Chinese army. The Chinese Army is a serious opponent to everyone. Chinese tank forces

Every country in the world has internal troops that are called upon to protect the peace of citizens and act decisively in the event of aggression from other powers. An interesting situation is observed in China. Since the country's population greatly exceeds all other powers in terms of the number of citizens, the Chinese army is the most numerous. But due to a number of difficulties, she cannot yet become the strongest.

History of origin

Troops appeared in China after Zhou Enlai launched a revolutionary uprising against the ruling party in 1927. The united people's rebel liberation forces defeated the monarchs, simultaneously repelling the predatory raids foreign countries.

In 1933, in a short time, the majority of the rebels sided with the Communist Party, creating the Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Red Army.

Modernization of the Chinese Army

Most of the funds spent on China's defense are used to create new types of precision-guided weapons. Management believes that this type of weapon is the future. However, despite good funding, China still lags far behind developed countries in terms of power.

Leaps in the development of technology greatly upset Western powers. New types of cruise missiles are of particular concern. In order to reduce the gap in the military industry, the Chinese have been working with the Russian Federation for many years, purchasing new weapons and defensive technologies.

China and Russia are actively cooperating, and this is bearing fruit. The projects on which specialists from both powers are working jointly allow us to address the following issues:

• Development of new military weapons.
• Peaceful technologies.
• United space program.
• Development of communication devices.

Years of cooperation with Russia have allowed China to enjoy the following advantages:

• Joint projects.
• Exchange of military experience with Russian soldiers.
• Possibility of acquiring modern weapons.

Carrying out a policy friendly towards Russia made it possible to increase the speed of modernization. This, in turn, frightens Western states, which fear possible aggression that has gained strength in the Celestial Empire.

The size of the Chinese army for 2019

The total number of soldiers involved in different types of armed forces is 2 million 35 thousand people. The distribution looks like this:

• Ground ground forces - 975 thousand people.
• Fleet – 240 thousand people.
• Aviation – 395 thousand people.
• Strategic Missile Forces - 175 thousand people.
• The rest – 150 thousand people.

The PLA National Army infantry is divided into 13 mixed divisions. Aviation consists of separate districts. The fleet is divided into three parts: Behai, Donghai, Nanhai.

Structure of the Armed Forces

Until recently, in the Chinese army big role played by the Communist Party, its ideology and goals. Today this influence has greatly diminished. The role of central control is played by the military council, which is free to choose its means of influence. It is divided into 15 separate departments, among which roles in command and control are distributed.

The modern army consists of four nodes, whose responsibilities include monitoring the security of borders with neighboring countries.

The largest army is located in the northern part of China. Here, the main task of the four groups is to control the border with the DPRK and Mongolia.

Vietnam and Laos are monitored by headquarters in Guangzhou, which consists of three groups.

The western part of the army controls the situation in the region of Tibet and Xinjiang. Its tasks also include conducting defense in the event of Indian aggression.

Defense against the former Soviet republics of Taiwan is carried out by the eastern headquarters in Nanjing.

Ground troops

Chinese ground forces are considered the most numerous. Until 2014, they consisted of about one and a half million soldiers. Due to high costs, it was necessary to reduce the number to 985 thousand people. Along with the reduction, a transition was made from a divisional structure to a brigade structure.

*It is worth noting that surplus personnel were transferred to the reserve, which contains more than 500 thousand soldiers. In addition, at least 40% of infantrymen have good weapons and armored military equipment of China.

The machine park of the People's Liberation Army (abbreviation - NAOC) consists of various types military equipment. Among them there are both outdated and modern models.

China's main goal is to transition from outdated technology, which was developed during the Soviet Union, to new models. Over time, the transition will be accomplished, but we must not forget about the training of soldiers. For this purpose, Russian instructors regularly visit China.

Air Force
China's aviation is one of the strongest in the world. This is due to the fact that the fleet contains more than 4 thousand combat aircraft. And the number of people belonging to the Air Force exceeds 350 thousand people.

All aviation in China is divided into Red 24 divisions, which also includes more than 700 missile launchers and 440 modern radars.

The following aircraft are in service with China:

• MiG-21.
• MiG-19.
• Tu-16.
• IL-28.
• Su-27.
• Su-30.
• J-20.

The latest model is the first fighter aircraft developed in China.

Navy

Active financing of the Celestial fleet began only in the late 80s of the last century. Previously, the fleet received very little attention. However, the revised plan for the development of China's defensive capabilities showed the need to improve the Navy.

In total, the fleet employs more than 250 thousand people, and the naval forces consist of:

• Ships of various classes.
• Underwater submarines.
• Air support.
• Marines.
• Coastal defence.

The need to develop all components of the Navy became obvious when it became clear that possible enemies of the state have serious naval forces.

Rocket Forces

They consist of 110 thousand soldiers, who are distributed in six parts, each of them performs its assigned functions.

US experts see a threat in the ever-growing number of nuclear weapons. According to various estimates, there can be from 650 to 3 thousand pieces. Many believe that given the half-century production period, it can be argued that China is silent about the actual ammunition.

Nuclear missile forces

Also known as the “Second Artillery Corps,” the nuclear missile division has 110,000 personnel. But it is worth considering that most of the data about the nuclear forces of the KNU is classified.

A large number of Rapid Response Vehicles (ICBMs) move through secret underground tunnels. According to rumors, they permeate the entire country, from the outskirts to Beijing. Because of this, Chinese warheads cannot be tracked and they move freely around China, choosing a favorable location.

The following ICBM models are in service:

• MBR20.
• DF5A 28.
• DF31A.
• 16DF31.
• 10DF4.
• BRSD2.
• DF-3A.
• 36DF21C.
• 80DF21.
• BRMD96.
• DF15.
• 108DF11A.

They differ in the maximum possible charge and number of missiles they can carry and their firing range.

This type of troops is on the same level as those in the United States and Russia. This became possible after the introduction of new missiles capable of splitting into several independent, homing charges.

Strategic Support Forces

Created to support the People's Liberation Army of China, and allow the army to be supported and protected from outside interference. Since December 31, the MTR has been actively involved in protecting electronic communications routes and overseeing the cyber system of the troops. One of the key responsibilities of the SOF is satellite surveillance.

Logistics Forces

The platoon began only in 2016 to provide logistical support. It was based on the previously functioning seven-district supply department. The bases are located deep in the rear. The main control center is the headquarters in the city of Wuhan.

Technically, these troops existed before, but then they were transferred to independent work.

People's Armed Militia

Most of China's military consists of infantrymen. They, in turn, provide internal defense of the state, and these include militia units.

The militia refers to all military personnel who supervise order within the country, both villages and cities. Police units include:

• Internal security, which oversees law and order.
• Forest police, its responsibilities include combating poaching and illegal deforestation.
• Border troops.
• Ensuring the safety of gold reserves.
• Community militia.
• Fire departments.

One of the main tasks of the police is to neutralize possible unrest caused by the influence of unscrupulous persons, terrorists, etc. In wartime, all units come under the command of the army.

PLA exercises

The very first serious exercises were held in 1999. They practiced maneuvers for a possible landing on Taiwanese territory. They took place again in 2001, and became the largest exercises in the entire history of China. Their necessity was due to the fact that at that time the PRC had claims to the territory of the islands.

The next exercise, conducted in 2006, achieved a previously unseen speed of transferring forces over a thousand kilometers. This showed the army’s mobility and speed of response in case of danger on the country’s border.

Particular attention to China began to be paid after the massive exercises of 2009. More than half of the country's wax units took part in them. All types of troops were involved and their joint actions were worked out. The scale and effectiveness of the exercise showed the world that China has become a powerful power that must be watched with caution. Many countries said that aggressive policies and rapid development military force in China is a security threat to the whole world.

Women in the army

One of distinctive features Chinese sun, is the presence of a large number of girls. This allows us to recruit and train specialists who serve in areas with minimal threat to life and health. The girls deal mainly with medical issues and communications.

The absence of restrictions on strength indicators allowed women to express themselves in the Air Force and Navy. They have proven that they are capable of piloting fighter jets and performing naval service on an equal basis with men. During large-scale military parades, they demonstrate excellent drill training and endurance.

Ranks

Over its history, the Celestial Army has revised the rank system several times. Modern system provides for the following insignia and insignia:

• Lebin - private.
• Shandebin is a corporal.
• Syashi - junior sergeant.
• Zhongshi - Sergeant.
• Shanshi - senior sergeant.
• Xiji Junshichang is a sergeant major of the fourth degree.
• Xianji Junshichang is a sergeant major of the third degree.
• Erji Junshichang – sergeant major of the second degree.
• Yiji Junshichang is a sergeant major of the first degree.
• Shaowei - junior lieutenant.
• Zhongwei is a lieutenant.
• Shanwei is a senior lieutenant.
• Shaoxiao is a major.
• Zhongsao is a lieutenant colonel.
• Shangxiao is a colonel.
• Daxiao is a senior colonel.
• Shaozang - Major General.
• Zhongzang - Lieutenant General.
• Shangjiang is a general.

*Depending on the type of military service, ranks and degrees of seniority may vary.

How long do they serve in China?
The Chinese military system provides for compulsory conscription service. However, unlike Russia, young people there want to go into service. But only the most suitable candidates are accepted, this is due to the fact that in the army soldiers receive a salary of 100 dollars, which is not bad for the country. The period of compulsory service is 2 years.

Military parade

Military parades of military personnel in China are larger in scale than those in other countries. The high costs of training and providing soldiers do not allow them to be carried out every year. A traditional military parade with all types of troops is held once every 10 years. However, recently two have already been carried out. They were associated with significant events, such as the anniversary of the victory in the war against Japan and the ninetieth anniversary of the founding of the PLA of China.

Funding troops in China

China's economy is growing every year and is close to leading countries such as the USA and Japan. This allows them to invest a large amount of funds into the development and provision of the Chinese armed forces.

The country spends almost as much per year on military spending as the United States. But if we take into account that the country’s GDP is increasing every year, we can say that China will soon become a leader in the military race.

Such rapid development of the country in military terms is strongly disliked by developing countries. large countries. The US fears that combined Chinese and Russian forces will become too much of a threat.

Japan says that the data provided by the Chinese government regarding military spending and the number of nuclear warheads does not correspond to reality. According to them, China has three times as many nuclear weapons.

Over the past two decades, China has increased its GDP more than 20 times. For all this time, the percentage spent on strengthening the country’s military power has never been reduced. The joint military program with Russia and bilateral partnership make it possible to carry out modernization and weapons many times faster.

Conclusion

China's army is the largest, according to recent estimates. The trump card against it, such superpowers as the USA and Japan, is only more modern technical equipment and influence. However, in a situation where China is investing more and more money in the development and modernization of weapons, it is wrong to talk about a constant lag. A large number of industrial plants in the country can begin producing weapons and necessary components in the shortest possible time.

It is also worth considering the fact that China's influence on the modern economy is truly enormous. Most of the world's goods, from socks to cars and modern smartphones, are produced in China. This indicates a large economic impact. Taking this into account, it can be argued that in the near future the Chinese army will become one of the strongest forces on the planet.

A noticeable geopolitical trend in recent decades has been the rapid rise of China and its gradual transformation from a regional leader into a superpower that no longer hides its global ambitions. Today, China has the second economy in the world, and it continues to grow rapidly; more than a third of world GDP growth is already provided by China.

However, a strong economy alone is not enough to realize global ambitions. The power of a state and the respect of its neighbors - as at all times - are determined by the ability of its armed forces to defend national interests.

It should be noted that estimates of Chinese military power vary widely. From panicky materials about the “yellow” threat that can take over the whole world, to an openly dismissive attitude towards the developments of the Chinese military-industrial complex. But still, most experts recognize the successes achieved by the Chinese military leadership in last years. So, what does modern army China? Should we be afraid of her?

The country's armed forces are officially called the PLA - the People's Liberation Army of China. They were founded on August 1, 1927 during the civil war, but they received this name somewhat later, after the end of World War II. Today the PLA is considered one of the strongest armies on the planet; experts place it in second or third place in the ranking of the armed forces of the world.

In accordance with the country's constitution, the PRC army is subordinate not to the government or the leadership of the Communist Party, but to a special body - the Central Military Council. The post of Chairman of the Central Military Commission is considered one of the key ones in the hierarchy of power; currently (since 2013) it is occupied by the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping. The first chairman of the Central Military Council was Deng Xiaoping, one of the architects of the Chinese economic miracle.

As of 2013, the strength of the PLA was 2 million 250 thousand people (according to other sources - 2.6 million). In 2016, another reduction in the Chinese armed forces by 300 thousand people was announced. After the implementation of these plans, approximately 2 million people will remain in the Chinese army.

The Chinese army is a conscript army, men are recruited to serve in the armed forces at the age of 18 and remain in the reserves until the age of 50.

China continues to increase spending on defense needs: if at the beginning of the 2000s the country spent $17 billion on the army and military-industrial complex, then in 2013 this figure reached $188 billion (2% of GDP). In terms of military spending, China confidently ranks second, significantly ahead of Russia (with its $87.8 billion in 2013), but more than three times inferior to the United States ($640 billion).

The impressive successes of the Chinese defense industry should also be noted. You can forget the times when the word “Chinese” was synonymous with something cheap, low-quality and counterfeit. Today, the PRC produces almost the entire range of weapons and ammunition. If earlier China mainly copied Soviet and Russian weapons, today the Chinese defense industry is trying to imitate the most technologically advanced products from the USA, Europe and Israel.

China still lags behind Russia in some areas: aircraft and rocket engines, submarines, cruise missiles - but this gap is rapidly closing. Moreover, the PRC is gradually turning into a powerful player in the global arms market, confidently occupying the niche of inexpensive and high-quality weapons.

History of the PLA

The history of the Chinese armed forces goes back more than four thousand years. However, the modern army of the PRC is the heir to the pro-communist armed groups that appeared during the civil war that took place in the country in the 20-30s of the last century. On August 1, 1927, an uprising began in the city of Nanchang, during which the so-called Red Army was founded under the leadership of the future leader of China, Mao Zedong.

The Chinese Red Army fought against the Kuomintang armed forces, then fought against the Japanese invaders. It received the name PLA only after the end of World War II.

After the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the USSR transferred all Japanese weapons to the Chinese comrades. Chinese volunteers, armed with Soviet weapons, actively participated in the Korean War. The Soviet Union actively helped China build new army, and very quickly, numerous and quite combat-ready armed forces were created on the basis of semi-partisan formations.

After Stalin's death, relations between the PRC and the USSR began to rapidly deteriorate, and in 1969 there was a border conflict on Damansky Island, which almost escalated into a full-scale war.

Since the 1950s, the PLA has experienced several significant cuts, the most significant of which were carried out in the early 1980s. Until this time, the Chinese army was mainly ground, it was “sharpened” for a possible conflict with the USSR. After the likelihood of war in the north decreased, the Chinese leadership began to pay more attention to the south: Taiwan, the disputed territories in the South China Sea.

In the 90s of the last century, the PRC leadership began a program to modernize the national armed forces, which led to such impressive growth in the future. More attention was paid to the development of the navy, missile forces and air force.

Several years ago, the start of a new reform of the PLA was officially announced. Transformations are already in full swing. The principle of forming the armed forces of the armed forces has changed, new types of troops have been created. The goal of large-scale transformations is to achieve a new level of controllability of the PLA by 2020, optimize the structure of the army and create a military force capable of winning in the era of information technology.

PLA structure

The system of power in modern China provides for complete control over the national armed forces by the country's ruling Communist Party. Each level of the PLA organization has its own party control structures. It should be noted that, in comparison with the middle of the last century, the influence of party leadership and ideology on the armed forces has become less.

The main governing body of the PLA is the Central Military Council, it consists of a chairman, his deputy and council members, career military personnel. China also has a Ministry of Defense, but its functions are reduced to a minimum: organizing international military cooperation and peacekeeping missions.

The reform, which began in 2016, primarily affected the PLA management system. Instead of four headquarters - the General Staff, the Main Directorate of Logistics, the Main political management and the Armaments Directorate - fifteen compact departments were created, each of which deals with a separate area and reports to the Central Military Council.

The reform also affected the structure of the Chinese armed forces. A new branch of troops appeared within the PLA - the Strategic Support Troops, and the country's military districts were reformatted. Previously, the territory of China was divided into seven military regions; on February 1, 2016, they were replaced by five military command zones:

• Northern Military Command Zone. Its headquarters is located in Shenyang. The command includes four army groups. Its main task is to counter the military threat from North Korea, Mongolia, northern Japan and Russia.
• Western Military Command Zone (headquarters in Chengdu). Controls most of the country's territory, but has no access to the sea. The command's tasks include ensuring the security of Tibet, Xinjiang and other areas. The most important for China is the Indian direction, for which the Western Command is also responsible. It consists of three army groups and about ten separate divisions.
• Southern Military Command Zone (headquarters in Guangzhou). Controls territories near the Vietnamese, Laotian and Myanmar borders, and consists of three army groups.
• Eastern Military Command Zone (headquarters in Nanjing). One of the most important areas for China, given the long-standing problem with Taiwan. The Chinese do not exclude the possibility of solving it by military means. The command includes three army groups.
• Central Military Command Zone (headquarters in Beijing). This command protects the capital of the country - Beijing, it includes five army groups at once, so the Central Command can be called strategic for the armed forces of the PRC.

Currently, the PLA includes five branches of the military:

• Ground troops;
• Navy;
• Air Force;
• Strategic Missile Forces;
• Strategic support troops.

Chinese Ground Forces

China has the largest ground army in the world. Experts estimate its population at 1.6 million people. It should be noted that the current reform of the PLA provides for a significant reduction in the Ground Forces. Currently, the Chinese army continues its transition from a divisional to a more flexible brigade structure.

The reserves of the Ground Forces are estimated at approximately 500 thousand people. At least 40% of the Chinese army is mechanized and armored.

Currently, the PLA has more than eight thousand tanks in service, among which there are both obsolete (various modifications of the Type 59, Type 79 and Type 88 tank) and new ones: Type 96 (various modifications), Type-98A, Type-99, Type-99A. The PLA ground forces also have 1,490 infantry fighting vehicles and 3,298 armored personnel carriers. More than 6 thousand towed guns, 1,710 self-propelled howitzers, almost 1,800 MLRS and more than 1,5 thousand anti-aircraft guns are in operation.

One of the main problems of the Chinese army (including the Ground Forces) is the amount of outdated equipment and weapons that were developed on the basis of Soviet models at the end of the last century. However, this issue is gradually being resolved, and the troops are becoming saturated with modern types of weapons.

Air Force

The Chinese Air Force is in third place in the world in terms of numbers (390 thousand people (according to other sources - 360 thousand), second only to the United States and Russia. The Air Force is divided into 24 air divisions. The PLA Air Force is armed with about 4 thousand combat aircraft of various types , models and purpose, as well as more than a hundred combat helicopters. The Chinese air force also includes air defense units, which are armed with about 700 missile launchers and 450 radars of various types.

The main problem of the Chinese Air Force is the operation of a large number of outdated aircraft (analogues of the Soviet MiG-21, MiG-19, Tu-16 and Il-28).

Serious modernization of the Chinese Air Force began at the end of the last century. China has purchased several dozen new Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft from Russia. Then the licensed production of these machines began in China, and then unlicensed production.

Since about the middle of the last decade, China has been developing its own fifth-generation fighters: the J-31 and J-20. The J-20 fighter was demonstrated to the public last fall. The Chinese leadership plans not only to equip its own Air Force with these machines, but also to actively export them.

Chinese Navy

Until the early 90s, comparatively little attention was paid to the development of naval forces in China. This type of troops was considered auxiliary, but since then the situation has changed dramatically. The PRC leadership has understood the importance of the Navy and is sparing no resources to modernize it.

Currently, the strength of the Chinese Navy is 255 thousand people (according to other sources - 290 thousand). The Navy is divided into three fleets: the South, North and East Seas, respectively. The fleets are armed with surface ships, submarines, naval aviation, and units Marine Corps and coastal defense troops.

In 2013, the Chief of the PLA General Staff said that the main threats to modern China come from the sea, so the development of the Navy is a priority.

Rocket Forces

Before the reform began, the Chinese Strategic Rocket Forces were called the Second Artillery Corps, and only in 2016 they received a new status. Their number is approximately 100 thousand people.

The number of nuclear warheads China currently possesses raises many questions. Experts estimate their number from 100 to 650, but there is another opinion that over the course of several decades, the PRC could produce several thousand nuclear warheads.

The Americans believe that by 2020 China will be able to put on combat duty up to 200 ICBMs (both silo-based and mobile-based), equipped with new generation warheads. Of particular note are the latest Chinese missile systems“Dongfeng-31NA” (range 11 thousand km) and “Dongfeng-41” (14 thousand km).

Strategic Support Troops

This is the youngest branch of the Chinese army, it appeared on December 31, 2016. There is very little information about the goals and objectives of the Strategic Support Forces. It was announced that they will be engaged in reconnaissance, information warfare, conducting attacks in cyberspace, and electronic countermeasures.

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The Chinese army, or as the Chinese themselves call it, the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), is the largest army in the world. The size of the Chinese army as of 2018 is estimated differently by many military experts, since in recent years the Chinese army has been shrinking, relying not on quantity, but on the quality of weapons and military equipment. If we take the average number, it turns out that there are from 2 to 2.3 million people in the Chinese army who are on active service.

The Chinese Army was founded on August 1, 1927, after the Nanchang Uprising. In those years it was called the “Red Army”. In the 30s of the 20th century, the Chinese army under the leadership of Chinese leader Mao Zedong was already a serious organization, being a significant force in the country. In 1949, when the Chinese Revolution was proclaimed People's Republic, the Chinese army became the regular army of this state.

Although Chinese military law provides for compulsory military service, in China there are so many people who want to join the regular army that in all the years of the existence of the regular army, conscription has never been carried out. Military service in China is very honorable, in addition, it was the only opportunity for peasants to escape poverty. Volunteers for the Chinese army are accepted up to 49 years of age.

Chinese Army in numbers

The PLA does not report directly to the party (as is believed in many European countries) or to the government. There are 2 special commissions to manage the army in China:

1. State Commission;
2. Party commission.

Most often, these commissions are completely identical in composition, so the commission that controls the Chinese army is mentioned in the singular.

To imagine the full power of the Chinese army, you need to look at the numbers:

• The minimum age to enlist in the army in China is 19 years old;
• The number of military personnel is about 2.2 million;
• More than $215 billion is allocated to China's military annually.

Although China's weapons are mostly a legacy of the USSR or copies of Soviet models, the modernization of the Chinese army in recent years has been very rapid. New models of weapons are appearing that are not inferior to their world counterparts. If modernization continues at this pace, then in 10 years the weapons of the Chinese army will not be inferior to the weapons of European armies, and in 15 years they can be comparable in power to the American army.

History of the emergence of the Chinese army

The history of the Chinese army began on August 1, 1927. It was in this year that the famous revolutionary Zhou Enlai provoked other Chinese revolutionaries to rise up in arms against the “northern” government, which in those years was the legitimate Chinese government.

Having gathered 20 thousand fighters with weapons in their hands, communist party China marked the beginning of a long struggle of the Chinese people against external and internal enemies. July 11, 1933 is considered the date of birth of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. This date is still considered one of the most revered in China; it is celebrated by the entire people of China.

Chinese Army today

The modern People's Liberation Army of China has been significantly reduced, although compared to other armies in the world, its composition still looks very impressive. If previously the main resource of the Chinese army were soldiers, and military equipment could be counted on one’s fingers, now the Chinese army includes all the components of modern armies:

• Ground troops;
• Air Force;
• Navy;
• Strategic Nuclear Forces;
• Troops special purpose and many other types of troops, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern army.

Every year, new types of intercontinental missiles and modern nuclear weapons appear in the Chinese army's arsenal.

The nuclear forces of the Chinese army consist of land, sea and air components, which, according to official information, number about 200 nuclear carriers. Since each country keeps information about the state of its nuclear forces secret, you can be sure that China has many more nuclear delivery vehicles than it officially claims.

The Chinese Army's Strategic Missile Forces have 75 ground-based ballistic missile launchers as its "backbone". The strategic aviation of China's nuclear forces has 80 Hong-6 aircraft. The naval component is a nuclear submarine, which is armed with 12 launchers. Each of these installations can launch Julan-1 missiles. Although this type of missile was first deployed in 1986, it is still considered an effective weapon.

China's ground forces have the following resources:

• 2.2 million military personnel;
• 89 divisions, of which 11 are tank divisions and 3 are quick reaction divisions;
• 24 armies, which include these divisions.

China's air force includes about 4 thousand aircraft, most of which are obsolete models received from the USSR as military aid or designed on their basis. Since 75% of the Chinese aircraft fleet are fighters designed to solve combat air defense missions. Chinese aircraft are largely unsuited to support ground forces, although the situation has begun to improve in recent years.

The Chinese Navy is armed with about 100 large warships, and about 600 combat helicopters and aircraft, which are classified as naval aviation. To protect coastal waters, the Chinese Navy has 1,000 patrol ships.

Although many believe that China does not have its own aircraft carriers, the Chinese Navy currently has 1 aircraft carrier, Liaoning, which was purchased from Ukraine for $25 million. The purchase of this unfinished aircraft carrier was quite interesting. Since the US was against China's purchase of an aircraft carrier, a Chinese firm purchased it as a floating amusement park. Upon arrival in China, the ship was completed and turned into a combat aircraft carrier, which, in principle, it originally was. By 2020, China threatens to build 4 more aircraft carriers based on the Liaoning (formerly called Varyag).

Modernization of the Chinese Army

Although China develops new weapons every year, China still lags far behind other developed countries in the field of precision weapons. The Chinese leadership believes that precision weapons are the future, so China is investing billions in the development of this type of weapon.

Today, most joint projects between China and Russia are working, for which various agreements have been concluded, covering the following nuances:

• Military technologies and development of new weapons that can be joint;
• The field of research into high technologies that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes;
• Cooperation in the space sector, including various joint programs;
• Cooperation in the field of communications.

In addition, China received a number of advantages, which include:

• Implementation of joint Chinese-Russian projects, especially military ones;
• Possibility of training and retraining of your employees in Russia;
• Joint modernization of outdated weapons and replacing them with newer models.

Such cooperation undoubtedly increases the speed of modernization of the Chinese army, although it is very disliked by the United States, which fears the possibility of strengthening the Chinese army. Recent years have been marked by an ever-increasing number of contracts between China and Russia related to China’s acquisition of various types of military equipment. The most significant are:

• License for production of SU-27 fighters in China;
• Contract for the repair of Chinese submarines at Russian repair docks.

If we analyze the development of China's defense complex over the past 10 years, it becomes clear that over these years China has not only stepped far forward in terms of the country's economic development, but also in terms of army modernization.

Modern priorities in the field of defense construction in China

Since in recent years China has completely changed its military doctrine, which is now not related to the country’s preparation for a global war, the priorities in the development of the Chinese army have also changed. Since China now believes that a world war is now unlikely, there are massive cuts in the army. At the same time, the Chinese army is rapidly modernizing, and the amount of funds allocated annually to the army is so large that there is no need to talk about the loss of power of the Chinese army.

At the same time, the aggressive policy of the United States is forcing China to rapidly modernize its army, since conversations in the world political arena are still conducted from a position of strength. That is why China’s new military doctrine speaks of transforming the Chinese army into a powerful structure, equipped with the latest technology. An army of this type must be able not only to effectively defend its borders, but also to respond with powerful blows to the enemy, who may be located in any part of the world. That is why China is now investing huge amounts of money in the development and modernization of intercontinental cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

This position is not connected with the aggressiveness of China, simply because in the last century a huge but technically backward country was in semi-colonial dependence on Western countries who have been robbing the Chinese people for decades. That is why China is cooperating with Russia, which has been actively helping it since the times of the USSR.

China's entire nuclear policy can fit into the concept of a “limited retaliatory nuclear strike,” and the key word here is “retaliatory.” Although this policy presupposes the presence of a powerful nuclear potential, it should only serve as a deterrent for those countries that intend to use nuclear weapons against China. This is not at all like the nuclear arms race that existed between the USSR and the USA, so the Chinese nuclear program does not require huge material costs.

Over the past decade, China has abandoned its aimless military expansion. After conducting many analyzes of global military conflicts that have occurred over the past 10-20 years, Chinese military experts have concluded that modern troops must support the concept of rapid response. Moreover, these groups can be quite compact, but their weapons must meet all modern high-tech parameters. It is science that should drive the modern development of the army. A modern soldier is not cannon fodder, but a versatile trained specialist who knows how to handle the latest military equipment.

Mobile rapid response teams must, within a few hours, find themselves at the point of a local conflict, which they must quickly neutralize. In accordance with this concept, Chinese armed forces They are developing mobile forces, trying to equip them with various electronics that are capable of performing the following tasks:

• Long-range warning systems;
• Early detection systems;
• Communication systems;
• Systems remote control weapons and troops;
• The latest electronic warfare equipment.

Since China has made enormous strides in the development of electronics in recent years, the military sphere is also developing very dynamically.

Financing the Chinese army

Although spending on the PRC army is in second place in world statistics, second only to the United States, as a percentage, the $200 billion allocated annually for defense amounts to only 1.5-1.9% of the country’s GDP. Just 10 years ago this percentage was 55 billion, and 20 years ago it was only 10 billion. Since China's GDP is growing every year, we can expect increased funding for the Chinese army in the future.

Representatives of many countries that are quite wary of China (especially the United States) believe that the official statistics provided by the Chinese authorities do not correspond to the real state of affairs. For example, the Japanese, who have disliked China since the Second World War, claim that the real costs of the Chinese army are 3 times higher than the figures in official statistics.

Although the economic situation at the beginning of the 21st century contributed to a reduction in funding worldwide, events in the last 2 decades have shown that China has been able to increase its GDP by more than 20 times. Accordingly, in geometric progression Army funding has increased, since no one has cut the percentage.

Due to the fact that modern China trades with almost all countries of the world, the diplomatic relations of this country with all have gradually normalized. Modern China has especially friendly relations with Russia. These relationships are formed on the terms of an equal partnership. It is worth noting that friendly Russian-Chinese relations are of great concern to the United States of America, which wants to be a leader on the world stage. The United States cannot help but be concerned about China's integration into the global economy, so it would like to have leverage over China from a position of strength. America is well aware that if Russia and China unite against them, they are unlikely to win, even on the economic battlefield.

If you look at China's domestic politics, you can see China's enormous attention to internal problems countries. The standard of living in China is growing at a rapid pace; many Chinese now live in a way that only a select few could afford 20 years ago.

Should the world wait for the “Chinese threat”?

Since any success of any country gives rise to envy and suspicion, China also did not escape this fate. As a result of China's rapid development over the past 20 years, it has become perceived by some policymakers as different countries as a possible aggressor. The yellow press around the world picked up these rumors, and now many ordinary people expect aggressive actions from China against their countries. This hysteria has reached the point that even in Russia, which has been China’s partner in various fields for many years, many consider the Chinese their enemies.

The Chinese authorities express deep regret that many world countries treat China as a possible aggressor. The reason for these accusations lies in the misunderstanding of Chinese foreign policy. Proponents of the “Chinese threat” theory accuse China of the following:

• After the US and Russian navies reduced the number of warships in the Asia-Pacific region, China rushed to fill the vacancy to become the most significant military power in the region;
• China dreams of the idea of ​​world domination, so it devotes all its efforts to absorbing world markets and building up military power;
• Since China is purchasing huge amounts of modern weapons from Russia, this is causing a real arms race in the region. It has gotten to the point where some military experts directly accuse China of North Korea acquired its own nuclear weapons;
• The modernization of the Chinese army is carried out for only one purpose - to strike at any country, perhaps even at the United States.

Chinese military experts indignantly deny these accusations. Regarding the leadership of the Chinese fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese experts cite a number of dry figures that indicate that although Russia and the United States have reduced their forces in this region, the fleet of any of these countries is significantly superior to the Chinese in its power.

Regarding the Chinese idea of ​​world domination, the rapid growth of the Chinese economy should not be seen as an attempt to establish world domination. The fact that China is buying up enterprises around the world is a common practice of global business that strives for development.

As for the global modernization of the Chinese army, the Chinese authorities say that this process places a heavy burden on the shoulders of the Chinese economy. The Chinese say that they would gladly abandon this process, but the composition of the Chinese People's Liberation Army is seriously inferior to the armies of other countries. That is why modernization is a necessary process.

There is some truth in the assurances of Chinese experts and authorities. Indeed, in modern China there are many reforms that are aimed at the economic development of the state. If China has to focus on external problems, this will inevitably lead to problems within the country. It is unlikely that China will want to create unnecessary problems for itself when its government is focused on carrying out economic reforms.

The United States constantly claims that China will begin military aggression from Taiwan, which they have long wanted to seize. If we consider the relations between China and Taiwan from an economic point of view, we can see that these two states have serious economic relations. The annual turnover between the two countries is quite significant, so it makes no sense for China to lose huge profits by attacking Taiwan.

Due to the fact that China is blamed most of all by the United States, portraying it as a real beast that is just waiting for the moment to attack, one thing can be understood: America does not need another superpower on the world stage. Although for the United States “the train has already left”, the Chinese army is confidently moving towards leadership positions in the world rankings.

In 2014, the republic's defense spending increased by 12% and amounted to 808.2 billion yuan ($132 billion). The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains the largest in the world, with 1,500,000 personnel and more than 3,250,000 reservists.

What is in service with the PLA today, see the infographics of AiF.ru.

Infographics: AiF

The Chinese military-industrial complex employs 24 enterprises in the nuclear industry, 12 companies in the rocket and space industry, nine aircraft factories, 14 factories for the production of armored vehicles, 20 enterprises for assembling artillery equipment, more than 200 factories for the production of ammunition and 23 large shipyards.

Ground troops

The ground forces of the People's Republic of China include the following types of troops: infantry, armored forces, artillery, military air defense, airborne, engineering, chemical, reconnaissance, communications and automobile troops, border troops.

The PLA ground forces are armed with:

• tanks - 9150 units;
• armored combat vehicles (AFV) - 6600 units;
• self-propelled howitzers - 1200 units;
• mortars - about 10,000 units;
• multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) - 4000 units;
• launchers (PU) of tactical missiles - about 1,500 units;
• towed artillery - 6246 units;
• anti-aircraft guns - 1531 units;
• anti-tank weapons of various modifications - approximately 8,000 units.

Naval forces

The Navy consists of surface and submarine forces, naval aviation, marines and coastal defense forces.

In service with the Chinese Navy:

• one aircraft carrier "Liaoling" (until June 19, 1990 - "Riga");
• 29 destroyers;
• 49 frigates;
• 86 landing ships;
• 69 submarines;
• 39 minesweepers;
• 368 coast guard ships.

China's naval aviation includes:

• about 120 H-5 bombers;
• about 45 J-7 fighters;
• about 60 J-8 fighters;
• about 100 indigenously developed JH-7 fighter-bombers;
• 24 Su-30 fighters.

Air Force

The Chinese Air Force includes: bomber, attack, fighter, reconnaissance, military transport aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces, anti-aircraft artillery, radio engineering troops, airborne troops.

Today, the PRC has more than 2,800 aircraft in service, of which 1,900 are combat aircraft.

The basis of the military power of the PRC Air Force is:

• Xian-10 fighters;
• Xian-8 fighters;
• Su-27 fighters;
• Su-30MKK fighters;
• Su-30MK2 fighters.

The Chinese Air Force is also armed with SC-19 ballistic missiles, which are equipped with a kinetic interceptor that allows them to destroy satellites.

In 2013, China developed the fifth generation fighter jet J-20. It will enter service in 2020. The aircraft is equipped with a modern radar station, and its internal compartments can accommodate air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-ship missiles. The J-20 is capable of intercepting attack aircraft and fighter-bombers.

In 2015, China plans to begin mass production of the first Chinese carrier-based fighter.

Strategic Missile Forces

The strategic missile forces are armed with:

• 66 intercontinental ballistic missiles;
• 118 medium-range ballistic missiles;
• 204 short-range ballistic missiles;
• 54 long-range ground-launched cruise missiles;
• about 150 strategic missile systems (PGRK).

The PRC missile force consists of 60 ground-mobile solid propellant systems DF-21 (an analogue of the Soviet RSD-10 Pioneer system) and 30 ICBMs DF-31/31A (an analogue of the Russian RS-12 Topol system). It is expected that by 2015 the total number of Chinese mobile missile systems will reach 130-140 units.

China's nuclear warhead arsenal is about 250.

Since the late 80s. China has begun reforming its armed forces, which are the largest in the world. In the course of reforming the armed forces (AF) of the PRC, which is designed for the long term, it is planned to reduce them while simultaneously equipping them with weapons and military equipment. The strategy put forward by Jiang Zemin in 2001 for the development of defense potential and modernization of China's armed forces in the future until the middle of the 21st century involves completing modernization and reaching the advanced level of the armed forces of developed countries.

Currently, the Chinese armed forces operate a system of compulsory and voluntary service, being in the people's militia and serving in the reserve. The period of compulsory military service has been reduced to two years in all branches of the armed forces. Long-term service, which previously lasted 8–12 years, was abolished, and contract service was introduced for a period of no less than three and no more than 30 years.

According to the Law of the People's Republic of China "On national defense» The “triple system” of the Chinese armed forces consists of:

– PLA (strategic forces and forces general purpose) – about 3 million people;

– NVM (people's armed militia) – about 1.5 million people;

– mobilization resources – over 361.3 million people, including about 198.4 million people fit for military service.

Strategic forces include strategic offensive and strategic defensive forces. The nuclear strategy of China, which has committed itself not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, is reflected in the concept of a “limited retaliatory nuclear strike,” which involves the construction of nuclear deterrent forces limited in combat strength, capable of creating the threat of inflicting unacceptable damage on a potential enemy to force the latter to abandon the use of nuclear weapons against China. This approach does not place emphasis on achieving nuclear priority in relation to developed countries and is therefore rational from the point of view of saving material and financial resources.

Strategic nuclear forces include ground, air and sea components and have a total of about 212 nuclear weapons carriers, they are supported by a personnel totaling 100 thousand people. They are based on the Strategic Missile Forces, which are armed with 75 ground-based ballistic missile launchers. Strategic aviation has 80 obsolete Hun-6 aircraft (created on the basis of the Tu-16). The naval component includes a nuclear-powered missile submarine with 12 missile launchers, the Julan-1. At the same time, the Chinese leadership has chosen to increase the combat capabilities of ground-based strategic weapons as the leading direction. The PRC has completed the development of a mobile missile system with a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a firing range of about 8 thousand km.

China's Strategic Missile Force (SRF) is a tool of the Supreme High Command. The right to make decisions on their combat use belongs to the Central Military Council of the PRC. This body decides on the construction of strategic missile forces, determines their composition and grouping. According to the views of the Chinese military-political leadership, SRVs are intended to destroy objects that form the basis of the enemy’s military and economic potential, large groups of his troops, disrupt state and military control, and disorganize the work of the rear. Today, only the Vietnamese People's Republic of China meet the highest world-class requirements.

The SRV consists of missile troops and special forces. The missile forces are designed to carry out combat missions to apply nuclear strikes on enemy targets and groupings. The missile forces, in accordance with the nature of the tasks being solved, include two components - strategic and operational-tactical. The strategic component is a means of the Supreme High Command and is intended to solve strategic problems. In peacetime, the operational-tactical component is under the leadership of the commander of the Vietnamese Republic; in wartime, it can be transferred to the operational subordination of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the theater of military operations. The missile forces include formations armed with missile systems of intercontinental ballistic missiles (20 ICBMs with nuclear warheads), medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and operational-tactical missiles (OTR).

Special troops are designed to perform combat, technical and logistics support tasks. They are divided into formations that perform operational (communications, engineering, chemical, topographic, geodetic, meteorological), technical (missile, nuclear, technical) and logistical (transport, economic, medical) support tasks.

Organizationally, the Vietnamese military forces consist of missile bases, individual missile regiments, training centers, as well as centrally subordinate units (see Table 1).

The front may include 1 missile brigade armed with the Dongfeng-13 type OTR or 2 RBRs, one of which will be equipped with the Dongfeng-11 type OTR. The missile brigade consists of 4 missile divisions, each division has 4 launch batteries of 1 launcher (4 missiles each). Total in the brigade: PU OTR - 16; missiles with warheads in conventional configuration – 64.

Table 1

Deployment and armament of strategic missile forces

Name of connection and parts	Launchers quantity	Reach limits	Paragraph (region) of deployment (military district)
1 missile base		Ulan-Ude, north. windows Sakhalin	Shenyang (ShengWO)
2 missile base		Tashkent, Krasnoyarsk	Qimyn (NanVO)
3 missile base		Krasnoyarsk, Caspian Sea, Korea, Mongolia	Kinming (ChengWo)
4 missile base		North America, Europe, Novosibirsk, Chukotka	Luoyang (JingWo)
5 missile base		North America, Europe, Tbilisi, Kuibyshev	Huaihua (GVO)
6 missile base		Minsk, Kyiv, St. Petersburg, Caspian Sea, Perm, Ust-Ilimsk, Novosibirsk, Yakutsk, Kamchatka	Xining (LanVO)

The army may have 1 missile brigade armed with the Dongfeng-11 type OTR. It consists of 3 missile divisions, each with 4 launch batteries of 1 launcher (4 missiles each). Total in the brigade: PU OTR - 12; missiles - 48.

table 2

Types of weapons adopted in the Strategic Missile Forces

General purpose forces include Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) And main forces.

The RRF are a mobile part of the Armed Forces and are designed to protect the interests of the state along the entire period of China’s borders during armed conflicts and local wars, as well as suppress mass anti-government protests within the country. The RSF is the most combat-ready part of the Armed Forces. The formations and units included in their composition are deployed in close proximity to areas of probable armed conflicts, in strategically important transport hubs and are designed to repel a surprise enemy attack, participate in border conflicts and local wars, as well as solve combat and other tasks in emergency conditions (when natural disasters, mass unrest within the country).

The structure of the RRF consists of maneuver forces, riot control forces, duty forces of directions, duty forces of districts, and experimental troops.

The maneuver forces are at the disposal of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China and are intended for operational use throughout the country. They include: 3 combined arms divisions, an airborne brigade, a marine brigade, 9 combat aviation regiments, 2 helicopter regiments, 6 brigades, 2 combat boat divisions.

The duty forces of the directions are also at the disposal of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China and are intended to solve sudden combat missions in the most conflict-prone sections of the state border of the People's Republic of China. Depending on the importance and operational capacity of the areas, the combat strength of the duty forces can number from one to six divisions, up to 11 combat aviation regiments and seven divisions of warships and boats. Currently, formations and units of the RRF are deployed in the southeastern (Taiwanese), southern sea, Vietnamese and Indian directions.

The duty forces of military districts are subordinate to the commanders of large military districts and are intended for operational use on a district scale. Each of them has one combined arms division. If necessary, the duty forces of the districts can be involved in solving problems in other regions of the country.

To prevent and suppress public unrest, riot suppression forces are intended in cooperation with public security agencies and the People's Armed Militia (PAM). They include units of field and local troops.

The experimental troops are designed to test variants of the combat composition of maneuver forces and the means of strengthening them, as well as issues of managing groupings of troops during local war operations. They include tank and mechanized formations with the greatest combat capabilities.

RRF formations and units are currently staffed by 85–90% personnel, 85–95% combat equipment and weapons (battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, engineering and automotive equipment, ferry vehicles - 85%, PA guns, MLRS and M launchers - 95%). They are constantly on high alert. During their operational and combat training, the main focus is on practicing offensive and defensive actions in armed conflicts using modern weapons, as well as long-distance marches and transfers by rail (air) transport.

The main forces (ground forces, air force, navy) include all other formations and are designed to solve problems during a local or global war.

The ground forces are the most numerous branch of China's armed forces - 1.7 million people (about 75% of the total strength of the PLA), 7 military regions, 28 provincial military regions, 4 garrison commands. The ground forces include regular (field troops, including local) and reserves. The Chinese command of the ground forces assigns the main role in the defeat of enemy force groups, the seizure and retention of territory.

Structurally, the ground forces are divided into:

– by purpose – for field and local troops;

- according to combat properties - by type of troops and special troops;

– according to the combat strength and scale of the tasks being solved – for formations, formations, units and subunits;

- according to the level of staffing - combat-ready and reserve.

Regular troops include 21 combined arms armies (44 infantry, 2 mechanized, 9 tank, 7 artillery divisions), 12 tank, 13 infantry, 22 motorized infantry and 20 artillery brigades, 7 helicopter regiments, 3 airborne divisions (combined into the airborne corps ), 5 separate infantry divisions, separate tank and 2 infantry brigades, separate artillery division, 34 separate artillery brigades, 4 anti-aircraft artillery brigades.

Field troops form the basis of the Army and are intended to conduct offensive and defensive combat operations both on their territory and beyond. Organizationally, the field troops are consolidated into combined arms armies.

Regional forces (local troops) are units of the PLA performing garrison service. Heavy artillery systems are in service, and parts of regional forces are deployed along the border and coast, covering the directions of a possible attack. Local troops (regional forces) consist of 12 infantry divisions, 1 mountain infantry and 4 infantry brigades, 87 infantry battalions, 50 engineer regiments, 50 signal regiments and 21 battalions. Local troops solve combat and other tasks within their administrative units (provinces, districts, districts). In wartime, local force formations will interact with PLA operational formations on the flanks, in the depths of their defenses and behind enemy lines. If necessary, they can be transferred to the staff of field troops and included in the composition of combined arms formations and formations of field troops.

The reserve is 1 million people, and this is: 50 divisions (infantry, artillery, anti-aircraft missile), 100 separate regiments (infantry and artillery).

According to the new military doctrine, army formations were enlarged. Now each army with a total strength of 46,300 people includes 4 motorized rifle divisions, infantry, tank, artillery formations, air defense units, transport and front-line aviation.

Combined-arms armies are the basis of the Armed Forces and are intended to conduct combat operations to protect the country as a whole. Local troops must protect specific areas, and also, together with combined arms armies and people's militia, strike at the invading enemy. Due to a shortage of weapons, army formations remain predominantly infantry. 12 tank divisions Each having 3 regiments with 240 tanks is not enough to adequately support motorized rifle units. Artillery formations have adopted towed artillery guns, howitzers mounted on multiple launch rocket system platform trucks.

In the 1980s Self-propelled artillery mounts entered service with the PLA. But the military leadership decided to replace them with rocket artillery systems as a cheaper alternative. PLA engineering units are provided with repair and recovery equipment, pontoon equipment, tracked and wheeled tractors. In 1979, an anti-tank missile launcher entered service. The general provision of sapper (mining and demining systems) equipment remains insufficient.

Currently, the PLA is armed with the T-69 main battle tank, an improved version of the T-59 tank, based on the Soviet T-54 tank. During the modernization, the armor was strengthened, a tank gun stabilizer, a fire control system, and a 105-mm smoothbore gun were installed. In the 1980s The Western press mentioned the creation of the T-80 tank. It is armed with a new engine, 105 mm cannon and fire control systems.

Special troops are designed to carry out missions to support combat operations and the daily activities of ground forces. They include formations and units: reconnaissance troops, communications troops, engineering troops, electronic warfare forces, chemical troops, and automobile troops.

Based on their combat strength and the scale of the tasks they perform, the ground forces are divided into formations, units, formations, and subunits.

The formations, according to the classification adopted by the PLA, include: front (highest or operational-strategic wartime formation), combined arms army (operational formation), airborne corps (lower or operational-tactical formation).

The main formations of the PLA field forces are: divisions (infantry, motorized infantry, mechanized, tank), brigades (mountain infantry, tank, artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, airborne, pontoon bridge, engineer and special purpose).

Formations (units) of local troops include infantry divisions, brigades (regiments), including covering the state border and covering the coast.

Combat-ready formations and units of the PLA ground forces, depending on the number of personnel, are divided into formations of types A and B.

In formations and units of type A in peacetime, the presence of military personnel reaches 85–90% of the regular strength, and in type B formations - at least 30% (command and technical personnel only). Military equipment and weapons (at least 80–95% complete) are stored in short-term or long-term storage in military vehicle fleets, and supernumerary (peacetime) small arms and communications equipment are in unit warehouses.

Reserve formations (50 infantry divisions, 100 separate regiments) are maintained in peacetime on a special staff as an organizational and material base for the rapid mobilization deployment of the Armed Forces. They have a cadre of commanding and enlisted personnel on active duty (200–250 people, including 100–120 officers), as well as stored stocks of weapons, military equipment and materiel.

Table 3

Weapons and military equipment ground forces

Weapons and military equipment	Total	Field troops	Local troops
Battle tanks (T-80, T-69, T-59, T-63, T-62, T-34)	9341	9341
Artillery	27258	21786	5472
PA (field artillery) guns	14859	12411	2448
Mortars	8232	5964	2268
MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems)	4167	3411
60 mm mortars	6408	3960	3348
PTS (anti-tank weapons)	17637	11355	6282
ATGM (anti-tank missile systems)	4416	3138	1278
PTA (anti-tank artillery) guns	13221	8217	5004
Anti-aircraft weapons	18828	15302	3526
AFV (armored fighting vehicles)	10019	9209
Army aviation
Helicopters
UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)	Data No

The Chinese Air Force (400 thousand people) is a branch of the armed forces designed for the country's air defense, conducting combat operations together with the strategic missile forces, ground forces and naval forces, as well as for performing individual independent tasks.

Currently, the aircraft fleet is being updated by modernizing older types of aircraft, such as Jian-7 (Mig-21) and Jian-8, and introducing new equipment into service, including Su-27 fighters, Su-30, Jian-P, Il-76 transport aircraft, Hun-6 (Tu-16) tanker aircraft, air-to-ground cruise missiles, air- and space-based early warning systems. The Chinese Air Force is armed with about 4.5 thousand combat aircraft (up to 500–600 units can be carriers of nuclear weapons), of which more than 3 thousand are fighters, and about 200 bombers. The aircraft and helicopter fleet is equipped with machines mainly made in Russia and China - Tu-16, Il-28, MiG-19, MiG-21, Su-27, Il-76, An-2, An-24 or created based on them.

The PLA Air Force includes aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, anti-aircraft artillery and radio engineering troops, as well as special forces units.

Air Force aviation is divided into bomber, reconnaissance, attack, military transport, and fighter aircraft based on its purpose, methods of combat use, flight performance characteristics and armament of aircraft.

Organizationally, the Air Force is consolidated into operational and operational-tactical formations, as well as formations and units.

The operational formations of the Air Force are the Air Forces of military districts, which are intended for air defense of troop groups and the most important objects located on the territory of the district, air support for ground forces and naval forces, and if they include strike aircraft, for hitting important objects in the operational and nearby areas. strategic depth and other tasks.

The air forces of military districts are operationally subordinate to the commanders of the corresponding military districts.

Table 4

Types of weapons adopted by the Air Force

Types of weapons	Total
Missile air defense systems "air-to-air"	100 installations
anti-aircraft guns	16,000 guns
Aircraft:
N-5
N-6 (Tu-16)
J-6 (MiG-19)	2500
J-7 (MiG-21)
J-11 (Su-27)
Su-30MKK
HZ-5 (IL-28)
JZ-6
IL-18
IL-76
Tu-154M
Boeing 737-200
CL-601
Y-5 (An-2)
Y-7 (An-24 and -26)
Y-8 (An-12)
Y-11
Y-12
HY-6
AS-332
Bell 214
Mi-8
Z-5 (Mi-4)
Z-9 (SA-365N)

The operational-tactical formations of the Air Force are Air Force corps, which are intended for air defense of certain zones and, to a limited extent, for air support of ground forces and naval forces. Air Force corps organizationally consist of formations and individual parts fighter aircraft and ground air defense forces. The number of air defense forces is 210 thousand people, they are armed with 100 surface-to-air missiles and over 16 thousand anti-aircraft guns, early warning systems - air defense units of the Air Force are consolidated into 22 regiments.

The Air Force formations are: air divisions (bomber, attack, fighter, transport), each Air Force division numbering 17 thousand people, consists of three regiments. Each regiment consists of three squadrons, each squadron containing three or four aircraft; brigades (anti-aircraft missile, anti-aircraft missile and artillery).

Air Force units include: regiments (aviation, anti-aircraft artillery and radio engineering), airfield technical bases.

The Chinese naval forces make up no more than 12% of the entire PLA (about 250 thousand people, including more than 40 thousand conscript service), they are the world's third largest navy.

The command structure of the Navy consists of the Naval Headquarters (Beijing) and the headquarters of the Northern Fleet (Qingdao), Eastern (Shanghai) and Southern (Zhanjiang). The Navy Headquarters is subordinate to the PLA General Staff. The fleet has its own air defense - numbering 34 thousand people, coast guard detachments - 38 thousand people, naval corps - 56.5 thousand people. The Chinese Navy is designed to defend the coast from enemy attacks from the sea, prevent amphibious landings, protect coastal communications, and also ensure the national interests of the PRC at sea independently or jointly with other types of armed forces.

The naval forces have 125 warships of the main classes, 608 combat aircraft and 32 naval aviation helicopters. To protect the coast, there are a large number of small ships and boats capable of operating in the coastal zone. Coastline The PRC is protected by more than 100 Romeo- and Whiskey-class diesel submarines with limited operational duty time. Within this protective ring and beyond the range of Navy aircraft are destroyers and frigates, armed with Styx-class anti-ship missiles and 130mm guns. If the ring of destroyers and frigates breaks through, the enemy will be attacked by more than 900 high-speed ships. Stormy weather reduces the effectiveness of their use and air support.

The coast is covered by coast guard detachments armed with the Haiyin-2 and Haiyin-4 anti-ship missile systems and anti-ship artillery.

Navy in the mid-1980s. moved from the previous strategy of “coastal defense” to a strategy of “defense in coastal waters”. However, an attempt to implement a new strategy, which required updating the ship's personnel (including the acquisition in Russia of 4 Sovremenny-class destroyers, 12 submarines and other equipment and weapons), due to a lack of funds led to an imbalance between the increased capabilities of the main forces and support means: the PLA Navy still does not have a sufficiently powerful anti-submarine defense potential, and surface ships are vulnerable to air attacks from aircraft and anti-ship missiles. The Chinese Navy does not yet have aircraft-carrying cruisers.

Structurally, the Navy consists of the fleet (submarine and surface forces), aviation (26 thousand people), marine corps (about 10 thousand people) and coast guard troops (28 thousand people).

Organizationally, the Navy is consolidated into the highest operational (operational-strategic), main operational and operational-tactical formations, as well as formations and units.

The highest operational (operational-strategic) formations of the Navy are fleets, which are designed to perform operational-strategic and operational tasks in their assigned operational zones.

Table 5

Types of weapons accepted in the Navy

Types of weapons	Total
Submarines:
Xia class	2 boats armed with ballistic nuclear missiles
Han class	3 boats, with nuclear weapons
Golf class	1 boat (training)
Romeo class	90 boats, diesel
Whiskey class	20 boats, diesel
Ming class	2 boats (training)
Surface vessels:
Luda class	11 destroyers
Anshan class	4 destroyers
Jianghu class	20 frigates
Jiangdong class	2 frigates
Chengdu class	4 frigates
Jiangnan class	5 frigates
Patrol ships	14 ships
Patrol boats	181 boats
Fast patrol vessels	877 ships armed with cannon, rocket launcher or torpedoes
Destroyers	33 ships
Amphibians	613 amphibians
Support ships	49 ships
Icebreaker	4 ships
Tugs	51 ships
Naval Aviation:	8 air divisions (27 ap)
AT 6	50 bombers
AT 5	130 bombers
F-4, F-5, F-6, F-7	600 fighters
"Zhi-8", "Zhi-9S", K-28	32 helicopters
Coast security:
SCRC "Hayin-2 and -4"	35 missile and artillery regiments
100- and 130-mm guns

The main operational formation of the Navy, according to the PLA command, is an operational squadron created in wartime to conduct combat operations in areas of the naval theater of operations remote from their bases. A squadron may include several brigades, separate divisions of surface ships and submarines of various classes, as well as support vessels.

The operational-tactical formation of the Navy is the naval base. It is designed to maintain a favorable operational regime in its assigned operational zone, ensure deployment, return fleet forces to their home bases and restore their combat effectiveness, protect shipping and base fleet forces.

The formations of the Chinese Navy are naval areas, brigades of submarines, surface ships and combat boats, aviation divisions, and a marine brigade.

Naval units include divisions of warships and boats, separate air regiments, coastal missile, coastal artillery, anti-aircraft artillery regiments (separate divisions), and radio engineering regiments.

The People's Armed Militia (PAM) consists of formations, units and divisions of three branches of the military: internal security, border guard and special troops (fire and forestry, production and construction units). The NVM is a paramilitary formation, the personnel of which are guided by general military regulations and instructions, and have the same rights and allowance standards as the army. Number of people: 1.5 million people. Police units are entrusted with the functions of ensuring internal security and public order.

Civil uprising(NO) - is a mass paramilitary organization and is divided into “personnel” and “general” - 36.5 million people. In peacetime, the people's militia performs tasks to maintain public order, and in wartime - defensive tasks and various supporting functions.

An assessment of the potential of China's armed forces gives reason to believe that the Chinese army will not attack either Russia or another country. All activities of the PLA today are determined based on the principle of defense sufficiency, which guarantees reliable protection of national interests.

Galenovich Yu.M. Orders of Jiang Zemin (Principles of foreign and defense policy of modern China). M., 2003. P. 58.

Foreign military review. 2004. No. 1. P. 8.

Galenovich Yu.M. Decree. Op. P. 58; Military-political problems and the armed forces of China // Express-. M., 2004. No. 1. P. 63, 68.

Military-political problems... P. 63, 68.

The military power of China (Report of a special independent group commissioned by the US Council on Foreign Relations) // Central Research Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Vol. 03-025. S. 4.

Military-political problems and the armed forces of China // Express-. M., 2004. No. 1. P. 63, 68.

Foreign military review. 2004. No. 1. P. 65.

“Coastal waters” include the sea area 150–600 nautical miles from the coast, including the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea.

Military-political problems... P. 63, 68.