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People's Liberation Army Ground Force

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People's Liberation Army Ground Force
中国人民解放军陆军
Ground Force Flag of the People's Republic of China
Active1927 – present
CountryPeople's Republic of China
BranchPeople's Liberation Army Ground Force
TypeArmy
SizeActive; 1,700,000
Reserve; 800,000
Commanders
Current
commander
Gen. Chen Bingde

The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) (simplified Chinese: 中国人民解放军陆军; traditional Chinese: 中國人民解放軍陸軍; pinyin: Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn Lùjūn) is the land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army. Its regular forces consist of 1.7 million personnel, with an additional 800,000 personnel in reserve, making it the largest active standing army in the world, and second largest in terms of army personnel.[1] The PLAGF furthermore deploys 10,000 main battle tanks, 5,500 armoured personnel carriers, 2,200 infantry fighting vehicles and 25,000 artillery pieces as well as anti-aircraft units. Currently 40% of the ground force divisions and brigades are either armoured or mechanized to deal with potential threats. The PLA Ground Forces has and continues to undergo rapid major upgrades and re-structuring to deal with future land warfare, with front line troops, special forces, and marines given priority in receiving newer modern weapon systems

The PLA has improved its battlefield C4ISR capabilities, with the introduction of satellite communications, wireless networks, and digital radios, army commanders are now able to maintain constant communications with their front-line units while on the move. The bulk of the ground forces have been regularly asked to operate under severe electronic countermeasures conditions in exercises. Also a network-centric warfare capability connecting different combat, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance elements to form an integrated network is being developed.[1]

History

The PLA ground forces consisted of conventionally armed main and regional units, which in 1987 made up over 70 percent of the PLA. It provided a good conventional defense, but had only limited offensive potential and was poorly equipped for nuclear, biological, or chemical warfare. Main forces included about 35 group armies, comprising 118 infantry divisions, 13 armored divisions, and 33 artillery and antiaircraft artillery divisions, plus 71 independent regiments and 21 independent battalions of mostly support troops. Regional forces consisted of 73 divisions of border defense and garrison troops plus 140 independent regiments.

Under the old system, a field army consisted of three partially motorized infantry divisions and two regiments of artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. Each field army division had over 12,000 personnel in three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, one armored regiment, and one anti-aircraft artillery battalion. Organization was flexible, the higher echelons being free to tailor forces for combat around any number of infantry divisions. At least theoretically, each division had its own armor and artillery — actual equipment levels were not revealed and probably varied — and the assets at army level and within the independent units could be apportioned as needed.

The new, main-force group armies typically included 46,300 soldiers in up to four divisions, believed to include infantry, armor, artillery, air defense, airborne, and air support elements. Although the new group armies were supposed to reflect a move to combined-arms operations, because of a lack of mechanization they continued to consist of infantry supported by armor, artillery, and other units. The 13 armored divisions each had 3 regiments and 240 main battle tanks (MBT) but lacked adequate mechanized infantry support. There was little evidence of the use of armored personnel carriers during the Sino-Vietnamese border conflict in 1979, and tanks were used as mobile artillery and as support for dismounted infantry. Artillery forces emphasized towed guns, howitzers, and truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers. In the 1980s some self-propelled artillery entered service, but the PLA also produced rocket launchers as a cheaper but not totally effective alternative to self-propelled guns. There was a variety of construction equipment, mobile bridging, trucks, and prime movers. A new multiple rocket launcher for scattering antitank mines appeared in 1979, but mine-laying and mine-clearing equipment remained scarce.

Regional forces consisted of full-time PLA troops organized as independent divisions for garrison missions. Garrison divisions were static, artillery-heavy units deployed along the coastline and borders in areas of likely attack. Regional forces were armed less heavily than their main-force counterparts, and they were involved in training the militia. They were the PLA units commonly used to restore order during the Cultural Revolution.

In 1987 the PLA ground forces, which relied upon obsolescent but serviceable equipment, were most anxious to improve defenses against armored vehicles and aircraft. Most equipment was produced from Soviet designs of the 1950s, but weapons were being incrementally upgraded, some with Western technology. One example of upgraded, Soviet-design equipment was the Type 69 MBT, an improved version of the Type 59 MBT, itself based on the Soviet T-54 . The Type 69 had improved armor, a gun stabilizer, a fire control system including a laser rangefinder, infrared searchlights, and a 105 mm smooth-bore gun. In 1987 the existence of a new, Type 80 MBT was revealed in the Western press. The tank had a new chassis, a 105 mm gun, and a fire control system. Production of the Type 80 had not yet begun. The PLA was believed to have atomic demolition munitions, and there were unconfirmed reports that it also had tactical nuclear weapons. In any case, nuclear bombs and missiles in the Chinese inventory could be used in a theater role. The PLA had a scarcity of antitank guided missiles, tactical surface-to-air missiles, and electronics to improve communications, fire control, and sensors. China began production of the Soviet Sagger antitank missile in 1979 but lacked a more powerful, longer range, semiautomatic antitank guided missile. The PLA required a mobile surface-to-air missile and an infantry shoulder-fired missile for use against helicopters and certain other aircraft.

Formations and units

Major Ground Force Units in PLA Military Regions and Group Armies in 2006 (Source: US DOD) – click to enlarge.

There are 18 corps sized Group Armies, divided among seven military regions — Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. Within the military regions, divisions are being downsized into brigades.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) currently attributes the PLA Ground Force with nine active tank divisions consisting of a number of armored brigades. Dennis Blasko wrote in 2000[2] that the traditional structure of PLA divisions consisted roughly of three regiments – tuan – of the main arm, each of three battalions plus support units, a fourth regiment of infantry (in an armored division) or armor (in an infantry division), an artillery regiment, an anti-aircraft regiment or battalion, and signals, engineer, reconnaissance, and chemical defense battalions or companies, plus combat service support units.

A typical PLA armored brigade has 4 tank battalions (124 main battle tanks) – each tank battalion has 3 tank companies (30 + 1 tank for the battalion commander), 1 mechanized infantry battalion (40 armored personnel carriers), 1 artillery battalion (18 self-propelled howitzers) – 3 batteries of 6 guns each and 1 anti-aircraft battalion

There are 8 active artillery divisions consisting of a number of artillery brigades. A typical PLA artillery brigade has 4 artillery battalions each with 18 guns in 3 batteries and 1 self-propelled anti-tank gun battalion (18 vehicles).

Brigades are a relatively new formation for the PLA. Introduced in the 1990s, the PLA plans to expand their number and rid itself of the massive, rigid formations of the Soviet model. As a step towards modernizing its army, this new system allows for smaller, cross-service arm battle groups of battalion size within a brigade to operate independently, increasing the PLA's ability to respond to a rapidly changing battle situation. The PLA has yet to fully take advantage of this new formation, but has been taking steps to successfully integrate it in its force structure.[3]

Squad members and equipment

Mechanized infantry are soldiers carried by Infantry Fighting Vehicles. A mechanized infantry squad consists of nine men; six armed with QBZ-95 assault rifles, one machine gunner and crewman, and one RPG gunner. Non-mechanized infantry are soldiers moved by truck. A non-mechanized squad consists of 12 men; the original nine men plus one extra machine gun crew and RPG. Troops wear green-patterned camouflage uniforms, combat helmets, and flak jackets (rather than ballistic vests with ceramic plates). The dismounted squad has two walkie-talkie radios, while the vehicle has a longer range radio and intercom system.[4]

Infantry equipment

Pistols

Type 54

Submachine Guns

QCW-05
  • QCW-05 – Serving only in Special Forces
  • Type 85 – Upgraded Type 79
  • Type 79 – Serving only in Special Forces and Airborne Forces

Rifles

QBZ-95

Nonlinear Line Of Sight Weapons

Machine guns

Type 67
  • CF06 – 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun[6]
  • QBB-95 – Standard service light support weapon variant of QBZ-95
  • QJY-88 – Replacing Type 67 general-purpose machine gun
  • Type 81 LMG – Light purpose machine gun variant of Type 81 Assault Rifle
  • Type 86 – upgraded Type 80
  • Type 80PKMS
  • Type 67 – Replacing Type 53 (SG43) and Type 57 (SGM) general-purpose machine guns

Heavy machine guns

Sniper rifles

  • AMR-2 – Anti-material sniper rifle
  • M06 – Anti-material sniper rifle
  • M99 – Anti-material sniper rifle
  • JS 12.7 – Anti-material sniper rifle
  • JS 05 – Anti-material sniper rifle
  • JS 7.62 – Serving only in Police Sniper Division
  • QBU-88 – Standard service designated marksmen rifle

Shoulder fired weapons

Automatic grenade launchers

Hand grenades

Mortars

Objective individual combat weapon

Gatling type weapons

Anti-aircraft guns

Vehicles

Tanks

Type 99
Type 63
Main battle tanks
Light/amphibious tanks
  • ZTD05 – amphibious assault tank
  • Type 63A – amphibious light tank (+300 In Service) [13]
  • Type 63 – amphibious light tank, similar to Russian PT-76 (500 In Service)

Infantry fighting vehicles

ZBD2000
ZBD-97
Type 90
File:ZSD-89 APC.jpg
Type 89
Type 86
Type 85

Armored personnel carriers

Type 63

ATGM carriers

Rocket artillery

Gun artillery

PLZ-05
PLZ-45

Anti-tank guns

Anti-aircraft munitions

Type 95 SPAAA

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns

Autocannons

Surface-to-air missiles

KS-1
SA-15

MANPADS

Non-combat vehicles

Combat support vehicles

Missiles and projectile weapons

HJ-9

Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs)

People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aircraft

The PLAGF also has its Army Air Corps, mandated to provide air support for the ground forces.


Type Origin Class Role Introduced In service Total Notes
Xian Y-7 China Propeller Transport 2 [65]
Shaanxi Y-8 China Propeller Transport 2 [65]
Shaanxi Y-9 China Propeller Transport 2 [65]
Changhe Z-8/Changhe Z-8 China Rotorcraft Transport 135 [65]
Harbin Z-9 China Rotorcraft Utility 1994 120 (est) [65]
CAIC WZ-10 China Rotorcraft Attack 2012 200 [65]
Changhe Z-11 China Rotorcraft Attack/patrol 1998 53 [65]
Harbin Z-19 China Rotorcraft Attack/patrol 2012 120+ [65]
Harbin Z-20 China Rotorcraft Utility 2019 150 (est) [65]
Mil Mi-17 USSR Rotorcraft Transport 88 [65]
Mil Mi-8/Mil Mi-171 USSR Rotorcraft Transport 140 [65]
Eurocopter EC120 Colibri France Rotorcraft Training 15 [65]
Sikorsky S-70 USA Rotorcraft Executive transport 1983 19 [65]
CH-4B China UAV CISR 5+ [65]
BZK-005 China UAV Heavy ISR [65]
BZK-009 China UAV Heavy ISR [65]
BZK-006 China UAV Medium ISR [65]
BZK-007 China UAV Medium ISR [65]
BZK-008 China UAV Medium ISR [65]


See also

References

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  18. ^ 8M
  19. ^ 8M MRAP
  20. ^ CS/VP4 mine resistant, ambush protected vehicle
  21. ^ CS/VP4 mine resistant ambush protected vehicle
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  25. ^ Caprivi export to China
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