PLA TOEs
Unless otherwise noted, these TOEs have been provided by Mr. Andrew Chan.
12 Group Army
December 31, 2000
The 12 Group Army, Nanjing MR, is one of the PLA's "ace" group armies. [Editor's note: "ace" designates a Category A formation.] It totals 50,000 troops. Its parent unit took part in the Long March. [Editor's note: before conversion to a Group Army, 12 Army would have had the 34, 35, and 36 Infantry Divisions.]
When converted to a group army in the 1980s, 12 GA had the following four divisions:
In the late 1990s, after the 1/2 million man troop cut, group armies were further reorganized, with many divisions downsizing to better equipped brigades, and with a substantial increase in army level troops. The purpose was to match the high-technology warfare requirements first identified by the PLA after analyzing the 1991 Gulf War. Army level troops added included:
In addition to its standard artillery complement, 12 GA is also equipped with 120mm SP anti-tank guns. This GA took part in the 50th anniversary troop review in Beijing.
[The editor has added material to the above to provide background.]
The PLA Group Army Artillery Brigade
December 31, 2000
In the Group Army, as in any other corps-level formation, artillery is provided at two levels: organic to divisions and independent maneuver brigades, and in independent brigades directly under control of the Group Army. Some Group Armies are given an independent artillery division, for example, 14 and 42 GA. GAs can also have independent SSM brigades.
An independent artillery brigade has 4-6 artillery battalions, each of 18 guns, divided into three companies. Divisions have an organic artillery regiment. The artillery with the GA is of heavier caliber than that with subordinate formations. The main equipment for a GA independent artillery brigade currently is:
In the case of 12 GA, its independent artillery brigade also has two anti-tank battalions:
one with 18 120mm SP anti-tank guns, and other with 18 SP Red Arrow 9 anti-tank missile carriers.
[Editor's note: a US Army corps is assigned a varying number of independent artillery brigades; three is usual. An Indian Army corps has an organic corps artillery brigade of 72 guns/MRL; army-level independent artillery brigades are assigned as needed, but more than one army-level artillery brigade for a corps is unusual. In the US Army every gun within range operates under centralized command; India has a less advanced system where artillery regiments are added to or detached from, divisional, corps, and army artillery brigades to meet operational requirements. After the 1999 Kargil conflict, India embarked on a major modernization of its artillery and will soon have the capability to centralize all guns within range. China is moving in this direction with its Digital formations.]
10 Armored Division
December 31, 2000
10 Armored Division has amphibious capabilities. It has 300 tanks, most with amphibious capabilities. Its formations include:
PLA Tank Regiment
100 tanks
PLA Tank Battalion
33 tanks
HQ (1 tank)
3 tank platoons (3 tanks each)
13 Group Army's Independent Armored Brigade
January 21, 2001
The PLA Group Army's independent tank brigade used to be an independent tank regiment in the old field army system. As an armor fighting formation its role fits between the tank divisions and the tank regiment.
The independent tank brigade was created in the 1980s, when the PLA reformed its field armies into group armies. Previously the PLA had had only tank divisions and tank regiments.
The tank division is controlled by "large army" - this is a direct translation and somewhat ambigious. It could refer to the Military region HQ, or to the Groups Army HQ. The independent tank regiment had three tank battalions. The independent tank brigade has:
4 tank battalions (31 tanks each)
1 mechanized infantry battalion (40 APC)
1 artillery battalion (18 SP guns)
1 AA battalion (18 SP AA guns)
The old field army's tank regiment was intended for infantry support/cooperation, whereas the new armored brigade is a powerful, mobile, striking force for independent operations.