Ground forces are organised into eight service arms (branches)—infantry, armour, artillery, air defence, aviation, engineering, chemical defence and communications—as well as other specialised units, including electronic countermeasures (ECM), reconnaissance and mapping. 7 military region comds are sub-divided into 28 Military Districts. 18 Group Armies, org varies, normally with 2–3 mech/ mot inf div/bde, 1 armd div/bde, 1 arty div/bde, 1 SAM/AAA or AAA bde (reorg to bde structure still in progress). Five Regions have rapid reaction units (RRU). The PLA Air Force has 3 RRU airborne divisions and the Navy two marine bde. 31st, 38th, 39th, 42nd and 54th GA have received air regiments that have in the past been MR or MD assets.

PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY GROUND FORCE AVIATION (ZRJJ) • 中国人民解放军陆军航空兵

Forces by Role & Equipment by Type

(incl Army AD units)

• HELICOPTER 126 Armed capable. Total 535+ Helicopters

 EW 5 regt; Avn 1 bde; 9 avn regt, 2 (indep) regt (trg)

Anti-Armour Attack 126 Atk hel:

100 Harbin Z-9 WA;

26 Harbin Z-9W

Search and Rescue 7 SAR hel:

7 Aérospatiale SA-321 Super Frelon

Support 278 Spt hel:

3 Mil Mi-6 Hook-A;

18 Sikorsky S-70C-II Black Hawk;

8 Mil Mi-172;

12 Mil Mi-17V7;

42 Mil Mi-171V5 Hip-H;

9 Mil Mi-171V Hip-H;

57 Mil Mi-171 Hip-H;

22 Mil Mi-17 Hip-H (Mil Mi-8MT);

50 Mil Mi-8T Hip;

4 Mil Mi-26 Halo

53 Eurocopter AS-350 Ecureuil;

Utility 98 Utl hel:

80 Harbin Z-9/9B (AS-365 Dauphin 2)

8 SA-316 Alouette III;

10 CAIC WZ-10

Rotary Flying Training 10 Trg hel:
10 Eurocopter HC-120 Colibri

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

• UAV • Reconnaissance

 ASN-15 (hand-launched); ASN-104; ASN-105; ASN-206; W-50; WZ-5; D-4 NPU (Xian NPU); WZ-6 BZK-006; BZK-005;

FACILITIES

Headquarters Army (Beijing)

Shenyang Military Region Army                         

Shangzhi7th Army Aviation Regiment: Z-8/9

Shenyang 9th Army Aviation Regiment: WZ/Harbin Z-9, Mil Mi-17

Beijing Military Region Army

Baoding 8th Army Aviation Regiment: WZ/Harbin Z-9, Mil Mi-17

Tongxian Army Aviation Training Regiment: Harbin Z-9/11         

Luoyang 4th Army Aviation Regiment: HC-120, Mil Mi-17          

Tianjin 3rd Army Aviation Special Unit: Mil Mi-8

Jinan Military Region Army

Xinxiang1th Army Aviation Regiment: Mil Mi-8/17

Nanjing Military Region Army                                

Huzhou 5th Army Aviation Regiment: Mil Mi-17

Huzhou 4th Army Aviation Special Unit: WHarbin Z-9, Mil Mi-17

Nanjing 2nd Army Aviation Special Unit: Z-5, Mil Mi-17

Guangzhou Military Region Army

Lhasa 2th Army Aviation Regiment: S-70C-II, Mil Mi-17

Chengdu Military Region Army

Sanshui 6th Army Aviation Regiment:Harbin Z-9, Mil Mi-17

Sanshui 1st Army Aviation Special Unit: Z-5, Mil Mi-17

ARMY AIIR DEFENCE UNITS

Army Air Defence Systems

AD 21 SAM/AAA or AAA bde (reorg to bde structure still in progress), 1 indep regt

Five Regions have rapid reaction units (RRU). The PLA Air Force has 3 RRU airborne divisions and the Navy two marine bde. 31st, 38th, 39th, 42nd and 54th GA have received air regiments that have in the past been MR or MD assets.

AD • SAM 290+:

SP 290: 200 HQ-7A (1615 R-440N Crotale (Chinese designation HQ-7 (US designation CSA-4 and CSA-N-4)); ; 60 SA-15 Gauntlet (900 9M338/SA-15 Gauntlet (For Tor-M1 SAM systems)); 30 HQ-6D Red Leader

MANPAD HN-5A/HN-5B Hong Nu; FN-6/QW-1/QW-2

AD • GUNS 7,700+

SP 25mm Type-95; 37mm Type-88; 57mm Type-80

TOWED 23mm Type-80 (ZU-23-2); 25mm Type-85; 35mm Type-90 (GDF-002); 37mm Type-55 (M-1939)/Type-65/Type-74; 57mm Type-59 (S-60); 85mm Type-56 (M-1939) KS-12; 100mm Type-59 (KS-19)

• RADAR • LAND

 Cheetah; RASIT; Type-378

Offensive SSM Systems

SSM 2 indep bde; 9 (coastal defence) regt

MSL • SSM HY-1 (CSS-N-1) Silkworm; HY-2 (CSS-C-3) Seersucker; HY-4 (CSS-C-7) Sadsack ; YJ-62C (C-602C)

Reserves AD 17 div; 6 bde; 6 regt

• FACILITIES

 China Amy Aviation Main Headquarters: HQ Located at Beijing

China Army Aviation Airfields and Airbases Organisation (Current Order of Battle):

Air Bases:    Baoding, Chengdu/Feng Huang Shan, Chengdu/Taipingsi, Houma, Lhasa/Heliport, Liaocheng, Liaoyang, Linfen, Luocheng/Huian, Nanjing, Sanshui/Daliao, Tongxian, Tongzhou, Wenshui, Wujiaqu, Xinxiang, Yibin

Shenyang Military Region

Liaoyang (ZYLY)

9th Army Aviation Brigade (39th GA): Z19, Z-10A, Z-9WA, Z-9W, Z-8B, Mi-171E, Mi-171

Beijing Military Region

Baoding

8th Army Aviation Brigade (38th GA): Z19, Z-10A, Z-9(EW), Z-9WA, Z-9W, Z-9, Mi-171E, Mi-171

Houma

Army Aviation Flight Training Base 陆航飞行训练基地

2nd Regiment: Z-11

Linfen (ZBLF) AB

Army Aviation Flight Training Base 陆航飞行训练基地

3rd Regiment: Z-11, HC-120, SA-316

Tongxian

4th Army Aviation Regiment (65th GA): Y-8, Y-7, Z19, Z-10A, Z-9WA, Mi-17V-7 Salon, Mi-17V-5, Mi-171E Salon, Mi-171E, Mi-171,

Tongzhou 通州

Army Aviation Academy: Z-9, Mi-8, Alouette III

Wenshui AB

Army Aviation Flight Training Base 陆航飞行训练基地

4th Regiment: HC-120, Z-11

Lanzhou Military Region

Wujiaqu

3rd Army Aviation Brigade (Xinjing MD): Z-9WA, Mi-17V-5, Mi-17V-7, Mi-17-1V, Mi-171

Jinan Military Region

Liaocheng

7th Army Aviation Regiment (26th GA): Z-9WA, Z-9W, Z-8A, Mi-17V-5

Xinxiang

1st Army Aviation Regiment (54th GA): Z-10A, Z-9WA, Z-9W, Mi-17V-5, Mi-17

Nanjing Military Region

Luocheng/Huian AB

10th Army Aviation Regiment (31th GA): Z-9G, Mi-171E

Nanjing AB

5th Army Aviation Brigade (1st GA): WZ-10, Z-10, Z-9WA, Z-9W, Z-9A, Z-8B, Mi-171

Guangzhou Military Region

Sanshui/Daliao

6th Army Aviation Brigade (42nd GA): Z-10A, Z-9WA, Z-9W, Z-8, Mi-171

Chengdu Military Region

Chengdu/Feng Huang Shan

2nd Army Aviation Brigade (13th GA): S-70C-2, Z-19, Z-9WA, Mi-17V-7, Mi-171Salon, Mi-171E, Mi-171

Chengdu/Taipingsi

2nd Army Aviation Brigade (13th GA): Z-9WA, Mi-17V-5, Mi-171Salon, Mi-171

Lhasa/Heliport

2nd Army Aviation Brigade (13th GA) Det.: S-70C-2, Z-19, Z-9WA, Mi-17V-5, Mi-171Salon, Mi-171

Yibin (ZUYB) Air Base

Army Aviation Flight Training Base 陆航飞行训练基地

1st Regiment: Z-9, Mi-17V-5, Mi-8

Organisations by Service Notes:

Forces by Role (Current order of battle):

Ground forces are organised into eight service arms (branches)—infantry, armour, artillery, air defence, aviation, engineering, chemical defence and communications—as well as other specialised units, including electronic countermeasures (ECM), reconnaissance and mapping. 7 military region comds are sub-divided into 28 Military Districts. 18 Group Armies, org varies, normally with 2–3 mech/ mot inf div/bde, 1 armd div/bde, 1 arty div/bde, 1 SAM/AAA or AAA bde (reorg to bde structure still in progress). Five Regions have rapid reaction units (RRU). The PLA Air Force has 3 RRU airborne divisions and the Navy two marine bde. 31st, 38th, 39th, 42nd and 54th GA have received air regiments that have in the past been MR or MD assets.

North East–Shenyang MR 250,000 personnel.

3 Group Army (16, 39, 40) (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning MD): 1 GA (16) (1 armd div, 2 mot inf div, 2 mot inf bde, 2 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); 1 GA (39) (1 armd div, 2 mech inf div, 1 mech inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 avn regt); 1 GA (40) (1 armd bde, 1 mech inf bde, 1 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); 1 mot inf bde; 1 EW regt; 1 spec ops unit.

North–Beijing MR 300,000 personnel.

3 Group Army (27, 38, 65) (Beijing, Tianjin Garrison, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi MD): 1 GA (27) (1 armd bde, 3 mech inf bde, 1 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde,

1 engr regt); 1 GA (38) (1 armd div, 2 mech inf div, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt, 1 avn regt); 1 GA (65) (1 armd div, 1 mot inf div, 1 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt, 1 avn regt); 2 (Beijing) sy div; 1 (OPFOR) armd bde; 1 mot inf bde; 1 spec ops unit; 1 AAA bde.

West–Lanzhou MR 220,000 personnel.

2 Group Army (21, 47) (Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, South Xinjiang MD): 1 GA (21) (1 armd div, 1 mot inf div (RRU), 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); 1 GA (47) (1 armd bde, 1 mech inf bde, 2 mtn mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); Xinjiang (1 mtn mech div, 3 mtn mot div, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 2 indep mech inf regt, 1 engr regt, 1 avn regt); 1 EW regt, 1 spec ops unit.

East–Nanjing MR 250,000 personnel.

3 Group Army (1, 12, 31) (Shanghai Garrison, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui MD): 1 GA (1) (1 armd bde, 1 amph div, 1 arty div, 1 mot inf bde , 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt, 1 avn regt); 1 GA (12) (1 armd div, 3 mot inf bde (1 RRU), 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); 1 GA (31) (2 mot div (1 RRU) , 1 amph armd bde , 1 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 avn regt); 1 SSM bde; 1 spec ops unit.

Centre–Jinan MR 190,000 personnel.

3 Group Army (20, 26, 54) (Shandong, Henan MD): 1 GA (1 mech inf bde, 1 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 engr regt); 1 GA (26) (1 armd div, 3 mot inf bde, 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 avn regt); 1 GA (54) (1 armd div, 1 mech inf div (RRU), 1 mot inf div (RRU), 1 arty bde, 1 AD bde, 1 avn regt); 1 EW regt, 1 spec ops unit, 2 pontoon br regt.

Inventory Equipment by Type Notes:

MBT 6,550+: 4,000+ Type-59-II/Type-59-I; 300 Type-79; 500 Type-88A/Type-88B; 1,500 Type-96; '250 Type-98A/99

LT TK 1,000: 400 Type-62-I (in store); 400 Type-63A; '200 Type-05 AAAV ZTD-05

AIFV 1,140: 600 Type-86A WZ-501; 300+ Type-04 ZBD-04; 200 Type-05 AAAV ZBD-05; 40 Type-03 ZBD-03

APC 3,300+ APC (T) 2,500: 2,000 Type-63-II/Type-63-I/Type-63A/ Type-63C; 200 Type-77-II; 300 Type-89-I

APC (W) 800+: 600+ Type-92; 100 WZ-523; 100 Type-09 ZBL-09

ARTY 17,700+ SP 1,280+: 122mm 700+: '200 Type-70-I; '500 Type-89; some Type-07 PLZ-07 152mm '500 Type-83; 155mm '80 Type-05 PLZ-05

TOWED 14,000: 13,850 100mm Type-59 (M-1944)/122mm Type-54-1 (M-30) M-1938/Type-83/Type-60 (D-74)/Type-96 (D-30); 130mm Type-59 (M-46)/Type-59-I/152mm Type-54 (D-1)/Type-66 (D-20); 155mm 150 Type 88 WAC-21 GUN/MOR 150: 120mm 150: 100 2S23 NONA-SVK; up to 50 PLL-05 MRL 2,400+ SP 122mm Type-81/Type-82/Type-89; 130mm Type 63/Type-70/Type 82; 300mm Type-03 PHL-03; 400mm WS-2/WS-2D

TOWED 107mm Type-81 MOR TOWED 81mm Type-W87; 82mm Type-53 (M-37)/Type-67 /Type-82; 100mm Type-71 (reported); 120mm Type-55 (incl SP); 160mm Type-56 (M-160)

AT • MSL 7,200 SP 24 HJ-9 Red Arrow 9 MANPATS 8,476: 7,176 HJ-73A/HJ-73B/HJ-73C/HJ-8A/HJ-8C/HJ-8E; 1300 9M119/AT-11 Sniper (For Type-98 and Type-99 tanks)Anti-tank missile

RCL 75mm Type-56; 82mm Type-65 (B-10)/Type-78; 105mm Type-75; 120mm Type-98 RL 62mm Type-70-1 GUNS 260+: 100mm Type-73 (T-12)/Type-86; '160 Type-02 PTL02 120mm 100+ Type-89 SP