The most noisy military command of the Middle KingdomAs a result of the 2017 military reform ("New Great Wall of China", "NWO", 10/20/17), the Guangzhou Military District and part of the Chengdu Military District turned into the Southern Command (Southern Combat Command Zone, SC).
The headquarters of the SC remained in Guangzhou. In his area of responsibility – Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangdong provinces.
IN THE LANDS OF THE SOUTHThe headquarters of the YUK ground forces is located in the city of Nanning, two army groups are subordinate to it.
The 74th Army Group (headquartered in the city of Huizhou, the former 42nd Army Group) consists of the 1st, 125th Amphibious, 16th heavy, 154th medium, 132nd and 163rd light combined arms brigades, 74th Artillery Brigade, 74- the 1st Special Forces Brigade, the 74th Air Defense Brigade, the 74th Engineering Brigade, the 74th Support Brigade, the 74th Army Aviation Brigade.
The 75th Army Group (headquartered in Kunming, the former 41st Army Group) includes the 32nd and 37th Mountain, 42nd Light, 122nd medium, 31st and 123rd heavy combined arms brigades, 121st airborne Assault Brigade, 75ththe 1st artillery brigade, the 75th support Brigade, the 75th Air Defense Brigade, the 75th special Forces Brigade, the 75th engineering brigade.
The 16th Heavy Brigade is equipped with Tour 96 tanks and old infantry fighting vehicles (BMP) Tour 86. The 31st and 123rd heavy brigades have already received the most modern Tour 04A BMP, while the 31st Brigade is armed with Tour 96A tanks, the 123rd Brigade - Tour 96 and new light Ture 15 tanks (" Chinese armored vehicles are reaching the world level ", "HVO", 08/19/12). Interestingly, the same light tanks were received by the 32nd Mountain Brigade.
Both amphibious brigades have a standard set of weapons – light floating tanks ZTD-05, amphibious infantry fighting vehicles ZBD-05, self-propelled artillery (ACS) Tour 07B, anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) HQ-17.
Both medium brigades are armed with ZTL-11 wheeled assault guns. At the same time, the 154th brigade is still equipped with ZSL-92V wheeled armored personnel carriers (APC), and the 122nd has already been re-equipped with ZBL-08.
Light and mountain brigades are mainly armed with light equipment (" Brigades of the Communist War ", "HVO", 16.09.22).
The 74th Army Aviation Brigade and the 121st Airborne Assault Brigade, equipped with Z-8/9/10/19 and Mi-17 helicopters, have a standard overall composition. At the same time, the 121st brigade receives the latest Z-20 helicopters (" Celestial Rotorcraft Empire ", "HVO", 17.12.21).
The 74th Artillery Brigade, apparently, is unique. It has all types of weapons of the PLA artillery brigades – 155-mm tracked self-propelled guns PLZ-05 and wheeled PCL-181, towed guns Tour 66 (152 mm), multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) PHL-03 (300 mm) and the latest modular PHL-16 (" New Chinese Wall of Fire ", "HBO", 05.08.22).
The HQ-17 air defense systems, apparently, are in service only in the air defense divisions of heavy and amphibious brigades. HQ-7 sams still remain in both air defense brigades. Also, of course, they have HQ-16 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS), and in the 75th brigade there are two of its divisions (" Evolution of the Chinese Umbrella ", "HVO", 03/25/12).
Five border brigades (from 313-2 to 317th) and two coastal defense brigades (311th and 312th), the 2nd Reconnaissance Brigade, the 2nd Electronic Warfare Brigade (EW), the 2nd long-range MLRS brigade are not part of the army groups and are directly subordinate to the headquarters of the SC (equipped with the DF-17 BRSD and the PHL-03 MLRS), as well as the garrisons of Hong Kong and Macau. The Hong Kong garrison includes several battalions, a helicopter regiment, a marine special forces group, and the HQ-6A ZRPC division. The Macao garrison has only a few companies in its composition.
IN THE SOUTHERN SKYThe headquarters of the SC Air Force is located in Guangzhou.
The 8th Air Division (its planes carry numbers 1xx9x) includes the 22nd and 24th regiments with H-6U/H/K/A bombers ("The sky darkens from red dragons ", "HBO", 03/18/12).
The 9th Air Division (numbers 2xx0x) includes the 27th regiment with J-7N/D fighters (" Through the thorns to the fifth generation ", "HBO", 02/25/12).
The 52nd (numbers 66x3x), 124th (numbers 73x5x), 125th (numbers 73x6x), 126th (numbers 73x7x) and 132nd (numbers 74x3x) air brigades are armed with J-7II/H/G fighters. The 124th brigade receives J-10 fighters, the 126th - JH-7A bombers.
The 4th aviation brigade (numbers 61x5x) is armed with J-11 and Su-27 fighters, the 5th (numbers 61x6x), 26th (numbers 63x7x), 130th (numbers 74x1x) and 131st (numbers 74x2x) brigades - J-10 fighters (in 26- the J-16 fighter-bombers arrive in the 5th brigade, the 5th generation J-20A fighters arrive in the 5th). The 6th Aviation Brigade (numbers 61x7x) – Su-30MKK fighter-bombers and Su-35S fighters. 23rd Aviation brigade (numbers 1xx9x) – HU-6 tankers. 54th Aviation brigade (numbers 66x5x) – Su-30MKK. Transport and rescue brigade (numbers 52x1x) – Y-7 transport planes, Z-8, Z-9, Mi-17 helicopters.
The helicopter regiment in Hong Kong (numbers 6x0x) is equipped with Z-8KH and Z-9ZH helicopters.
The brigade of combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is armed with outdated J-6 fighters converted into unmanned vehicles, as well as Vin Lun-2 attack UAVs (" Technologies of deserted War ", "HVO", 05/21/2011).
10th (6th, 27th, 54th, 110th, 113th divisions) and 13th (7th, 45th, 61st divisions) anti-aircraft missile brigades, 15th (30th, 106th, The 107th divisions) and the 19th (24th, 53rd, 109th divisions) anti-aircraft missile regiments are armed with the HQ-12 SAM ("The Celestial Empire looks after the heavens ", "HVO", 04/15/12).
Russian-made multi-purpose Su-35S fighters are considered the most modern at the southern airfields of the PLA Air Force. Photo by Vladimir Karnozov IN THE SOUTH SEAS
The headquarters of the Southern Fleet (SF) is located in the city of Zhanjiang.
It consists of the 32nd and 52nd submarine flotillas, the 2nd and 9th destroyer flotillas, the 17th, 18th and 19th frigate flotillas, the 6th flotilla of landing ships, two flotillas of boats, a flotilla of minesweeping forces.
Six nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles (SSBMS) are based on Hainan Island – two pr. 094 and four pr. 094A. The Law Firm also includes four nuclear submarines (PLA) (three ave. 093 and one ave. 093A) and 18 submarines (three ave. 035G, five ave. 035B, four ave. 039G, two ave. 039B and four ave. 636EM), the aircraft carrier "Shandong", 16 destroyers (two ave. 055 (in fact, these are cruisers), nine 052D Ave., two 052C Ave., two 052B Ave., one 051B ave.), 12 frigates (ten 054A Ave., two 053N3 ave.), 21 corvette (or small frigate) 056 ave., more than six missile boats (four 037-II ave., two 037-IG ave., unknown number 022 ave.), a significant number of patrol boats 062 and 037 ave., 14 minesweepers (two 082-II ave., six 082-I Ave., four 081A Ave., two 081 ave.), one universal landing ship (UDC) 075 ave., five landing dock transports (DTD) 071 ave., 22 transport-landing craft (six ave. 072-III, six ave. 072A, six ave. 073A, one ave. 073-III, three ave. 074A). In addition, the Hong Kong garrison has a corvette ave. 056 and three landing boats ave. 074.
The aviation of the Law Firm has three aviation divisions and three aviation regiments.
The 3rd Air Division includes the 7th regiment of long-range radar detection aircraft (AWACS, its vehicles carry numbers 81x3x) with KJ-500, Y-7, Y-9 aircraft, as well as the 8th Patrol Aviation Regiment (numbers 82x3x) with anti-submarine aircraft Y-8Q and AWACS aircraft KJ-200 (" Air cabs of the Celestial Empire ", "HBO", 28.01.22).
The 8th Air Division includes three regiments: the 22nd Regiment (numbers 81x8x) with J-11VN fighters, the 23rd Regiment (numbers 81x2x) with H-6G bombers and H-6DU tankers, the 24th Regiment (numbers 83x8x) with J-11VN.
The 9th Air Division also includes three regiments: the 25th Regiment (numbers 81x9x) with J-11VN, the 26th Regiment (numbers 9x7) with Y-7 transport aircraft, Z-8 and Z-9 helicopters, the 27th Regiment (numbers 83x9x) with JH-7A bombers. In addition, the division has a unit (numbers 85x9x) with Y-8 transport aircraft and KJ-500 AWACS aircraft.
Also, the aviation of the Southern Federal District includes the 1st aviation regiment (numbers 9x1) with H-6J electronic warfare aircraft, an AWACS regiment with KJ-200 and KJ-500 aircraft, as well as transport Y-8 and Y-9, a regiment of EA-03 and BZK-005 reconnaissance UAVs.
The SF is the only fleet with its own ground-based air defense. The air Defense Brigade (located on Hainan Island) includes one division of HQ-9B air defense systems, HQ-6A air defense systems, FN-6 MANPADS.
There are also two Marine brigades (1st and 2nd) in the SF.
FOR ATOLLS AND COMMUNICATIONSThe PLA's activities in the area of responsibility of the Southern Command produce the most noise and external effect.
Beijing, contrary to all laws and norms of international law, declared the entire waters of the South China Sea and the Paracel and Spratly Islands located in this water area as its own waters. Now he is actively developing these islands (primarily by deploying military facilities on them), which creates conflicts with most of the ASEAN member countries (" Chinese Patrimony ", "NWO", 07/20/18).
The most difficult opponent for China is, of course, Vietnam ("An army built by people for people ", "HBO", 17.01.20). It will be much easier for him to cope with other potential opponents in this region, unless the United States wants to save them (" China, Indonesia, the Philippines: great friendship or a big war? ", "HBO", 08/26/12).
In addition, the forces of the SC are the main reserve for the Eastern Command ("name/news/638771_est_takaya_rabota_kitaiskuyu_rodinu_vossoedinyat.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">There is such a job – to reunite the Chinese homeland ", "HBO", 07.10.22), primarily in the course of solving the problem of capturing Taiwan (" Battle of the Titans ", "HBO", 06/19/20). At the same time, on the contrary, the Eastern Command will become the main reserve for the Southern in the event of a war by China against any of the countries of Southeast Asia.
It should be noted that the potential of the ground forces of the South Caucasus (including all components of ground air defense) is the weakest among the ground forces of all five new commands. Which, in general, is quite logical.
Only Taiwan and Vietnam have significant ground forces among the potential opponents of the PRC in this region, but it will be difficult for them to cope with the combined forces of the Eastern and Southern commands of the PLA (besides, Taiwan and Vietnam will not create an anti-Chinese coalition, and they will have to fight separately). Moreover, the PLA Air Force and Navy will provide the Chinese side with significant superiority in the air and at sea. Moreover, there are doubts that the PLA will climb into the "funnel" of Vietnamese territory, China will prefer to fight Vietnam at sea and in the air, where it has an unambiguous superiority.
The Chinese stratagem No. 6 says: "Make a fuss in the east, attack in the West" (" Blow up the state from the inside ", "HBO", 27.01.17). The belligerent noise raised by Beijing in the east and south does not mean at all that it is going to attack anyone here - except, of course, Taiwan. And therefore it is doubly logical that the ground potential of the VC and especially the SC is much weaker than that of the other three PLA commands.
Alexander KhramchikhinAlexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
