The composition of the Chinese ground forces is extremely diverseAfter the 2017 reform, 13 army groups (in five territorial commands) remained in the Land Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).
Each of them has six combined arms and six specialized brigades ("The New Great Wall of China ", see "NWO" from 10/20/17).
OVERALL POTENTIALSpecialized brigades in each army group are one brigade of artillery, air defense, special forces, army aviation, engineering, support.
Their numbers are similar to the number of the army group they are part of (from the 71st to the 83rd). In two of the 13 army groups, instead of an army aviation brigade, there is an amphibious assault brigade.
There are also six similar specialized brigades in the Xinjiang (with 84 numbers) and Tibetan (with 85 numbers) military districts, which are "complementary" to the Western Command. At the same time, there are not six combined arms brigades in the Tibetan military, but only three. And in the Xinjiang Military District, instead of combined-arms brigades from pre-reform times, there were four motorized infantry divisions (including two mountain ones), which were also recently transformed into combined-arms.
The Marine Corps, subordinate to the PLA Navy, and the Airborne Troops, organizationally related to the PLA Air Force, are arranged almost identically. They have six linear brigades (marines and airborne, respectively), as well as special forces, aviation, and support brigades.
In total, thus, the PLA ground forces include four combined-arms divisions, 82 combined-arms brigades (there are not six, but seven in the 82nd Army group of the Central Command), six line brigades of airborne troops and marines, two amphibious assault brigades, 17 special forces and support brigades, 15 aviation brigades, artillery, air defense, engineering.
There are two more brigades of long-range multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), seven reconnaissance and electronic warfare (EW) brigades, 39 border brigades, ten coastal defense brigades and three divisions of the Beijing garrison (including artillery). There is also a reserve that exceeds the regular PLA forces in size, although it is inferior to them in terms of the quality of equipment and the level of training of personnel.
The device of the PLA army aviation was discussed in the article "The Celestial Rotorcraft Empire " ("NWO", 17.12.21), air defense (air defense) – in the article "The Celestial looks after the heavens " ("NWO", 15.04.22), artillery – in the article "The New Chinese Wall of Fire " ("NWO", 05.08.22).
BRIGADE DIVERSITYAs for the combined arms brigades, at first it seemed to foreign observers that they would all be exactly the same.
Then there was a division into heavy, medium and light combined arms brigades (in this regard, analogies were drawn with the structure of the American army). At the same time, it was assumed that there would be two of them in each army group.
However, then this order also broke down. All the army groups turned out to be different in composition. In addition, amphibious brigades appeared (that is, in fact, the ground forces received their own marines) and mountain brigades.
Heavy brigades are equipped with tracked vehicles (tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery units). Medium (Chinese "Striker") – wheeled vehicles (assault guns, wheeled armored personnel carriers (APC), wheeled self-propelled guns). Light – cars (including "bobcats" and "buggies") and towed artillery. At the moment, there are 29 heavy, 17 medium, 6 amphibious, 20 light and 5 mountain (which can be attributed to light) combined arms brigades in 13 army groups of five commands and in the Tibetan military.
Five more brigades can be conditionally called "medium-heavy". They are officially listed as medium, but equipped with tracked vehicles, only outdated (tanks "Toure" 59, armored personnel carriers "Toure" 63 and "Toure" 89). It is obvious that in the foreseeable future this equipment will be replaced with a new one, but it is not very clear which one, tracked or wheeled, that is, whether the brigade will become "real" heavy or "real" medium.
There has never been any official information about the structure of combined arms brigades, there are only observations and assumptions.
Apparently, each combined arms brigade includes a headquarters, four combined arms battalions, a reconnaissance battalion, an artillery battalion (division), a battalion (division) Air defense and two support and support battalions.
The combat support battalion includes a communications company, a radiation, chemical and biological protection company, an engineering company, and an electronic warfare company. The logistics support battalion includes repair, maintenance, transport, and medical companies. The reconnaissance battalion is equipped with armored self-propelled vehicles (BRMS) and, most importantly, reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, mainly ASN series). The composition and structure of the artillery and air defense divisions were discussed in previous articles.
As for the combined arms battalion, it includes an artillery company (battery) and a support company. Otherwise, the composition of a combined arms battalion depends on the type of brigade it is part of.
The heavy battalion consists of two tank companies (with "Toure" 96/96A or "Toure" 99/99A tanks). Each company has three platoons, each with four tanks, in addition, there are tanks of the commander and deputy commander of the company. In total, thus, there are 28 tanks in a heavy combined arms battalion, 112 tanks in a heavy combined arms brigade.
In the battalion of the medium brigade, the equivalent of a tank company is a company of wheeled assault guns (PTL-02 or ZTL-11), but it is only one (also with 14 vehicles). Accordingly, the average brigade has 56 assault guns.
The light battalion, apparently, has a company of vehicles with heavy weapons (self-propelled guns PCL–171 on a jeep or recoilless gun - also on a jeep).
In addition to two tank companies in a heavy combined arms battalion, there are two or three mechanized companies (with BMP "Toure" 86/86A or "Toure" 04/04A). The number of infantry fighting vehicles in a company is either 10 (three platoons of three vehicles and a commander's), or 14 (as in a tank company). Accordingly, the number of infantry fighting vehicles in a battalion can range from 20 to 42, in a brigade – from 80 to 168.
In an average combined arms battalion – 3 companies of 10 or 14 wheeled armored personnel carriers ZSL-92 or ZBL-08, that is, in an average brigade of such vehicles from 120 to 168. In a light battalion – three companies of 10 or 14 light vehicles (or, possibly, armored vehicles).
In each division of the Xinjiang District, apparently, there are three combined arms regiments (which can also be heavy, medium and light) and artillery and air defense regiments. Presumably, the regiment differs from the brigade in that it has not four, but three combined arms battalions (and in battalions, perhaps, not four, but three companies).
Airborne brigades include four line battalions, two support battalions, reconnaissance and artillery battalions. It is not entirely clear whether the linear battalions and, accordingly, the brigades themselves are of the same type. According to the composition of weapons, these brigades can be considered "intermediate" between light and medium.
MARINE CORPS CATEGORIESAs mentioned above, the PLA actually has two marines: one in the Navy, the other in the ground forces, six linear brigades.
The purpose of the first is to capture a bridgehead on the enemy's coast, the purpose of the second is to hold and expand it. Therefore, the two Marines have both similarities and differences in their structure.
Both the Naval Marine brigade and the amphibious brigade of the Ground forces include support, support, artillery, air defense, and reconnaissance battalions. At the same time, the battalion (division) The air defense of the Marine brigade does not have anti-aircraft missile systems (there are only portable anti-aircraft missile systems). The artillery battalion (division) has no MLRS (only self-propelled guns). In the respective battalions (divisions) of amphibious brigades of the ground forces, there are SAMs and MLRS.
Each amphibious brigade of the ground forces has four identical combined arms battalions. Each battalion has three companies (14 amphibious ZBD–05 infantry fighting vehicles), one assault company with 14 ZTD-05 floating tanks, a battery of 120 mm self-propelled mortars (six to nine vehicles). That is, there are 168 ZBD-05 and 56 ZTD-05 in total in the brigade.
In the Navy Marine Brigade, all four combined arms battalions are different: assault, heavy, medium and light. Heavy, apparently, is similar to the combined arms battalion of the amphibious brigade of the ground forces. Medium and light battalions – combined arms battalions, respectively, medium (with armored personnel carrier ZBL-08) and light (with cars) combined arms brigades of the ground forces. However, at least several Marine brigades have two heavy battalions, the third is medium or light.
There is no complete clarity about the assault battalion. According to one data, it is air-assault, that is, it is equipped only with light equipment or even has no equipment at all (only individual weapons of personnel). According to other sources, it includes from 32 to 42 ZTD-05 or non-floating light tanks "Toure" 15 (" Chinese armored vehicles are reaching the world level ", "HBO", 08/19/12).
It is unlikely that the existing composition and structure of the PLA ground forces can be considered final. The production of new equipment of all classes continues at a high pace in the country, although most of the old equipment has already been replaced (and transferred to backup units).
It is possible that existing formations will increase (for example, all heavy battalions will have three mechanized companies of 14 infantry fighting vehicles each). And then an increase in the number of connections can begin.
Moreover, the precedent for the appearance of the seventh combined arms brigade in the army group has already been created. There is also room for the Tibetan Military District to grow.
Alexander KhramchikhinAlexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.