuwen |first1=Huang |title=中共軍改後海軍陸戰隊的建構與發展 |journal=Naval Bimonthly Journal |date=October 2019 |volume=53 |issue=5 |url=https://navy.mnd.gov.tw/Files/Policy/5-%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%B1%E8%BB%8D%E6%94%B9%E5%BE%8C%E6%B5%B7%E8%BB%8D%E9%99%B8%E6%88%B0%E9%9A%8A.pdf |access-date=2 February 2025 |publisher=Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China |language=Chinese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105070447/https://navy.mnd.gov.tw/Files/Policy/5-%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%B1%E8%BB%8D%E6%94%B9%E5%BE%8C%E6%B5%B7%E8%BB%8D%E9%99%B8%E6%88%B0%E9%9A%8A.pdf |archive-date=5 November 2020}} in 2002.{{sfn|Wood|2018|page=29}}

On 26 December 2008, 70 soldiers from the unit were deployed to Somalia, where they conducted anti-piracy operations.{{Cite web |title=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) |url=https://m.news.cctv.com/2017/12/20/ARTIln7zgYcODwIAyosJZEup171220.shtml |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=m.news.cctv.com}}

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.{{sfn|Wood|2018|page=29}}

On 5 May 2017, three pirates were captured by the unit's personnel and handed over to the Somali Police Force.{{Cite web |title=中国海军"蛟龙"突击队武装押解海盗 |url=https://v.cctv.com/2018/03/22/VIDEQJ2yQiV34653c5RL9wDN180322.shtml |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=v.cctv.com}}{{Cite web |date=2018-02-18 |title=China's Somali pirate-catching commando gets a hero's welcome |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2133731/chinas-somali-pirate-catching-commando-gets-heros-welcome-back |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}

File:140716-G-HN254-571 (14714332244).jpg Exercise RIMPAC]]

Missions

The brigade is used for Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS),{{Cite web |title=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 |url=http://www.mod.gov.cn/gfbw/wzll/hj/4929298.html |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Ministry of National Defense (China) |publisher=People's Liberation Army Daily |date=27 December 2022 |trans-title=Walk into the "Jiaolong Commando" and feel the bloodiness and loyalty of the navy's special operations pioneers |language=Chinese}} anti-piracy, air assault,{{Cite web |title=Marine corps' commandos in parachuting training at sea - Focus - 中国军网（英文版） |url=http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/HOME_209227/Focus_209228/10109546_3.html |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=eng.chinamil.com.cn}} direct action, combat diving, sabotage and amphibious reconnaissance.

In popular culture

The 2018 film Operation Red Sea is loosely based on 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{{Cite web |last=Loh |first=Matthew |title=China's naval commandos rode electric skateboards into a combat exercise with drones disguised as birds, then left in a pickup truck |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-naval-commandos-ride-electric-skateboards-combat-exercise-drones-birds-2024-8 |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
QSZ-92 semi-auto pistol
QBS-06 underwater assault rifle
QCQ-171 sub machine gun{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKtzc-MU5Pk&ab_channel=%E5%86%9B%E8%BF%B7%E5%A4%A9%E4%B8%8B |title=硬核“绝杀”！蛟龙突击队武警特战队南海练兵画面公开！强强联手所向披靡！20220630 {{!}} 军迷天下 |date=2022-06-30 |last= |publisher=CCTV-7 |access-date=2025-03-02 |via=YouTube}}
QBU-10 sniper rifle
Night-vision devices
Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones){{Cite web |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |date=2024-08-02 |title=Chinese [PRC] Sea Dragon Commandos Show Off Drones That Look Just Like Birds |url=https://www.twz.com/air/chinese-sea-dragon-commandos-show-off-drones-that-look-just-like-birds |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=The War Zone |language=en-US}}

{{External media|title=March of the Jiaolong Commandos, CCTV-7|image1=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGhJM4SdhG0&ab_channel=%E5%86%9B%E8%BF%B7%E5%A4%A9%E4%B8%8B}}

References

Bibliography

{{cite journal|last1=Erickson |first1=Andrew S |last2=Kennedy |first2=Conor M |last3=Martinson |first3=Ryan D |title=Study No. 8, Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion |year=2024 |journal=CMSI Studies in China Maritime Development |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-studies/8 |access-date=27 February 2025}}
{{cite journal|last=Kennedy |first=Conor |title=China Maritime Report No. 15: The New Chinese Marine Corps: A "Strategic Dagger" in a Cross-Strait Invasion |journal=CMSI China Maritime Reports |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/15/ |date=October 2021 |issue=10–2021}}
{{cite journal |last=Masafumi |first=IIDA |title=The Current Status and Prospects of China’s Growing Marine Corps |journal=NIDS Commentary |date=27 September 2022 |issue=238 |url=https://www.nids.mod.go.jp/english/publication/commentary/pdf/commentary238e.pdf |access-date=4 February 2025 |publisher=National Institute for Defense Studies}}
{{cite journal|last=Wood |first=Peter |title=The Emergence of the PLA Navy’s "Jiaolong" Commando Unit |journal=OE Watch |url=https://community.apan.org/cfs-file/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-14882-00-00-00-24-14-32/OE-Watch_2C00_-Vol-08_2C00_-Issue-08_2C00_-Aug-2018.pdf?forcedownload=true |date=August 2018 |volume=8 |issue=8 |publisher=Foreign Military Studies Office

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425055229/https://community.apan.org/cfs-file/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-14882-00-00-00-24-14-32/OE-Watch_2C00_-Vol-08_2C00_-Issue-08_2C00_-Aug-2018.pdf?forcedownload=true |archive-date=25 April 2021 |url-status=live}}{{Include-USGov|agency=United States Army |article=The Emergence of the PLA Navy’s “Jiaolong” Commando Unit}}

Special Operations Brigade (PLA Navy Marine Corps)