“Yunzhong Post" of Zhanniangshe, Shigatse Military Subdistrict, Tibet. 4655 meters above sea level

 

15th airborn showing off their new look

 

A new must-read by Ken Allen: Commanders of the PLA Air Force

 

In the era of great power competition, it is important to understand all of the actors. Not just organizations and structure, but people as well. On 27 August 2017, Lieutenant General Ding Laihang became the 12th Commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force (PLAAF) since 1949. He received his third star with the rank of General in July 2019.i He is expected to remain in this billet until the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Party Congress in October 2022, at which time he will meet his mandatory retirement age of 65.

While the PLA is organized differently from the U.S. Air Force, and those of our allies and partners around the world, and it isn’t a one to one match with the U.S., it is important to understand who leads the PLA’s Air Force, where he came from, and who might succeed him.

This report provides an overview of General Ding’s predecessors, his career, how PLAAF Commanders are selected, and the role that the PLA Air Force
Commander plays. It also makes a prediction about the officers who might be eligible to replace him in 2022 are.

We hope you find this volume helpful in parsing the PLA’s leadership, and understanding some of the counterparts to our own aerospace forces.

Click here for the full report

Happy Chinese New Year

 

Photos of the day: Type15 Light Tank and its 105mm tungsten based APFSDS-T round

 

Forever Y-5, still in service with the China Air Force for anti desertification aerial seeding

 China Air Force Unit: 3rd Transportation and SAR Regiment, Western Theater Command

 

 

Photos of the day: VN-1C of the the Royal Thai Army

38 VN-1C were ordered in 2017 and they now have been commissioned to the a CAV regiment. 

 

 

TOE update: Artillery Regiment, 8th Motorized Infantry Division, Xinjiang MD

 upgraded its 152mm Type 66 with PCL181 Truck-mounted 155 mm gun-howitzer 

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Artillery Regiment, 11th Combined-Arms Division , Xinjiang Military District, Western Theater Command

 received its PCL181 155mm truck mounted SPH upgrade to replace her old PL66 152mm towed howitzer.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

One more PCL181 155mm truck mounted SPH unit identified

(Source here)

Military vehicles attached to an artillery brigade under the PLA 74th Group Army conduct a convoy maneuver under strange and complicated terrain conditions on June 7, 2020. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Huang Hai) 

Thus far, there are a total of four such PCL181 equipped artillery brigades confirmed, they are:

- 74th Artillery Brigade, 74th Group Army, Southern Theater Command (former 1st Artillery Division, 42nd Group Army) (from above)

-75th Artillery Brigade, 75th Group Army, Southern Theater Command

-73rd  Artillery Brigade, 73th Group Army, Eastern Theater Command

-308th Independent Artillery Brigade, Tibet Military District