(Photo/jsnol.com)

A civilian Chinese ship participated in a soldier and ammunition delivery mission during a training in mid-September. This unprecedented "first" marks another step forward for the development of China’s military delivery capacity.

The large roll-on/roll-off ship carried more than 200 soldiers and several varieties of ammunition to a shooting range in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command, the PLA Daily reported. The Northern Theater Command covers northeastern China’s Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces, as well as Shandong province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

According to PLA Daily, all 25 crew members on the ship were experienced sailors that passed political examinations; 12 used to serve in the army. Military representatives and technicians were also onboard.

All troops and ammunition were brought onto the ship via transportation vehicles, which were then secured in the hold of the ship with specially made reinforcements. The temperature and humidity of the ship were automatically controlled, and the ship was guided along on a special route, for which it first had to obtain permission from local maritime and port management authorities.

“The newly issued national security transportation law clearly stipulates that the nation rely on large and medium-sized transportation companies for strategic delivery capacity. [The companies] offer effective support when it comes to secure transportation. We can greatly enhance transportation efficacy by using local ships to move soldiers and ammunition,” a shooting range base leader was quoted as saying.