What’s the real message in this PLAN SSBN photo?

At first glance, the picture below of a Type "09 4A" or Type "09 IV A" SSBN from a South China Sea naval base is not a sign you see everyday. But after a closer look, the real draw may be the group of senior NCOs marching in front of it. These are middle‑aged NCO technical specialists, the long‑serving professionals who keep one of China’s most sensitive strategic assets operational.

In the PLA Navy, especially within the submarine force, senior NCOs are the institutional memory and the technical backbone. They’re the ones who master the arcane systems, train successive generations of sailors, and ensure that a platform as complex as an SSBN can actually perform its deterrence mission. Their presence in a formal group portrait signals something deeper: a deliberate effort to highlight the human infrastructure behind China’s sea‑based nuclear capability.
 

 

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

High Res Photos Of The Day: Type 094/"09 4" SSBN Ballistic Missile Submarine

Actually in Chinese, this class of SSBN enjoys the designation of "Type9,  Fourth Variant",  not "Type Ninety-four" as commonly known by NATO members.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Photos of the day: SSBN convention at Hainan

No need to adjust your lens;  everything is just as it seems as there are three 094 Jin Class SSBN parked at Hainan.

PLA's Strategic Airlift Capability On Display

 A recent CCTV report shows the 2nd and 6th battalions being airlifted aboard Y‑20 strategic transport aircraft. Based on their LX designations, these units is the 12th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade, 76th Group Army, Western Theater Command.  A formation oriented toward Central Asia and a certain nation located south of Tibet.

This development is not surprising in itself. The PLA has spent years investing heavily in strategic airlift capabilities, particularly the Y‑20 program, to ensure rapid reinforcement of Tibet under both anticipated and unforeseen contingencies involving that South Asian neighbor. What is notable now is that long‑discussed concepts are visibly transitioning from theory into operational practice.

 

 

Friday, October 11, 2024

PLAAF Unit Of The Day: 37th Regiment, 13th Transport Aviation Division, Central Theater Command Air Force HQ

 Home to 28 Y-20 strategic airlifter of the PLAAF as of Oct 11th. 

https://china-defense.blogspot.com/2020/04/plaafs-airlft-to-wuhan.html

Saturday, April 04, 2020

PLAAF's airlift to Wuhan

During the height of the COVID-19 fight early Feb 20210, the Chinese Military dispatched more then 4,000 medical personnel to Wuhan (link)

The 2,600 military medical personnel are drawn from the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force, Joint Logistic Support Force and Armed Police Force. According to the above two hospitals’ treatment capacity and construction progress, the military medical personnel will be deployed in batches. The first group of 1,400 personnel has arrived in Wuhan on February 13 and scheduled to carry out medical treatment as soon as possible.

Most of them were airlifted via a fleet of 11 transports "Y-20 (4th Division 12th Regiment), IL-76 (13th Division) and Y-9 (4th Division 10th Regiment) (link)"



At the same time, PLA's Joint Logistic Support Force also procured 10,000 protective suits for military medical personnel each day, and over two million face masks have been imported from around the world. (link)

 3xY-20,  5xIL-76 and 3xY-9

Tracked IFV as De-icer

Back in 2008, southern China was hit by one of the worst ice storms in decades, so severe that the Guangzhou Military Region had to deploy tracked infantry fighting vehicles to clear the roads. Type 62 light tanks, Type 63 APCs, and Type 82 Armored Recovery Vehicles were all sent out to break through the frozen terrain.

It’s a vivid reminder that in the land of "ice" and "ICE", different societies take very different approaches to using “armed” assets for tasks far outside their original purpose/or unintended consequence if you will