# Army Academy of Armored Forces

People's Liberation Army Army Academy of Armored Forces, usually called the Army Academy of Armored Forces (MOE 91006) is the primary academic training institution for officers and NCOs of the armored forces of the PLAGF, with a deputy-corps grade. The academy is a comprehensive higher education institution that trains military command officers, staff officers, technical support officers; and command management, maintenance, and security non-commissioned officers for all the PLAGF armored forces. It was formed in 2017 by merging three previous educational institutions, so its main campus is located in Beijing, its largest campus is located in Bengbu, and its NCO School is located in Changchun.

## History

PLA Armored Forces College (中国人民解放军装甲兵学院)
* 1950, the PLA 3rd Regiment of the 1st Tank Division was formed into the "PLA Tank College". 1 November 1950, the college held its founding ceremony at the Guangming cinema in Tianjin. It was originally located in Machangdao district, Tianjin City, before being moved to Changxindian, Beijing.
* March 1951, it was renamed the "PLA First Combat Vehicle School". It held eight classes a day, plus two hours of self-study after dinner. There were 13 cadet teams, and one rotational training team. Most team focused on command treating, except team number 12, which was the only mechanical team, dedicated to technical services. The courses included tactics, shooting, technology, communication, military topography, engineering, military chemistry, and mechanical drawing. The technical course focused on the structure of the tank, the structure of the four major systems of the engine, the working principles of the components, driving and repair, clamping, riveting, welding, etc. The types of tanks studied were the 42-tons IS2 Stalin heavy tank, the 32-ton T-34 medium tank, 16-ton light self-propelled artillery, and other Soviet equipment. The tank driving training course used auxiliary vehicles, mostly various types of armored vehicles seized from Japan during the war years.
* March 1953, it was renamed "PLA First Tank School"。
* Feb 1969, during the Cultural Revolution, the First Tank School was dissolved.。
* Dec 1978，the CMC authorized the reformation of the PLA Tank School, now located in Su County, Anhui province.
* 1982年7月，The school was relocated to the city of Bengbu in Anhui.
* 1986年6月，It was upgraded to the "PLA Bengbu Tank Academy"。
* 2011年11月，It was upgraded to "PLA Armored Forces Academy", of deputy corps grade. The Academy was a comprehensive educational unit for all command and staff personnel in the PLA armored forces, including training of new recruits, current cadres, and rotation training.。
* 2016, the college was transferred from the authority of the PLA General Staff to direct jurisdiction of the PLAGF.。
PLA Armored Forces Engineering College (中国人民解放军装甲兵工程学院)
* 1961, taking the armored forces engineering department of the National Defense Technology University, the PLA Armored Forces Engineering College was established in Xi'an.
* PLA Second Tank School: in 1952, units from the 184th infantry division, the 26th armored division, 51st tank regiment and 52 tank regiment were merged into the "PLA Second Combat Vehicle School". In 1953 it was renamed "Second Tank School". In 1969, the School was abolished and the majority of its members joined and helped establish the PLA Tank Technology School.
* 1969, the Armored Force Engineering College, the Second Tank School, and the Fifth Tank Technical School were merged into the PLA Tank Technical School, based in Beijing. It was one of the earliest units in the PLA to open to foreign countries, enrolling foreign students in 1971.
* 1976, it was renamed "PLA Armored Forces Technical School".
* 1978, it was upgraded to the "PLA Armored Forces Technology College".
* 1986, it was renamed "PLA Armored Forces Engineering College", and given a deputy corps grade. The college was made a "Project 2110" institution, one of the selected higher education units given priority by the state.
* May 1999, it was organizationally transferred from the PLA General Staff to the PLA Equipment Department.
* 2004, The Armored Technology Institute was merged with the college.
* 2016, as part of the 2015 military reforms, the college was transferred from the PLA Equipment Department to direct control of the PLAGF.。
Army Academy of Armored Forces (中国人民解放军陆军装甲兵学院)
* In 2017, the Army Academy of Armored Forces was created by merging the PLA Armored Forces College in Bengbu, the PLA Armored Forces Engineering College in Beijing, and the PLA Armored Forces Technical College in Changchun. On August 1, 2017, on the anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, the new Academy held its opening ceremony, with events in all three campuses carried out simultaneously.

## Organization

The identified units of the Army Academy of Armored Forces are:

### Academic departments

* Mechanical Engineering (机械工程)
* Control Engineering (控制工程)
* Arms Engineering (兵器工程)
* Equipment Command and Management (装备指挥与管理系)
* Technical Support Engineering (技术保障工程)
* Information Engineering (信息工程)
* Equipment Rebuilding Engineering (装备再制造工程)
* Foreigners Military Training (外训系)

### Key labs

* Two Key Laboratories of National Defense Technology (国防科技重点实验室)
* Three all-Armed Forces Key Laboratories (全军重点实验室)

### Research Labs

One National Engineering Center (国家工程中心) One National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center (国家级实验教学示范中心) Two research stations: Armament Science and Technology (兵器科学 与技术), and Materials Science and Engineering (材料科学与工程)

### Armored Equipment Technology Institute (装甲兵装备技术研究所)

The former Engineering College hosts the Institute, which is the only comprehensive research center for armored equipment of the PLA, and also operates as the "quality inspection station" and "security research center" of new tanks and armored vehicles introduced by the PLA. Its subordinated unit, the Armored Equipment Technology Testing Grounds, established in 1960, is the only testing and certification facility for armored vehicles and tanks in the PLA. In 1970, the Testing Grounds opened a satellite test site in Tahe County, Heilongjiang province, in order to test armored equipment in cold environments. As of 2016, the Testing Grounds has done the testing and certification of all Chinese armored vehicles, from the Type 59 tank to the most recent additions like the Type 15 tank.

## Courses and Specialties

The academy grants associate, bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees, plus courses for retraining officers, mid-career courses, and other specialization courses. As of 2020, on the three broad disciplines of engineering, management, and military science, the Academy has: 6 post-doctoral research stations, 5 first-level doctoral programs, 19 second-level doctoral programs; 6 first-level, 3 secondary, and 8 specialist master's degrees, and 50 general master's programs; the academy has 18 undergraduate majors.
The 11 undergraduate majors enrolling the initial class in 2017 were:
* Mechanical Engineering (机械工程)
* Electrical Engineering and Automation (电气工程及其自动化)
* Communications Engineering (通信工程)
* Optoelectronic Science and Engineering (光电信息科学与工程)
* Weapon Systems and Applications Engineering (武器系统与运用工程)
* Armored Vehicles Engineering (装甲车辆工程)
* Combat Command (作战指挥)
* Firepower Command and Control Engineering (火力指挥与控制工程)
* Unmanned Systems Engineering (无人系统工程)
* Command Communication Systems Engineering (指挥信息系统工程)
* Simulations Engineering (仿真工程)

## Leadership

PLA Armored Forces College (中国人民解放军装甲兵学院)
PLA Armored Forces Engineering College (中国人民解放军装甲兵工程学院)
Army Academy of Armored Forces