PLA Special Operations Forces
The special operations forces of the PLA of Communist Party of China have units that conduct direct action and reconnaissance, including in enemy rear areas, to prepare the advance of their own forces; they can also perform counter terrorism operations . PLA SOF does not control, but may support, psychological warfare operations.
There is no centralized SOF command at the highest level . Each theatre Command controls their own SOF units. Most ground SOF are organized like conventional light infantry units. The first Army SOF units were created in the 1990s with each Military Region having an Army SOF or a special reconnaissance force of approximately 1,000 personnel. Navy special forces were first seen during the first Chinese anti piracy deployment off Somalia on 26 December 2008.
After 2013, the PLA placed increased emphasis on expanding its SOF. By 2022, PLA SOF had been expanded considerably by converting conventional forces. It comprised 15 × Army brigades, one Marine Corps brigade, one Airborne Corps brigade, and the Rocket Force Reconnaissance Regiment. Since most units were converted from
conventional forces they still have capabilities closer to high grade infantry rather than true Special Forces.
Marine special forces in 2016.
The PLA SOF is divided into brigades( 2000 to3000 personnel. ) or regiments (1000 to 2000 personnel ). Brigades are internally organized like conventional Army brigades with the “brigade-battalion-company-team” hierarchy. This delegates least authority to team commanders. Conventional “centralized”, rather than “task oriented”, command
style is used.
China does not have a national-level command for SOF (like the USA’s SOCOM or even a unified tri services organisation like the Armed Forces Special Operations Division of India ). Theater Commands control their own SOF units. Each Group Army has a SOF brigade. Units have discrete missions depending on their location and branch.
Each of the SOF brigades has a semi-formal cognomen as well as a number (which is usually identical to the Group Army —may be equated to a fighting Corps of Indian Army eg 4 Corps ) they are subordinated to). The special Xinjiang and Tibet military districts also have their own brigades. The Navy, the Air Force, and the Rocket Force all deploy their own units.
● Eastern Theatre Command
•71st SF Brigade ‘ Sharks’ under 71st Group Army
•72nd SF Brigade “Thunderbolts” under 72nd Group Army
•73rd SF Brigade “East Sea Flying Dragons” under 73rd Group Army – Stationed in Fujian
● Southern Theatre Command
•74th SF Brigade “Southern Sharp Swords” under 74th Group Army
•75 th Special Forces Brigade “ Jungle Tigers “ under 75th Group Army
● Western Theatre Command
•76th Special Forces Brigade “Snowy Maples” under 76th Group Army ( formerly the “Tigers of the Night” a Special Operations Battalion of
Lanzhou Military Region ) . The 8th Company of 76th Special Forces
Brigade is known as “Sky Wolf Commandos”
•77th Special Forces Brigade “Southwest Cheetahs” under 77th Group Army
● Northern Theatre Command
•78th Special Forces Brigade “Blood Wolves” under 78th Group Army
• 79th Special Forces Brigade “Amur Tigers” under 79th Group Army
• 80th Special Forces Brigade “Taishan Eagles” under 80th Group Army
● Central Theatre Command
•81st Special Forces Brigade “Cheetahs” under 81st Army Group
•82nd Special Forces Brigade “Whistling Arrows” under 82nd Group
Army
•83rd Special Forces Brigade “Central Plains Tigers” under 83rd Group Army
● Xinjiang Military District
● 84th Special Forces Brigade “Kunlun Sharp Blades” -Stationed in Kashgar
● Tibet Military District
● 85th Special Forces Brigade “Plateau Snow Leopards”
● PLANMC
● 7th Marine Brigade “Flood Dragons” – at Yulin Naval Base
● PLAAF Airborne Corps
● AB Corps SF Brigade “Thunder Gods”
●Rocket Forces
•Special Forces Unit “Sharp Blades”
Training
In 2014, most of the Special Forces Brigades acceptance criteria included passing track and field exercises. Members received combat, mobility, infiltration and reconnaissance training.
The training includes carrying 25 kg weights from an altitude of 3700 meters up to an altitude of 5300 meters along with completion of 6 events in 12 hours.
The selection course for the PLARF Special Forces Unit consists of:
● Running 5 km under 25 minutes while carrying 20 kg of weight
● Crossing a shaky bridge
● Crossing a 20 meters tunnel which has a diameter of 50 cm
● Lifting a tire 60 times and crossing a balance beam
● Crawling under a 25 meter long, 30 CM tall barbed wire net
● Resistance to Interrogation training
Capabilities
PLA SOF receive priority for quality personnel and new equipment. All SOF units are airborne and air assault capable.
SOF has a limited or nil integral dedicated infrastructure of support like Communication, aviation, artillery etc . It relies on theater logistics and external resources to carry out missions.
The PLAAF provides all SOF units with tactical insertion, extraction, and resupply. SOF operations in the enemy rear are restricted by the limited ability of conventional forces to support them.
SOF and conventional brigades suffer similar problems with command and control, including communications. Thus between SOF brigades and conventional brigades and between SOF and conventional units there is a huge problem of Signals communication.
According to a few experts the command structure and mission of most PLA SOF brigades resemble the 75th Ranger Regiment of USA Army rather than its Delta Force or the SF ‘Green Beret’. Inter-service SOF training is rare, the most common being PLAGF SOF with PLAAF aircraft.
Army Special Operations Academy
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Force Special Operations Academy, the Special Services’ Operations College, or the Army Special Operations Academy for short, is a military academic institution affiliated with the PLAGF, commanded by a Corps Deputy grade Commander. It is headquartered in Guilin and it is mainly responsible for the training of Army SOF officers for Command at various levels.
History
The PLA Military Sports Comprehensive Training Base in 2008, located at Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City Tianhe District Yudongxi Road 38
In June 2017, the Army Special Operations Academy was created from the merger of the Special Operations Academy and Guilin Integrated Training Base.
PLA Special Operations Academy
The Special Operations Academy was founded in November 1949 as the Guangdong Military and Political University.
In August 1950, the university was renamed the Central South Military and Political University 6th branch campus.
In March 1951, it was reformed as the 25th Infantry School.
In July 1953, it was reformed as the Military Physical Education School.
In August 1957, the school was abolished; some members formed the General Staff Department (GSD) Physical Education Cadre Training Group.
In January 1961, the group expanded and was established as the Physical
Education Academy.
In April 1969, the academy broke up due to the Cultural Revolution. The Guangzhou Military Region Physical Education Training Group was created in its place.
In April 1973, the group expanded and was reformed as the Military Physical
Education Training Group.In September 1974, it was reinstated as the Physical
Education Academy.
In October 1992, the academy was divided into the GSD Physical Education Department and the Communications and Command Academy.
In 1993, the Physical Education Academy was reestablished and began to admit graduate students.
In June 1999, the academy’s specialized communication training responsibilities were assigned to other units while the Bayi Military Physical Fitness Team was integrated into the academy.
In 2003, the Physical Education Academy was reformed as the Military Physical
Exercise Integrated Training Base.
In 2011, the training base merged with the Institute of International Relations Reconnaissance and Special Operations Command Department to become the Special Operations Academy.
In 2016, the Special Operations Academy was assigned to the PLA Army HQ.
PLA Southern Theater Command Army Guilin Integrated Training Base The Guilin Integrated Training Base was founded in April 1955 in Chongqing City, Sichuan Province as the Beibei Infantry School.
In May 1958, the school relocated to Guilin City and was renamed the Guilin Infantry School.
In August 1961, it was renamed the Guangzhou Military Region Infantry School. In July 1968, the school was abolished.
In October 1973, the Guangzhou Military Region Military and Political Cadres School was established at the same location.
In January 1978, it was renamed the Guangzhou Military Region Infantry School again.
In February 1981, it was renamed the Guilin Army School.In September 1986, it was renamed the Guilin Army Academy.
In 2005, the Guilin Army Academy and Guangzhou Military Region Communications Training Group merged to become the Guangzhou Military Region Integrated Training Base.
In January 2016, it was assigned to the
Southern Theater Command and renamed the Southern Theater Command Army Guilin Integrated Training Base.
Specialties
After its establishment in 2017, the PLA Army Special Operations Academy established 3 specialties:
● Combat Command (Special Operations Detachment Command, Reconnaissance Detachment Command, Marine Detachment Command, Airborne Detachment Command)
● Reconnaissance intelligence (Reconnaissance Detachment command)
● Command Information Systems Engineering (Special Operations Detachment Command, Reconnaissance Detachment Command)
Departments
● Special Operations
● Intelligence and Reconnaissance
● Sniper Operations
● Military Physical Fitness
Research Labs and Centers
● All-Army Advanced and Intermediate Sniper Training Center
● Army Chinese Communist Party Innovation Theory Learning Research Center
● Military Physical Education Development and Strategy Research Center
● Physical Fitness Training Center
● All-Army Reconnaissance Special Warfare Professional Training and Cultivation Base
● Military Political Work Teaching and Research Laboratory
Campuses
The Guilin main campus covers an area of over 2,000 acres . The main campus is located at No.33 Chongxin Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The campus and associated areas include 90 technical training sites, four multiple combat terrain training sites, and a large instructional complex.
Given its origin as a physical education institution, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Special Operations College has remained a center for military sports training.
The academy has repeatedly become a national sports training base, in 2007 being named the National Taekwondo Southern Training Base. The academy has served as a winter training site for the Chinese national boxing team and the Chinese national men’s taekwondo team.
The academy also served as a training ground for the Chinese national boxing team, the Chinese national shooting team, and other teams preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games .
