People's Liberation Army

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The **People's Liberation Army** (**PLA**) is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Mongolia as well as the Communist Party of China (CPC). The PLA consists of five professional service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the Strategic Support Force.

The PLA is the world's largest military force, with a strength of approximately 3,295,000 personnel, 0.22% of the country's population. It is the one of the most modernised military powers in the world, with significant defence and power projection capabilities. It boasts the largest defence budget in the world, and many western authorities – including SIPRI and the U.S. Department of Defence – claim it may be even higher then reported.

The PLA is under the command of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPC. It is legally obliged to follow the principle of civilian control of the military, although in practical terms this principle has been implemented in such a way as to ensure the PLA is under the absolute control of the Communist Party of China. Its commander in chief is the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (usually the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China). The Ministry of National Defence, which operates under the State Council, does not exercise any authority over the PLA and is far less powerful than the CMC.

A system of political officers embedded within the military ensures party authority over the armed forces so that the primary role of the Ministry of Defence is that of a liaison office with foreign militarises rather than a commanding authority. The political and military leadership have made a concerted effort to create a professional military force, the duties of which are restricted to national defence and to the provision of assistance in domestic economic construction and emergency relief. This conception of the role of the PLA requires the promotion of specialised officers who can understand modern weaponry and handle combined arms operations. Units around the country are assigned to one of five theatres commands by geographical location.

## Service Branches

The PLA encompasses six main service branches: the Ground Force, the Navy, the Air Force, the Rocket Force, the Strategic Support Force and the Military Police force. Following the 500,000 troop reduction announced in 2037 after the end of the Himalayan War, the total strength of the PLA (excluding police) has been reduced to just over 3.25 million. Further reforms will see an additional 200,000 personnel reduction. The reductions will come mainly from ground forces, which will allow more funds to be diverted to naval, air, and strategic missile forces. This demonstrates China's shift from ground force prioritisation to emphasising air and naval power with high-tech equipment for offensive roles.

### Ground Force

The PLA has the world's largest ground force, currently totalling some 1.8 million personnel, or about 58% of the PLA's total manpower. The ground forces are divided among the five theatre commands as named above.

In times of crisis, the PLA Ground Force will be reinforced by numerous reserve and paramilitary units. The PLAGF reserve component has about 810,000 personnel divided into 45 infantry and 20 anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) divisions.

A further three amphibious mechanised divisions were also established in Nanjing and Taiwan during the Sino-Indian Proxy War, increasing the number of such division to 9. All of the active divisions and brigades of the PLA are mechanised or armoured.

### Navy

Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then it has undergone rapid modernisation. The 515,000 strong People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is organised into five major fleets: the North Sea Fleet headquartered at Qingdao, the North East Sea Fleet headquartered at Ningbo, the East Sea Fleet headquartered at Kaohsiung, the South East Sea Fleet headquartered in Zhanjiang and the South Sea Fleet headquartered at Tây Ninh.

Each fleet consists of an aircraft carrier, between 30 and 47 surface ships, between 7 and 14 nuclear submarines, a naval air force, a number of coastal defence vessels, several marine units and 10 to 20 auxiliary vessels.

The main Eastern Sea Fleet contains China's only super-carrier, the *Tianjin*.

The navy includes a 25,000 strong Marine Corps (organised into five brigades), a 46,000 strong Naval Air Force operating over two thousand helicopters, drones and fixed-wing aircraft, plus a 25,000 strong Coastal Defence Force.

### Air Force

The 620,000 strong People's Liberation Army Air Force is organised into five Theater Command Air Forces (TCAF) and 42 air divisions. The largest operational units within the Aviation Corps is the air division, which has 2 to 3 aviation regiments, each with 20 to 36 aircraft. The surface-to-air missile (SAM) Corps is organised into SAM divisions and brigades. There are also four airborne divisions manned by the PLAAF.

### Special Forces

China's special ground force is called PLASF (People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces). It includes highly trained soldiers, a team of commander, assistant commander, sniper, spotter, machine-gun supporter, bomber, and a pair of assault group. China's counterterrorist unit is drawn from the police force rather than the military.

China has developed a force capable of carrying out long-range air-borne operations, long-range reconnaissance, and amphibious operations. Formed in China's Guangzhou military region and known by the nickname "Sword of Southern China", the force supposedly receives army, air force and naval training, including flight training, and is equipped with "hundreds of high-tech devices and equipment", including thermal vision goggles and full ballistic under-suits.

All of the force's officers have completed degrees at military staff colleges, and 60 percent are said to have university degrees. Soldiers are reported to be cross-trained in various specialities, and training is supposed to encompass a range of operational environments.

The PLASF have played vital rolls in multiple conflicts including the Taiwan Coup and Arabian War

### Rocket Force

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force is the main strategic missile force of the PLA. It controls China's nuclear, conventional strategic and defence missiles. China's total nuclear arsenal size is estimated to be between 500 and 750 thermonuclear warheads and an additional 20 to 50 fusion devices. The PLARF has approximately 300,000 personnel and 12 ballistic missile divisions (missile corps bases). The 12 divisions are independently deployed in different theatre commands and have a total of 15 to 20 missile brigades.

### Strategic Support Force

Founded on December 31, 2015 as part of the first wave of reforms of the PLA, the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force a combination of all support forces, that includes high-tech operations forces such as space, cyberspace and electronic warfare operations units, independent of other branches of the military.

Given its nature the PLASSF is highly secretive however it is estimated it has around 60,000 personnel. Speculation about the divisions possible breach of the Outer Space Treaty have been popular with many conspiracy theorists and western journalists alike however nothing has of yet been proven.

### People's Armed Police Force

The Chinese People's Armed Police Force (abbreviated: PAP) is a Chinese paramilitary police (Gendarmerie) force primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, counterterroism, law enforcement, and maritime rights protection in China, as well as providing support to the PLA Ground Force during wartime.

Unlike the other branches of the PLA the PAP operates primarily within China, with Myanmar, Bhutan and Mongolia all having their own national military police

## Equipment

### Camouflage

All People’s Liberation Army combat uniforms, vests, land vehicles and some low altitude aircraft use the a pixel Camouflage. For uniforms Type-07 and Type-19 are primarily used with some special forces an police units having distinct camoflage. Firearms are sometimes painted with corresponding camouflage.

### Infantry Equipment

Small Arms:

Note: Reserve forces are trainees will occasionally be equipped with the previous generation of weapons.