People's Liberation Army Ground Force
| People's Liberation Army Ground Force |
Ground Force Flag of the People's Republic of China |
| Active |
1927 - present |
| Country |
People's Republic of China |
| Branch |
People's Liberation Army Ground Force |
| Type |
Army |
| Size |
Active; 1,700,000
Reserve; 800,000 |
| Commanders |
Current
commander |
Gen. |
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 7,000 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 and 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
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 IISS currently attributes the PLA Ground Force with 9 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]
Infantry equipment
Pistols
- QSW-06 - Replacing the Type 67 silenced pistol
- QSZ-92 - Supplementing Type 54 as standard service sidearm
- Type 80
- Type 77 - Serving only in People's Armed Police and Civil police
- Type 64 - Serving only in People's Armed Police and Civil police.
- Type 59 - Limited service in Police and Intelligence service. Soviet Makarov PM.
- Type 54 - TT1930/1933 Standard service pistol
Submachine Guns
- CF-05 - Serving only in SPU (Special Police Unit)
- QCQ-05 - Serving only in Special Forces
- QCW-05 - Serving only in Special Forces
- JS 9mm -
- Type 85 - Upgraded Type 79
- Type 79 - Serving only in Special Forces and Airborne Forces
Rifles
- QBZ-03 - Serving only with Border Guards and Airborne Forces
- QBZ-95 - Standard service Assault Rifle
- Type 81 - Serving only in Reserve Forces
- Type 56- Limited Service
Nonlinear Line Of Sight Weapons
Machine guns
- CF06 - 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun[5]
- QBB-95 - Standard service light support weapon variant of QBZ-95
- QJY-88 - Replacing Type 67 general-purpose machine gun
- Type 81 - Light purpose machine gun variant of Type 81
- Type 80 - PKMS)
- 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
- 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
- Type 85 - Upgraded Type 79
- Type 79 - Standard service designated marksmen rifle Dragunov SVD
Shoulder fired weapons
Automatic grenade launchers
Hand grenades
Mortars
Anti-aircraft guns
Vehicles
Tanks
- Main battle tanks
- Type 99 - 3rd Generation MBT (~800 In Service)[11]
- Type 90-IIM - 3rd generation MBT developed by China and Pakistan, (Not in Service of PLA)
- Type 96 - 3rd Generation MBT, only MBT along with Type 99 in production (2,500-3,000 In Service)
- Type 88 - (500 In Service)
- Type 79 - Main battle tank (300 In Service)
- Type 69 - main battle tank (300 In Service)
- Type 59D & Type 59D1 - Battle Tank, upgraded version of Type 59-IIA, Type 59-II, Type 59-I & Type 59 [12]
- Type 59 - One of the first Chinese Battle Tanks in PLA service
- Type 58 - First Chinese tank ever built [13] [14]
- Light tanks
Light/amphibious tanks
- ZTD05 - amphibious assault vehicle/tank
- ZTL05 - amphibious tank/assault vehicle[9]
- ZBD05 - amphibious assault vehicle/tank
- ZBD2000 - amphibious assault vehicle/tank
- Type 63A - amphibious light tank (+300 In Service) [15]
- Type 63 - amphibious light tank, similar to Russian PT-76 (500 In Service)
- Type 62 - light tank (400 In Service)
Infantry fighting vehicles
- WZ0001 - IFV, APC
- ZFB05 - IFV
- ZTD05 - IFV, APC
- ZTL05 - IFV, APC[9]
- ZBD04 - IFV, APC[10]
- ZBD05 - IFV, APC
- BK1050 - IFV, APC
- Type 07 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built [16][17]
- ZBD2000 - amphibious infantry fighting vehicle
- ZLC2000 - airborne infantry fighting vehicle
- NGIFV - infantry fighting vehicle
- ZBD-97 - infantry fighting vehicle
- NVH-4 - infantry fighting vehicle
- NVH-1 - infantry fighting vehicle
- YW307 - infantry fighting vehicle[11]
- YW309 - infantry fighting vehicle
- NFV-1 - infantry fighting vehicle
- ZSL-93 [18]
- Type 91 IFV - Powered by the 360 hp engine and has a longer chassis with 6 roadwheels either side. It is fitted with a 2-man turret. The turret can be armed with an automatic gun of calibre 23, 25 or 30 mm.
- Type 90/92A/ZSL-92A - upgraded versions of Type 92 amphibious IFV
- Type 92/ZSL-92 - amphibious IFV; 6X6 and 8X8 variants in service (1,000 In Service)
- Type 90 - IFV
- Type 89 - IFV
- Type 86/WZ 501/WZ 501A/WZ 503/WZ 504 - copy of Russian BMP-1 (~1,000)
Armored personnel carriers
- WZ0001 - IFV, APC
- ZTD05 - IFV, APC
- ZTL05 - IFV, APC[9]
- ZBD04 - IFV, APC[10]
- ZBD05 - IFV, APC
- BK1050 - IFV, APC
- Type 07 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built [19][20]
- ZFB08 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer
- NGIFV - Armored personnel carrier
- BK1990 - Armored personnel carrier
- Type 90 - Armored personnel carrier
- ZSD90 - Armored personnel carrier[12]
- ZSL-93 - Armored Personnel Carrier
- ZSL-92 - Armored Personnel Carrier
- Type 89 - Armored Personnel Carrier (In Service-Main)
- YW309 - Armored personnel carrier
- NFV-1 - Armored personnel carrier
- Type 85 - Armored Fighting Vehicle
- Type 81 - Armored personnel carrier [21]
- Type 77 - Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (In Service)
- Type 63 - Armored Personnel Carrier (In Service)
ATGM carriers
Light armoured fighting vehicles
Rocket artillery
- 'BP-12A
- AR3 - 300 mm
- AR1A - 300 mm [26]
- AR2 - 300 mm [27]
- SY-400 - strategic MLRS, first unveiled at the 2008 Zhuhai Airshow [28]
- WS-3[13]
- WS-2
- WS-1 and WS-1B - an 8 and 4 tube 320 mm multiple launch rocket system by Sichuan Aerospace Industry Corporation (SCAIC, also known as Base 062)
- A-100 MRL - 10 tube 300 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher System
- WM-80 - 273 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher Systems
- Type 90 - 30 x 130 mm
- Type 90 AFV
- WM-40 - 273 mm
- Type 85/YW 306 a 23 mm rocket artillery guns (copy of Russian ZU-23-2) on a YW 531H chassis and Type 82 artillery (on a Yanan SX250 6X6 truck) - 30 tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher replacing the 19 tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher of the Type 70 (on a YW 531C) and Type 63 (on a 4X4 truck)
- Type 90 (on a Tiema SC2030 6X6 flatbed truck) and Type 89 (tracks) - 40 tube 122 mm multiple launch rocket system replacing the Type 81
- WS-2 - 302/400 mm
- Type 90- 122 mm
- Type 89 - 40X122 mm
- Type 81 - 107 mm
- Type 65 - rocket system [29]
- Type 63 - 130 mm
- Type 63 - 107 mm
- PHL96 - 300 mm
- PHZ-89 - 122 mm
- PHL-03 - 12X122 mm
- PHZ-89 - 122 mm
- Type 85 - 130 mm [30]
- Type 70 - 122 mm
- Type 83 - 4X273 mm
- Type 90 - 40X122 mm
- Type 81 - 40X122 mm
- Type 82 - 30X130 mm
- Type 82 - 130X130 mm
- Type 762 - 284 mm
- Type 74 - 284 mm
- Type 70 - 19X130 mm
Gun artillery
- SP-3 - 122mm SP howitzer
- Type 96 - SP howitzer[14]
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - 122mm variant
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - 105mm variant
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - IFV, APC 155 mm
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - twin 120 mm mortar variant[15]
- Type 07 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built 105 mm [31][32]
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - 122 mm mortar
- PLZ-04 - 54 calibre
- PLZ-52 - 155 mm
- PLZ-05 - 105 mm
- PLZ-05 - 155 mm
- PLZ-45 - 155 mm self-propelled howitzer might replace the obsolete Type 83 which is a 152 mm self-propelled howitzer
- SH-5 - 105 mm self propelled howitzer
- PLZ-09 - 122 mm self propelled howitzer
- WZ9003 - 122mm self-propelled
- VN1 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built
- ZFB08 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built
- Type 07 - IFV, APC, and self-propelled howitzer built
- Type 92 - 122 mm self-propelled
- Type 92 - 105 mm self-propelled
- Type 92 - 120 mm self-propelled
- Type 90 - 122 mm self-propelled
- WA021 - 155 mm [33]
- WAC 21 - 155 mm
- Type 91 - 120 mm self-propelled
- Type 85 howitzer - 122 mm self-propelled
- YW 323 D30 (based on the YW 531H) and the Type 89/ PLZ-89 (based on the Type 77 APC) - amphibious 122 mm self-propelled howitzers replacing the Type 85 (YW 531C chassis) and Type 70 (YW 531B chassis)
- BK1990 - 122 mm self-propelled
- WZ551 - self-propelled
- XP-52 - 155 mm
- GM-45 - 155 mm
- SM4 - 81 mm automatic mortar carrier
- Type 91 - 3 x 152 mm
- Type 85 mortar - self propelled 120 mm
- Type 85 mortar - self propelled 82 mm
- Type 88 - 155 mm
- Type 83 - 120 mm self-propelled
- WZ551 mortar - 120 mm
- Type 90 mortar carrier - 120 mm
- Type 90 mortar carrier - 82 mm
- W90 - 203 mm self-propelled howitzer
- Type 97 - 203 mm
- Type 96 - 122 mm
- Type 90 - 122 mm self-propelled howitzer wheeled (based on a WZ-551 chassis)
- PTZ-89 - 152 mm self-propelled
- PLZ-89 - 122 mm self-propelled [34]
- Type 89/PLL01 - 155 mm towed gun/howitzer based on the GC-45 howitzer
- Type 86 - 152 mm
- Type 86 - 122 mm anti-tank gun [35]
- Type 85 - 122 mm self-propelled
- Type 70 - 122 mm
- Type 66 (copy of the soviet D-20 152 mm towed gun/howitzer and the Type 83 152 mm towed gun are replacing the Type 54 itself a copy of the soviet ML-20.
- Type 59 and Type 59-1 - copy of the soviet M46 130 mm towed field gun
- Type 85 - 122 mm towed howitzer derived from the soviet D-30 (M1963) and replaced the Type 54 howitzer
- YW 382 (120 mm) and YW 383 (82 mm) - amphibious mortar carriers based on the YW 531H replacing the YW 381 and YW 304 respectively which were based on the YW 531C
- YW 381 - 120 mm
- YW 304 - 82 mm
- PLL01 - 155 mm
- Type 83 - 152 mm [36]
- Type 70 - self-propelled 122 mm
- Type 89 - 155 mm
- Type 83 - 152 mm
- Type 66 - 152 mm
- Type 59 - 130 mm
- Type 86 - 122 mm
- Type 83 - 122 mm
- Type 60 - 122 mm
- 130 mm self-propelled howitzer - 130 mm
- Type 59 - 100 mm
- Type 56 - 85 mm
- Type 55 - 57 mm anti-tank
- Type 55 - 160 mm self-propelled mortar
- Type 54 - 76 mm anti-tank
- Type 54 - 152 mm
- Type 54 - 122 mm self-propelled
- Type 54 - 122 mm towed
- PLL05 - 120 mm
- SH3 - 122 mm
- SH2 - 122 mm
- SH1 - 155 mm
Anti-tank guns
- Norinco Assaulter - 105mm
- ZBL-09 Snow Leopard - 105mm
- VN1
- ZFB08
- Type 07 - 105 mm
- BK1990 - 120 mm
- BK1990 - 105 mm
- BK1990 - 100 mm
- PTL-02 - 100 mm
- Type 89 - 120 mm
- Type 86 - 100 mm
- Type 86 - 122 mm [37]
- Type 83 - 120 mm[16]
- Type 75 - 105 mm
- Type 73 - 100 mm
- Type 55- 57 mm
- Type 54- 76 mm
- Type 54- 85 mm [38]
Anti-aircraft munitions
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
Autocannons
Surface-to-air missiles
MANPADS
Non-combat vehicles
- Type 84 - Bridge laying tank using the Type 69 tank chassis
- Type 653 (Type 69 tank chassis) and Type 59 (Type 59 tank chassis) - armored recovery vehicles
- YW 703 (based on the YW 534), Type 85 (based on the YW 531H APC) - amphibious recovery vehicles
- Type 85 (based on the YW 531H), WZ 701 (based on the YW 531C), WZ 506 (based on the WZ 501) and a version based on the Type 77 - amphibious command vehicles
- Type 77-2 (based on the Type 77) - amphibious artillery ammunition carrier
- WZ 751 (based on the YW 531H), YW 750 (based on the YW 531C), WZ 505 (based on the WZ 501) and a version based on the Type 77 - amphibious armored ambulances
- Bv206 Swedish tracked all-terrain multipurpose vehicle
- Type 77 and Type 60/WZ 420/Wz 421 tracked tractors
- Type 82 truck consists of the HY473 (tractor truck) and HY962 (semi-trailer) - Heavy Equipment Transporter up to 75 tons
- TA580/TAS5380 (20 ton 8x8), TAS5450 (25 ton 8x8), TAS5500 (28 ton 10x10), TAS5570 (30 ton 10x10) and TAS5690 (42 ton 12x12) series special heavy duty trucks
- WS2300(6x6), WS2400(8x8) and WS2500(10x8) 20 ton series special heavy duty trucks
- XC2200 (copy of the German Mercedes-Benz 2060) 7.5 ton 6x6 heavy duty trucks
- SX2190 (copy of the Austrian Steyr-91) 7 ton 6x6 trucks replacing the JN252, CQ261 and SX250 heavy duty trucks
- SX250/SX2150 series 5 ton 6x6 heavy duty trucks
- EQ2102 series 3.5 ton trucks replacing the CA30 (copy of the 2.5 ton soviet ZIL 157)
- CA141/CA1091 series trucks replacing the CA10 (copy of the 3.5 ton soviet ZIL 150)
- EQ240/EQ2081 and EQ245/EQ2100 series 2.5 ton trucks
- EQ2050A series Humvee copied from the US M998
- NJ2045/2046 series 1.5 ton lightweight vehicle
- BJ212/BJ2020 series 0.5 ton lightweight 4 x4 vehicle made by Beijing-Benz DaimlerChrysler Automotive
Combat support vehicles
- WZ7007 - armored command vehicle
- Type 07 - armored command vehicle
- ZBD2000 - armored command vehicle
- Type 99 - armored command vehicle
- Type 90 - armored command vehicle
- Type 90 - armored command post
- Type 85 - armored command vehicle
- Type 85 - armored command post
- Type 89 - armored command vehicle
- WZ506 - armored command post
- WZ505 - armored command vehicle
- Type 81 - armored command vehicle
- WZ701 - armored command vehicle
- ZZC-02 - RECCE radar carrier
- Type 90 - armored re-supply
- ZHB-94 - armored re-supply
- WZ4006 - armored repair vehicle
- WZ4006 - ARV
- Type 07 - ARV
- ZJX-93 - ARV
- Type 90 - ARV
- Type 85 - ARV
- Type 84 - ARV
- Type 73 - ARV
- Type 90 - MEDEVAC
- Type 85 - MEDEVAC
- WZ752 - MEDEVAC
- WZ751 - MEDEVAC
- WZ750 - MEDEVAC
- WZ731 - armored reconnaissance vehicle
- WZ721 - armored communications relay vehicle
- Type 85 - maintenance engineering vehicle
- Type 89 - armored refuelling vehicle
- Type 89 - mine-laying vehicle
- Type 89 - obstacle-removing vehicle
Missiles and projectile weapons
Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs)
Aircraft
The PLAGF also has its Army Air Corps, mandated to provide air support for the ground forces.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies. [51]
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