PR photos of the day: Blue Smurf In Action

The fifth Type 071 LPD

With all those new Smurf units and heavy equipment coming online, makes you wonder if they are all smurfed-up with nowhere to go.   Need not worry -- the fifth Type 071LPD 980 is commissioning soon with the East Sea Fleet/Central Theater Command to provide extra sea-lift capacity to the PLAN/

LPD 980 "龙虎山/Dragon and Tiger Mountain"  oh what a name!

PLAN Marine's two new wheeled light tanks

One is the standard ZBL09 as noted by my previous blog posts, the other one seems to be a mod with a different pair of water jets being the most notable feature.  Smoke grenade launchers also relocated to mid-turret in this mod.

Technically speaking ZBL09 is an assault gun. Then again, what do I know?

Sunday, February 18, 2018

PLAN Marine training with ZBL09 wheeled IFV

One of the newly commissioned PLAN Marine units is seen here training with ZBL09 wheeled IFV..   Perhaps they are just waiting for their AAAV to arrive, or they are not intended to "storm the beach" like their 1st and 2nd Marine Brigade counterparts but rather fan-out rapidly after a beachhead is secured.    But one thing is certain -- they are willing to trade armor protection for speed.

As a side note, the PLAN Marine stationed in Djibouti here is also sporting the same wheel based ZBL09

ZTL09 Wheeled light tank is also spotted

Saturday, January 14, 2017

ZTL09 8x8 Wheeled Light Tank to the PLAN Marine??

ZTL09 8x8 Wheeled Light Tanks sporting the now-famous "Blue Smurf" camo were spotted in Sanya City, near the HQ of the PLAN Marine.  Rumor has it that they are now getting those wheeled new toys to increase their mobility for MOOTW and non-amphibious operations.  Time will tell.

Photos of the day: PLA's new super ugly camo for mountain artillery and engineering troops

PLAN to transfer its last Type 053H2G FFG 542 Tongling to boost the The Sri Lankan Navy

FFG 542, the last of the Jiangwei I class, is ready to join the Sri Lankan Navy with a new pennant of P625.  With a displacement of 2500 tons she will be largest naval vessels at her new home.


Her three older sisters transferred to Coast Guard three years, her departure will mark the end of Jiangwei I class in PLAN service.  

PR photos of the day: SCO Peace Mission 2018: Pakistan, India conduct first joint anti-terror exercise in Russia

The Pakistan contingent comprises 110 members, while the strength of the Chinese contingent is of 748 personnel
    The 200-member strong Indian contingent has 167 Indian Army personnel including four women officers and 33 personnel from the Indian Air Force

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/sco-exercise-peace-mission-2018-pakistan-india-conduct-first-joint-anti-terror-exercise-in-russia/

Pakistan
by Dawood Rehman | Published on August 24, 2018 (Edited August 24, 2018) 🔗

MOSCOW – In a first such event, military personnel from India and Pakistan are participating in an anti-terrorism exercise organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Russia.

The six-day SCO drills, which have brought the two countries together for the Exercise Peaceful Mission 2018, will continue till August 29 at Chebarkul town in Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia.

The exercise is aimed at enhancing cooperation between member states to deal with the growing threat of terrorism and extremism.

Around 3,000 soldiers from India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are taking part in the exercise.

The Pakistan contingent comprises 110 members, while the strength of the Chinese contingent is of 748 personnel.

The 200-member strong Indian contingent has 167 Indian Army personnel including four women officers and 33 personnel from the Indian Air Force.

The opening ceremony of the peace mission exercise was conducted at the Combined Arms Range at Chebarkul. It started with a speech by Central Military District Commander Col Gen Alexander Lapin, the Exercise Chief, who exhorted the participating troops to execute all tasks allotted to them in a professional manner.

The meet was declared open with the hoisting of national flags of all member nations, accompanied by respective national anthems. Contingent commanders also addressed the gathering followed by an impressive march past.

The SCO Peace Mission Exercise takes place every two years.

The Peace Mission 2018 also created history when for the first time as four major military powers of the region – China, Russia, India and Pakistan – are participating in the same military drill.

In previous editions, only Central Asian nations participated.

Pakistan and India were given the status of full members of SOC in 2017.

With India and Pakistan joining the exercise, SCO’s counter-terrorism mission has expanded to South Asia, a region in a grip of terrorism and extremism.