Feb 1, 2011

Chinese PLA Development

Five Characteristics of Chinese military exercises in 2010

            The focus of Chinese military exercises in 2010 has been joint and integrated operations, force projection on land, sea and air, counter terrorist operations, informationised multi tiered strikes and realistic training mode. Extracts from China Military online are as below with explanatory comments in brackets.

I. All-system confrontation becomes normal in military exercises [Joint Operations]

Today, the information system-based systematic combat capability becomes a basic form of combat effectiveness. The focuses of informationization construction and military exercises of the PLA are about to shift to improving systematic combat capability. For instance, the pilots from an aviation regiment under the air force of the Beijing Military Area Command (MAC) flew thousands of miles to northeast China to participate in the "Mission Action 2010" trans-MAC mobile exercise, and they had successively flew nearly 70 sorties in half a month. Throughout the exercise, the air force cooperated with the ground force to carry out joint operations and frequently implemented such tasks as projecting ground force, opening air corridors and providing air cover under the command of the integrated command platform,

II. Capabilities of actual combat and force projection are tested in military exercises [Force Projection Sea, Land and Air].

 In the military exercises held in 2010, the PLA mainly focused on testing the confrontation capabilities of the troops under the actual-combat conditions. For example, the South China Sea Fleet organized the actual-troop live-fire combined naval exercise involving multiple arms on August 26, 2010. The exercise was conducted in the waters of 18,000-odd square kilometers in three sea areas and 71-odd missiles in 16 types were launched in the exercise. This is a joint actual-combat confrontation exercise that involved the most complete participating elements, launched the most missiles, featured the highest degree of informationization and had the most complex electromagnetic environment in the naval history.

            The "Mission Action 2010" exercise involved 30,000-plus servicemen from the leading organs and the troop units of three group armies under the Beijing MAC, Lanzhou MAC and Chengdu MAC, and covered a maneuver mileage of over 10,000 km, effectively testing the PLA’s long-distance force projection capability and air strategic projection capability.

III. Military exercises are aimed to deter terrorist force [Counter Terrorism].

China conducted frequent military exercises in 2010. In the year, the military exercises held by China involved the subjects of counter-terrorism, international cooperation and civil-military cooperation. For example, the "Peace Mission 2010" exercise, the 7th joint anti-terror military exercise within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), was designed to show the will, determination and ability of the armed forces of the SCO member states to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, reflect the high-level mutual trust and the pragmatic cooperation between the member states, and express their sincere wish to maintain regional peace and stability and promote common development and prosperity.

IV. Confrontation mode is transformed towards real-troop confrontation [Realistic Training].

The PLA has started to build large-scale combined tactical training bases and explore confrontation exercise between troop units step by step since late 1970s. In 2010, the real-troop confrontation exercises began to develop towards a new high. In the real-troop confrontation exercise organized by the Nanjing MAC in October last year, some new concepts and methods were put into practice. Such work as collection of operation data and scientific assessment on the troop units’ actual combat capability went on in parallel with field confrontation.

V. New fighting methods of information-based operation are highlighted in exercises [Depth Multi Tiered Penetration Strikes].

The joint counter-attack real-troop exercise participated by the troops of the Chengdu MAC in the "Mission Action 2010" successfully concluded on October 21, 2010 in northwest China. The exercise fully tested the systematic sabotage fighting methods including "in-depth precision strike against frontier targets, integrated strike against air and ground targets, and selective strike against major targets". This new systematic sabotage mode realizes an organic integration of strategic, operational and tactical strength. (Source: China Military Online).

Other Developments

The General Logistics Department (GLD) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is also aiming to set up an integrated support system with the support means more outsourced, the support measures information-based and logistics management more scientific, the Framework specifies the tasks in five aspects, i.e., supply, management, construction, training and restructuring, and provides a new summary of the targets of the pilot work. Via the Framework the units at all levels of the PLA can gain a better understanding of the decision of the GLD of the PLA and act accordingly with the actual circumstances taken into account says a PLA Daily report. [Source PLA Daily]

The PLA is also increasingly professionalising the NCOs with comprehensive appraisal from 2012. In the year of 2012, the professional skill appraisal will be applied to all the professional categories of the PLA, realizing standard operation of the appraisal work and meeting the standards and requirements specified in Regulations on Professional Skill Appraisal for Soldiers in Active Service. [Source PLA Daily]