Branches
Ground Force:
The largest of the five PLA Branches with 1.6 million people and the oldest, the Ground Force is divided among the five military regions. With the responsibility of running the Special Operation Forces, the members of the Ground Force are highly skilled in Close-Quarter-Combat (CQC) (Sahay, 2016). The branch also deals with reconaissance systems, heavily surveillance, and satellite communication. The primary weapon of use for the army is the QBZ-95-1 gun.The Leader of the PLA Army is General Li Zuocheng. The importance of the Ground Force is to have both protection and a land threat against attacks. It is mostly domestic based and focused. |
Chinese People 's Liberation Army Army Flag by PhiLiP is found in the public domain
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Air Force:
The Air Force is broken up into three airborne divisions under two to three regiments. The are seven military region air forces. The major weapons of the Air Force are fighter jets, particularly the new J-20 that underwent a test run in front of the public. Responsibilities include protecting the economical and political centers of China, military facilities, airfields and transportation networks ("China's Air Force: The Long March to Modernization | RAND", 2016). The leader of the PLA Air Force is General Ma Xiaotian. The Air Force has a greater region of coverage and has mobility to check and protect overseas interests worldwide. Air power has the ability to attack from long distances, and as a result, the more refined the technology, the greater the chance of precision and thus a more effective branch. |
Navy:
The Navy has three regions of coverage: the north, south, and east. Each fleet contains a surface ship, submarine, naval air force, coastal defense, and marine units. Also under the Navy's responsibility is the CJ-10 Missile System, which first made its public appearance in 2009. Responsiblities include protection of China's sea lines, its claims, and execution of China's foreign policy regarding maritime trade (Lockie, 2016). The leader of the PLA Navy is Admiral Wu Shengli. The Navy provides sea protection. With the increase reliance of the Navy in warfare, China has been working to build a stronger navy. It has expanded its forces and focuses more on international trade as that is where China's economy is primarily focused. |
A Chinese kilo with a red flag by Took-Ranch used under CC BY-SA
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PLA_ballistic_missiles_range by DoD & Los688 is in the public domain
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Rocket Force:
The Rocket Force takes over most of the responsibilities of the former Second Artillery Force due to the reform. It commands the nuclear bombers, submarines, and ballistic missiles (Davenport, 2016). Also included in the responsibilites of the rocket force are strategic planning, modernizing the missiles, and cyber security. The leader of the PLA Rocket Force is General Wei Fenghe. By increasing the quality and technology of the missiles frequently, the Chinese are becoming more of a threat militarily and well-prepared should an attack occur. |
Strategic Support Force:
Instituted as part of the new military reform, the Strategic Support Force (SSF) is the newest branch, being established on December 31, 2015. The department specializes in high-tech operation forces, and is described by many Chinese Officials as a combination of the other four branches. It is split into three sub-sections: space troops, cyber troops, and electronic warfare forces (Jamestown, 2016). The implementation of the Strategic Support Force helps the Chinese defend against the increasing number of cyber attacks aimed at gathering information about the military, government, and large scale civilian areas. The purpose is to protect citizens' daily lives and China's financial security. The Leader of the PLA Stratgic Support Force is Lieutenant General Gao Jin. The founding of the SSF displays the Chinese aim to expand their military, along with showing the increasing capabilities of the PLA. By creating a branch that almost completely focuses on domestic issues, the Chinese are sending the message that the other branches are capable of defending against any attacks or threats. It shows a growth in power from the military along with trying to create a more effective military force. |
The emblem of People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force is in the public domain
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For further information about weapons, click here.
Header Image:
Flypast of the Chengdu J-20 during the opening of Airshow China in Zhuhai by Alert5 used under CC BY-SA
Flypast of the Chengdu J-20 during the opening of Airshow China in Zhuhai by Alert5 used under CC BY-SA
References:
China's Air Force: The Long March to Modernization | RAND. (2016). Rand.org. Retrieved 30 November 2016, from http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB32/index1.html
Davenport, K. (2016). China Elevates Nuclear Rocket Force | Arms Control Association. Armscontrol.org. Retrieved 14 November 2016, from https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_03/News/China-Elevates-Nuclear-Rocket-Force
Lockie, A. (2016). How China's navy rapidly modernized to rival the US's. Business Insider. Retrieved 5 December 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-has-modernized-their-navy-2016-6/#chinas-naval-mission-1
Lockie, A. (2016). How the world's largest military stacks up to the US armed forces. Business Insider. Retrieved 8 November 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-us-military-comparison-2016-8/#overview-of-chinas-military-forces-1
SAHAY, D. (2016). HISTORY OF CHINA'S MILITARY. GOOGLE BOOKS. RETRIEVED 7 NOVEMBER 2016, FROM HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=PYKVDAAAQBAJ&PG=PT39&LPG=PT39&DQ=CHINESE+MILITARY+EQUIPMENT+AND+RESOURCES&SOURCE=BL&OTS=YRASU17H0P&SIG=U5BX-QY3OPGXOEYZSMACK0YWXNI&HL=EN&SA=X&VED=0AHUKEWIOZO3RP6VQAHVI2IMKHBWBBPS4CHDOAQG9MAC#V=ONEPAGE&Q=CHINESE%20MILITARY%20EQUIPMENT%20AND%20RESOURCES&F=FALSE
Shi, T. (2014). In China, Joining the Army Will Cost You. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-17/chinese-army-applicants-pay-recruiters-to-get-limited-slots
China's Air Force: The Long March to Modernization | RAND. (2016). Rand.org. Retrieved 30 November 2016, from http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB32/index1.html
Davenport, K. (2016). China Elevates Nuclear Rocket Force | Arms Control Association. Armscontrol.org. Retrieved 14 November 2016, from https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_03/News/China-Elevates-Nuclear-Rocket-Force
Lockie, A. (2016). How China's navy rapidly modernized to rival the US's. Business Insider. Retrieved 5 December 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-has-modernized-their-navy-2016-6/#chinas-naval-mission-1
Lockie, A. (2016). How the world's largest military stacks up to the US armed forces. Business Insider. Retrieved 8 November 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-us-military-comparison-2016-8/#overview-of-chinas-military-forces-1
SAHAY, D. (2016). HISTORY OF CHINA'S MILITARY. GOOGLE BOOKS. RETRIEVED 7 NOVEMBER 2016, FROM HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=PYKVDAAAQBAJ&PG=PT39&LPG=PT39&DQ=CHINESE+MILITARY+EQUIPMENT+AND+RESOURCES&SOURCE=BL&OTS=YRASU17H0P&SIG=U5BX-QY3OPGXOEYZSMACK0YWXNI&HL=EN&SA=X&VED=0AHUKEWIOZO3RP6VQAHVI2IMKHBWBBPS4CHDOAQG9MAC#V=ONEPAGE&Q=CHINESE%20MILITARY%20EQUIPMENT%20AND%20RESOURCES&F=FALSE
Shi, T. (2014). In China, Joining the Army Will Cost You. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-17/chinese-army-applicants-pay-recruiters-to-get-limited-slots