TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Marines are launching a unit specialized in defensive tasks amid frequent Chinese military drills near Taiwan, reports said Friday.

The unit marked the transformation of the Marines from a pure attacking force to a defensive role, the Liberty Times reported. The group included conscripts fulfilling their one-year compulsory military service, with tasks including defending missile batteries on land.

The new group resorted under an air defense group but will assist coastal defense units in conducting protective missions. The land-based part of their tasks includes reconnaissance ahead of the arrival of mobile missile launchers and radar vehicles and their protection after installation.

At sea, the group will accompany rapid mine-laying vessels on their missions. From receiving orders, readying their equipment, and taking up their weapons to boarding an M109 speedboat, only 10 minutes can elapse, per CNA. The new vessels can carry 10 passengers, compared to six or seven for their predecessors.

The new unit’s logo is an armadillo clutching a missile, symbolizing the strength of its protective role.