An Army At Sea

Besides the PLAN, the Army also has an organic fleet for amphibious operations. Curious to see what "combat team" means.

Army vessels conduct exercise on sea

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/china-military-news/2010-03/19/content_4156420.htm

(Source: PLA Daily) 2010-03-19

　　At the beginning of the Year of Tiger, a vessel group of the Nanjing Military Area Command (MAC) of the PLA staged a maritime joint combat exercise in complex electromagnetic environment in a sea area of the East China Sea, symbolizing the leap of the army vessel troop unit from a “support team” to a “combat team”.

　　Since the founding of the team 8 years ago, the team has gradually gotten rid of the traditional mode of self-training, self-examination and self-assessment and actively carried out trans-theatre training, trans-sea-area support and trans-arm-and-service cooperation. It carried out joint trainings and joint exercises with more than 30 specialized teams of 10-plus arms and services in succession.

　　When it took back a batch of new equipment last November, it organized trainings on a multiple of key and difficult subjects including night navigation, navigation under foggy condition, navigation in the sea area with submerged reef, and navigation by breaking the ice in its voyage of more than 1,000 nautical miles.

　　In recent years, the team participated in 40-plus key exercises and trainings in succession with a total voyage of more than 240,000 nautical miles, and transported troops for more than 80,000 persons/times and heavy equipment for more than 3,000 units. Therefore, it was awarded the title of “Outstanding Unit in Military Training” by the general headquarters/departments of the PLA and the Nanjing MAC.

　　By Ni Minzhi and Duan Yaohui

Editor:Yang Ru

Landing and Support Ships of the Nanjing MR