Chinese military update

[xinhui]

Rumors are flying in HongKong that the Jinan Military Region is on the chopping block as an indept region, it might be re-org-ed as organic to CMC as Beijing's strategic reserve forces. Truth be known, Jinan MR has been used as strategic reserve as the case in point during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake S&R work and UN peacekeeping missions with 127th Light Mech infantry division leads the way with 162nd follows shortly.



Xi calls for stronger strategic reserve forces

(Source: Xinhua) 2013-11-30


Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with a recruit after watching a shooting practice at the Jinan Military Area Command in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 28, 2013. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

　　JINAN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to reinforce the party's leadership over the troops, enhance its war capabilities and strive to build a strong strategic reserve force.

　　Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected the Jinan Military Area Command on Thursday, as part of his visits to Shandong Province in east China.

　　Xi witnessed the training of recruits at a training base. He congratulated the recruits on the remarkable progress they had made and urged them to train harder and become real soldiers as soon as possible.

　　While meeting with division commanders of the Jinan Military Area Command, Xi said military training is critical to beef up the PLA's war capacities and that trainings must focus on what is needed to fight a war and what it lacks most.

　　Training should include education of troops of their duty to the nation,be conducted in a base and under simulated war conditions, Xi said.

　　Xi urged the generals to learn and implement strategies on national defense and military reforms outlined in a key decision approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee earlier this month.

　　The decision promised to optimize the size and structure of the army, reform the leadership system, and reduce noncombat institutions and personnel.

　　Military leaders must precisely grasp the goal and tasks of the reforms and exert themselves to solve prominent problems hindering military development, Xi added.

[xinhui]

162nd Light Mechanized Infantry Division "Tigers", 54th Group Army, Jianan MR traded in most of their tracked IFV for the new 8x8 family. 001 is Mech Infantry regiment's CO's ride.

[cdude]

162nd Light Mechanized Infantry Division "Tigers", 54th Group Army, Jianan MR traded in most of their tracked IFV for the new 8x8 family. 001 is Mech Infantry regiment's CO's ride.

What a breath of fresh air this post is.



If you dont read Chinese, it says CCTV-7 (Military and Agriculture).

This is farm boys' favorite channel, I guess.

[xinhui]

Since dinosaurs roamed the earth, the Army has been getting hand-me-down landing crafts from the Navy. Now the Army is rolling their own. Anyways, in terms of total Amp Warfare asset tonnages, the Army now commands more than the navy, albeit much smaller at individual boat basis.


A new Amy (not Navy) Landing Ship Medium (LSM) undergo sea trials

A new-built ship of an entirely new type for the PLA Ground Forces is currently running sea trials in the Sea of Bohai. It was launched at the Army’s Songliao Shipard at Dalian in August 2013.

Officially described as an Army Ro/Ro Transport, it is really a Landing Ship Medium (LSM), equipped with the with the typical kedging anchor of landing ships, even though the bulbous bow would preclude the ship from beaching.

The ship is equipped with both bow and stern ramps and a short helicopter platform aft. The armament consists of four twin 14.5 mm guns, two forward and two aft. Twin funnels indicate twin-screw propulsion; in addition, it has a bow thruster for improved maneuvrability.The lifting capacity is probably a mechanised infantry company.

The ship is a striking departure from the Type 271III YUWEI class Landing Craft Tank (LCT) that has been building for decades for the Army, and of which there currently are some 85 in service with the Army’s landing craft units. The dark grey colour, too, is a departure from the usual blue of Army vessels.

It is not known if the new ship will go into series production nor which unit will operate the new ship. In view of its experimental nature, a good possibility would be the Ship Squadron (Unit 73502) at Dongshandao, attached to the Nanjing MR Amphibious Training Base.

Songlia Shipyard built another unique ship in 2012, the training vessel AL201 belonging to the Training Squadron of the Army/Air Force Navigation School at Zhenjiang. That ship was based on the Sea Police’s Hai Jing 31101 PUDONG (Type 718).

[TopHatter]

She certainly is a beauty. Nice graceful lines, looks like attention was paid to reducing her RCS a bit.

[DonBelt]

Seems like once everything the PLA had looked like copies of Soviet equipment- ships, planes. They've watched the west and have now incorporated many western styles and innovations and the vessels appear very modern now. I have no idea of what is inside of them mechanically or electronically, does it match the outward appearance of modernity? Seems also like they are building many more support type vessels as well. How do they stack up in evolutions like underway replenishment and field repair?

[weaponww]

Seems like once everything the PLA had looked like copies of Soviet equipment- ships, planes. They've watched the west and have now incorporated many western styles and innovations and the vessels appear very modern now. I have no idea of what is inside of them mechanically or electronically, does it match the outward appearance of modernity? Seems also like they are building many more support type vessels as well. How do they stack up in evolutions like underway replenishment and field repair?

electronic hardware/software should be fairly modern. as most electronic are dual use, china has plenty software engineering etc. the sensor probably not on par with western stuff but i would assume at least match russia, since they got alot stuff from them in90s and early 2000s. china always lacking in powerplant tech so engine is not gonna be good as west, even its import from ukarine.

[xinhui]

It is my bad that I did not spell out the purpose of this thread; which is about organizational changes that are happening within the PLA, not about weapon specs.


Some recent organizational changes that are noteworthy:

They divided all 8 of their armor divisions into two brigades, one mech infantry and one armor bridge.
They are upgrading all their armor aviation regiments into brigades and allow them to operate independently
They are VERY slowly moving away from their geographical "military region" based defense mindset to that of an integrated one.

In short, there are alot of interesting organizational changes that are going on.

[ace16807]

It is my bad that I did not spell out the purpose of this thread; which is about organizational changes that are happening within the PLA, not about weapon specs.


Some recent organizational changes that are noteworthy:

They divided all 8 of their armor divisions into two brigades, one mech infantry and one armor bridge.
They are upgrading all their armor aviation regiments into brigades and allow them to operate independently
They are VERY slowly moving away from their geographical "military region" based defense mindset to that of an integrated one.

In short, there are alot of interesting organizational changes that are going on.

The upgrading of armor aviation regiments to brigades seems to partially address a coordination issue that normally might have existed when they were regiments. As a regiment grade unit it would be difficult/impossible to coordinate with division grade units. Now that brigades are becoming more prevalent (as division deputy leader grades) across land and air, this makes coordination across units a lot easier culturally.

While less recent but of related topics, the PLAAF has slowly been moving towards a brigade structure since the end of 2011 for their air units. Initially there was a division-regiment structure in which each air division had 2-3 subordinate air regiments. Air regiments are homogeneous units in terms of aircraft. By migrating to an air brigade structure, subordinate flight groups (similar to an air regiment but a lower grade billet) each fielded a different type of aircraft. Thus you have more versatile air brigades.

The PLAN's carrier aviation group on CV-16 Liaoning also most likely follows a brigade structure but this is probably to accommodate Z-8 helos in addition to J-15s in the same unit. The rest of the PLAN's ground-based naval aviation structure may follow suit re brigades but besides this one carrier unit, there's no indication of such a restructure occurring.

[Officer of Engineers]

Errr, no. Brigades are meant as division replacements as far as taskings is concerned. Regt answers to division. Brigades answers to army, ie the Chinese are moving away from the regt-div-army model to the Battalion Group-Brigade-Army model.

[xinhui]

the PLAAF has slowly been moving towards a brigade structure since the end of 2011 for their air units.

That was so last year, the changed their mind and keeping the regt-div format for line units. That being said, the PLAAF is keeping their support base in the new brigade format.

In a division, the airfields are directly subordinated to division HQ. In a base, the airfields are incorporated into the brigades as support groups (保障支援大队).

By reorganizing into bases-brigades, the command/administrative overheads are cut by merging a division HQ with an AFCP, and four regiments with four airfields, thus eliminating half the staffs.

In principle, then, only one brigade may be stationed at a given airfield

[ace16807]

Errr, no. Brigades are meant as division replacements as far as taskings is concerned. Regt answers to division. Brigades answers to army, ie the Chinese are moving away from the regt-div-army model to the Battalion Group-Brigade-Army model.

I'm well aware of the movement away from a division/regiment structure in the ground forces. However, why did they change the grade of the aviation unit from a regiment leader grade to division deputy leader grade (i.e. a brigade)? Just for the sake of matching? It's far more likely that aviation regiments are being upgraded to brigades as well for the purpose of allowing cooperation with ground brigades. It's culturally difficult for a regiment leader grade officer to cooperate with a division deputy grade officer (brigade CDR). However, once they match then it becomes a lot easier.

[xinhui]

army aviation is under army control and they are moving away from regiment and toward brigade structure: Each with 6 squadrons, matching that of an army artillery/firesupport brigade. Not sure what is the story for the flyboys' pause toward brigadeization, they were excited for a while then stop.

As for the PLAN 1st task force, its new task force is the only "Corps" level unit in PLAN (unit number 91181) where as CV-16 by itself enjoys a full Division Level grade, similar to that of a PLAN Line DDG flotilla. In short, PLAN-AF flyboys, NO brigade for you.

[ace16807]

army aviation is under army control and they are moving away from regiment and toward brigade structure: Each with 6 squadrons, matching that of an army artillery/firesupport brigade. Not sure what is the story for the flyboys' pause toward brigadeization, they were excited for a while then stop.

As for the PLAN 1st task force, its new task force is the only "Corps" level unit in PLAN (unit number 91181) where as CV-16 by itself enjoys a full Division Level grade, similar to that of a PLAN Line DDG flotilla. In short, PLAN-AF flyboys, NO brigade for you.

I still don't see why that automatically implies the carrier aviation unit isn't a brigade.

The unit operates (or will operate) both J-15s and Z-8s. Naval Aviation air regiments usually fly a single type of aircraft. The exceptions are independent air regiments that fly different types of rotary-wing aircraft and regiments that operate support aircraft such as the Y-8, Y-7, An-26 etc. If memory serves me correctly, there are no mixed combat aircraft regiments.

The maximum potential number of aircraft the Liaoning could field exceeds the size of an air regiment.

The current CDR of the carrier aviation unit is either a regiment leader grade or division deputy leader grade officer. He's spent at least 2 years as a regiment leader grade officer- long enough to be considered for promotion, though this isn't solid evidence to indicate that he's a division deputy leader grade officer.

Most compelling is the unit's political commissar, which normally matches the unit's CDR in grade, was a division deputy grade leader as of summer of 2012. It is possible that he was promoted to a division leader grade officer subsequent to this and prior to his assignment to the carrier's aviation unit but this is unlikely as the unit's CDR could not possibly be a division leader grade officer (he was still a regiment leader as of 2012).


Also curious- did you determine the carrier task force's grade purely from the CDR's grade or were there other factors involved as well.

[xinhui]

other factors involved -- Yes :-)