PLAAF Airborne's new assault brigade

12 months after the last great PLA orbat reform, CCTV airs its first report on PLAAF's assault brigade thus confirming its existence.   Source (here)

央视网消息：作为国防和军队改革后组建的新质作战力量，日前，组建刚刚一年的空军空降兵某空中突击旅首次亮相练兵场，开展多机型伞降训练和空地协同训练，迈开了由传统伞降部队向多能空中突击部队转型的坚实步伐

Saturday, April 29, 2017

15th Airborne Corps' new ORBAT

The CMC decommissioned three divisional headquarters (43rd, 44th and 45th) on April 19th,  their regiments are now reformed into 6 brigades (127th, 128th, 130th, 131st, 133rd, and 134th) directly under the corps headquarters .   Additionally,  there will be a new SpOps Brigade , a Strategic Support Brigade (Engineering, Communication, etc) and an Aviation Brigade(Fixed And Rotary Wing Aircraft) bringing to a total of 9 line brigades. 

Sunday, January 19, 2014

PR Photos of the day: Vertical assault of an PLAAF airborne battalion combined arms battlegroup

Monday, January 18, 2010

15th Airborne Corps (ABC) is testing their vertical envelopment/air mobility capability

The 15th ABC's organic helicopter regiment was first revealed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake rescue work and then by a high profile fly-by during the 60th national day celebration.

It is now time for the 15th to test its newly found air mobility assault capability in a large military exercise. The advantage of air mobile assault over airdrop are many: ranging from entire unit delivery in one place--which immediately allows combat-readiness, precision resupply landings, to on-station fire support from helicopter gunships. In time, it will be interesting to see if a small portion of the 15th ABC will be converted into air-cavalry to enhance the corps' mission profile.

Airborne troops in training

(Source: China Military Online) 2010-01-18
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/photo-reports/2010-01/18/content_4119686.htm
Air-ground coordination

　 　Since the beginning of the training of the new year, a troop unit of the airborne force under the Air Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has organized the comprehensive exercise of live shell, actual-airdrop and actual-explosion strictly in accordance with the new Outline of Military Training and Evaluation. During the exercise, it stressed training on such subjects as command and control, airborne landing and airdrop, fire strike and comprehensive support, in a bid to enhance the core military capability of the troops. Shown in the pictures are some scenes of the troop unit in training.

　　By Wang Haitao

Editor:Yang Ru

PR photos of the day: Liaoning's routine exercise at Bashi Channel in the western Pacific

PR exercise photos taken after the grand naval review

Photos of the day: Night flight training, 80th LH Briagde

Note the Digital Helmet-Mounted Display with fully digital integrated night vision sight.

CV17 prepares her first sea trials

Crowd gathers in Qingdao to witness CV17 prepares her first sea trials.

Photo of the day: 73rd LH Brigade (former 10th LH Regiment), the first PLA operator of the new WZ-19 millimeter wave radar platform variant

Maintenance men assigned to an army aviation brigade under the PLA 73rd Group Army conduct phase maintenance on Z-19 attack helicopters on April 9, 2018. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Li Shilong)

 

Thursday, April 05, 2018

Photos of the day: WZ-19 millimeter wave radar platform variant inducted into PLA Army Aviation service

This Chinese "AH-64D Apache Light" variant featuring a millimeter wave radar platform similar to that of An/APG-78 Longbow made its first pubic debut at the 2017 China Helicopter Expo.   The new millimeter wave radar is geared to improve WZ19's target acquisition as well as its reconnaissance capability.

Existing WZ-19 already in service can be retrofitted with this new millimeter wave radar enhancement in due course.


Photo credit goes to DS北风

CGI artist impression of the day: CV17 Shandong

Animated gif of the day: China commissioned a new intermediate-range ballistic missile brigade

PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) commissioned a new DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile brigade according Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

http://eng.mod.gov.cn/news/2018-04/16/content_4809589.htm

China's rocket force embraces new medium-long range ballistic missile


Source：China Military Online Editor：Huang Panyue 2018-04-16

BEIJING, April 16 (ChinaMil) -- The Rocket Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army commissioned days ago a new medium-long range missile system to a newly-established missile brigade. The brigade is forming overall combat capability with the new missile system.

The medium-long range ballistic missile system is developed by China and has complete independent intellectual property rights.

The missile system, capable of firing both nuclear and conventional weapons, is able to conduct rapid nuclear counterattacks and carry out conventional medium and long range precision strikes against important land targets and large and medium-sized ships at sea.

As a new comer of the strategic deterrence and strike force system of the Chinese armed forces, the new medium-long range missile plays an important role in the killer weapons of the PLA combat troops.

In recent years, the PLA Rocket Force has vigorously strengthened its nuclear counterattack and medium-long range precision strike capabilities with multiple new types of missile systems put into service.

Afghanistan's Haneef Atmar Asks China To Help Establish A ‘Mountain Brigade’

https://www.tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan/nsa-asks-china-help-establish-%E2%80%98mountain-brigade%E2%80%99

National Security Adviser Haneef Atmar has wrapped up a three-day official visit to China where he held talks with a number of high-ranking officials, including China’s Vice President Wang Qishan.

Atmar also met with Li Zuocheng, the Chinese Army Chief of Staff, and discussed a range of issues, including security and military relations and cooperation between Afghanistan and China.

The national security advisor said in order to monitor and avoid terrorist activities in the mountainous areas on the border with China, “there is a need to establish an Afghan mountain bridge and requested China's security leadership to equip and support the establishment of mountains forces.”

In addition, Atmar reportedly also insisted on the start of the second round of bilateral military cooperation dialogue between Afghanistan and China as soon as possible. He also urged the Chinese chief of army staff to visit Afghanistan.

Atmar also meanwhile met with Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, and discussed China's constructive and vital role in the Afghan peace process, bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, which will be held in June.

Minister Wang Yi said China considers Afghanistan a key neighbor. He also reaffirmed China's continued support and long term relationship with Afghanistan, Atmar tweeted late Friday.

Hi-res photo of the day: J-15 carrier-based multirole fighter two-seater variant prototype 561

Note the tailhook.   

Saturday, January 04, 2014

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2014/01/j-15s-buddy-centerline-refueling-store.html
 

J-15's buddy centerline refueling store

Here is one potential solution to the challenge of limited takeoff weight and range of Short take-off but arrested-recovery (STOBAR) carrier borne aircraft -- Give them a “hard point mounted fuel pod with a hose-and-drogue system” (a.k.a buddy store) This arrangement  allows carrier borne aircraft to increase their combat range as well as their take-off weight without the need of a dedicated tanker support.


Judging from the following public release photos of China’s Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark, such a buddy store is available to the Chinese Naval Aviators, assuming that they have mastered the mid-air refueling techniques of course. Given the fact that the J15 is based on the Russian SU-33, the Shangyang buddy store bears resemblance to the UPAZ-1A Sakhalin centerline refueling store series currently available in the international arms market.

Prototype 556

SU-33's UPAZ-1A at play

 

5th PLAN Marine Brigade update (4/12/2018)

Recon elements of the 5th Marine Brigade just received its Lynx 8x8 All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) .   The fact that they are issued ATV instead of dedicated amphibious IFV is a telling story of what their intended role will be.

Photo credit goes to Andrew KC

Note some of the smurfs are still sporting 1970's old "steel helm"

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

The 5th PLAN Marine Briagde is here

It just completed its first field deployment drill in minus ten degrees near its home port of Qingdao (here).   The 1st and 2nd PLAN Marine Brigades are home-ported in Zhanjiang, South Sea Fleet.  Since the 5th Marine Briagde is in Qingdao, it is likely under the North Sea Fleet.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

PLAN Marine Orbat Update, Dec 23rd 2017

If the great "Chinese Internet" is to be believed, a total of 5 new PLAN Marine combat brigades will be commissioned to support PLA's “New Historic Missions”.  They are to supplement the existing 1st and 2nd Marine Brigades.   The new outfits are:  3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and Marine SpOps Brigade.

The Fourth PLAN Marine Brigade

High-res photo of the day: China's naval parade

When you got it flaunt it

The Chinese PLA Navy holds a grand maritime parade in the South China Sea on Tuesday morning. It is the largest naval parade ever carried out by the Chinese PLA Navy, with 48 ships and 76 aircraft taking part in. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), inspected the whole event. (ChinaMil / Photo by Mo Xiaoliang)