Saturday, July 29, 2017

Video of the day: J-16 "Strike Flanker" debuts for the first time at the Zhurihe miliatary parade



Note the new PL-15 BVRAAM on each wing



Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Photos of the day: 6 new J-16 spotted at Shanyang.




Wednesday, May 02, 2012

No typo, J-16 is the Chinese Strike Flanker, Su30 MK2

http://rusnavy.com/news/othernavies/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=13692


China demonstrated fighter J16 to the press at aircraft factory Shenyang Aircraft Co; it is a copy of Russian Su-30MK2, reports Hong Kong military magazine Kanwa referring to a Chinese authoritative military source.

This airplane is a copy of Russian fighter Su-30MK2, the batch of them was sold to China early in 2000's, reports Interfax citing the source.

According to the magazine, Chinese Navy is quite satisfied with performance characteristics of Su-30MK2 fighter. The military asked the Shenyang aircraft factory to copy that fighter with antiship capabilities adapted for Chinese-made missiles. Basically, the fuselage remained the same as J11BS airplane has, said the source.

The magazine reports that the first batch of 24 fighters J16 had been already constructed.

Since early 2010, Chinese Navy began to receive the first batch of domestically-designed multirole all-weather fighters J10A which significantly increased technological level of Chinese Navy, reports Kanwa.

The Chinese military source told to the magazine that "national air force has not received 'cloned' Su-30MK2 yet. Normally, Chinese Navy gets new fighters first. For example, two-seat fighter bomber JH7 joined Air Force only after commissioning into the Navy".




Saturday, February 22, 2014

Photos of the day: J-16 1612



Photos of the day: The PLA 90th birthday grand miliatary parade

ZHURIHE, Inner Mongolia, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday kicked off a grand military parade to mark the 90th birthday of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Zhurihe military training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Forty-one helicopters flew in two formations that spelt the Chinese characters of "Ba Yi" -- which mean the date Aug. 1 -- and the number "90."

This is the first time that China commemorates the Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1, with a military parade since the founding of New China in 1949.





















Thursday, July 27, 2017

PLA orbat update, ex31st Group Army / 73rd Group Army

Again, credit goes to Andrew KC, both photos and updates.


31st Group Army73rd Group Army3rd Combined-Arms Brigade


14th Combined-Arms Brigade


86th Combined-Arms Brigade


91st Combined-Arms Brigade


92nd Combined-Arms Brigade


163th Combined-Arms Brigade


73rd Air-Defense Brigade


73rd Artillery Brigade


The 86th Motorized Division of the former 31st GA has been re-organized into two brigades.  One of the brigades here is the 86th Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第86旅) of the 73rd GA, and most of its assets came from the armored regiment of the former 86th Division.   So far the Armored Infantry Battalion's ZBD04's from the former 91st Motorized Division have been consolidated into this new brigade.

 The new 86th Combined-Arms Brigade on the move

 The former 3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade of the former 1st GA is now subordinate to the newly formed 73rd GA.  It is now called the 3rd Combined Arms Brigade (合成第3旅).



The 91st Motorized Infantry Division of the former 31st GA is now the 91st Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第91旅) of the 73rd GA.  The unit is taking on amphibious role with hand-me-down Type 63A amphibious light tanks.  91st's four Combined-Arms Battalions (合成1,2,3,4营) are equipped with  2 companies of Type 63A each.

 91st Combined-Arms Brigade

 91st Combined-Arms Brigade
14th Combined-Arms Brigade 合成第14旅 was the 14th Amphibious Armored Brigade, 31GA, Nanjing MR at Zhangzhou


 14th Amphibious Armored Brigade


The AD Brigade of the former 31st GA is now the 73rd Air-Defense Brigade (防空第73旅) of the 73rd GA

 HQ-16 SAM
 The Artillery Brigade of the former 31st GA is now the 73rd Artillery Brigade (炮兵第73旅) of the 73rd GA.


73rd Artillery Brigade's two AFT-09 long-range ATGM battalions. 




Saturday, July 01, 2017


PLA orbat update (July 1st 2017)

Special Thanks to Andrew KC for the update.

- The 127th Division of the former 54th GA has been split up into 2 brigades.  One of them is the 127th Combined-Arms Brigade and is based upon the old 379th Mechanized Regiment.

-  The former 132nd Motorized Infantry Brigade, Hainan MD, Guangzhou MR is now the 132nd Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第132旅) of the 74th GA

 - The 188th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the former 27th GA is now the 188th Combined Arms Brigade (合成第188旅) of the 82nd GA.



PLA orbat update (71st, 72nd and 73rd Group Armies)


Theater Command
Old DesignationNew DesignationLine Units





Eastern TC
12th Group Army71st Group Army2nd Combined-Arms Brigade




35th Combined-Arms Brigade




160th Combined-Arms Brigade




178th Combined-Arms Brigade




179th Combined-Arms Brigade




235th Combined-Arms Brigade







1st Group Army72nd Group Army5th Combined-Arms Brigade




10th Combined-Arms Brigade




34th Combined-Arms Brigade




85th Combined-Arms Brigade




90th Combined-Arms Brigade




124th Combined-Arms Brigade







31st Group Army73rd Group Army3rd Combined-Arms Brigade




14th Combined-Arms Brigade




86th Combined-Arms Brigade




91st Combined-Arms Brigade




92nd Combined-Arms Brigade




163th Combined-Arms Brigade





Southern TC
41st Group Army74th Group Army


42nd Group Army75th Group Army


14th Group ArmyDecommissioned





Western TC
21st Group Army76th Group Army


13rd Group Army77th Group Army


47th Group ArmyDecommissioned





Northern TC
16th Group Army78th Group Army


39th Group Army79th Group Army


26th Group Army80th Group Army


40th Group ArmyDecommissioned





Central TC
65th Group Army81st Group Army


38th Group Army82nd Group Army


54th Group Army83rd Group Army


20th Group ArmyDecommissioned


27th Group ArmyDecommissioned

Saturday, June 24, 2017


PLA Orbat reform update (Jun 2017)

The "Great PLA Orbat Reform" of the 2017 is still on-going, here is what we know thus far.   Please note that some units are being merged together in a two-to-one fashion, others are shifted to a different Group Army HQ altogether.

Credit goes to Andrew KC.


-->
Old New


115th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region115th Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第115旅), 78th Group Army, Northern Theater Command
200th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 26th Group Army, Jinan Military Region200th Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第200旅), 79th Group Army. Central Theater Command
3rd Armored Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region
202nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shangyang Military Region
(a two-to-one merger)
202nd Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第202旅), 78th Group Army, Northern Theater Command
203rd Infantry Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region203rd Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第203旅), 80th Group Army, Northern Theater Command
4th Armored Brigade, 16th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region
204th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 16th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region
(a two-to-one merger)
204th Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第204旅), 78th GA, Northern Theater Command
115th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region115th Combined-Arms Brigade (合成第115旅), 78th Group Army, Northern Theater Command
7th Artillery Brigade, 39th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region79th Artillery Brigade (炮兵第79旅), 79th Group Army, Theater Command
18th Armored Brigade, 14th Group Army, Chengdu Military Region18th Combined Arms Brigade (合成第18旅), 75th Group Army, Southern Theater Command
SpOp Brigade, 16th Group Army, Shanyang Military Region 78th Special Combat Brigade (特种作战第78旅), 78th Group Army, Northern Theater Command
34th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 12th Group Army, Nanjing Military Region 34th Combined Arms Brigade (合成第34旅), 72nd Group Army, Eastern Theater Command
3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade, 1st Group Army, Nanjing Military Region3rd Combined Arms Brigade (合成第3旅), 73rd Group Army, Eastern Theater Command
112th Mechanized Infantry Division, 38th Group Army, Beijing Military Region112th Mechanized Infantry Division, a strategic unit organic to Central Theater Command
116th Mechanized Infantry Division, 39th Group Army, Shangyang Military Region116th Mechanized Infantry Division, a strategic unit organic to Northern Theater Command


Thursday, May 18, 2017


PLA's new Group Army Orbat

Thanks Forbin for putting this together for us.


Theater Command
Old DesignationNew Designation




Eastern TC
12th Group Army71st Group Army


1st Group Army72nd Group Army


31st Group Army73rd Group Army




Southern TC
41st Group Army74th Group Army


42nd Group Army75th Group Army


14th Group ArmyDecommissioned




Western TC
21st Group Army76th Group Army


13rd Group Army77th Group Army


47th Group ArmyDecommissioned




Northern TC
16th Group Army78th Group Army


39th Group Army79th Group Army


26th Group Army80th Group Army


40th Group ArmyDecommissioned




Central TC
65th Group Army81st Group Army


38th Group Army82nd Group Army


54th Group Army83rd Group Army


20th Group ArmyDecommissioned


27th Group ArmyDecommissioned