The government of China announced reform of the Chinese army on 31 December 2015. In addition to the downsizing of the armed forces for 300 thousand soldiers, is radically transformed their organizational structure.
In may this year, the Central military Council of China outlined the main directions of improvement of the army for the next 5 years. It is planned that during this period, the Chinese government will complete the ongoing armed forces reforms, the source added.
So, the first step of military reforms in China, was to optimize the organizational structure. In addition to the enlargement of military districts of 7 districts will create 4 operational command, retire all the outdated structure. Among retrenched – Main political Department and General logistics Department. Four Main control transformirovalsya in 15 different departments and committees that will oversee various aspects of the armed forces.
Among these directions, logistical support, educational work, national defense, courts, intelligence, discipline and others. Under the new reforms created a single headquarters, in which 4 of the armed forces – the missile troops, ground troops, air force and Navy – received equal status to the headquarters. By the way, the structure of the joint staff is clearly copied from the chiefs of staff of the U.S. army.
If we talk about missile forces, this new kind of armed forces formed on the basis of the “Second artillery” (or the 2nd artillery corps). At the disposal of missile troops is the nuclear potential of the country, consisting, according to American experts, 50 Intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The old name imposed secrecy on the country’s missile and nuclear programs, and now has no reason to hide the existence of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. On the contrary, Beijing pointedly emphasized his intention to defend the state by all available means.
In addition, to fulfill the dream of the Chinese leadership about the creation of a powerful army should help the new kind of troops. One of them is a strategic support that will unite the space forces, kibervoyska and electronic warfare troops. It turned out that it is the Chinese who first embodied the idea of the withdrawal of units of information and network war in a separate branch.
This structure is responsible for the defense in the virtual and the electro-magnetic space to carry out the tasks of defense and offense in these spaces, tracking, reconnaissance, monitoring the operation of the satellites, the organization of communication in joint operations of various arms. That’s really really – the army of the future!
The processes now unfolding in the armed forces of China, rightfully attract attention: we are talking about the largest army in the world. But she is also one of the richest. To the “bloated” defense spending (about $600 billion), of course, Beijing is far away, but $241 billion is the sum of several times greater than the military budget of Russia.
Although China and is in the top three among the strongest and most efficient armies in the world, but still the main problem remains the lack of modern technology. And the number and quality of armored vehicles, aircraft and submarines, China is still inferior to the United States and Russia. Although the comparison with the Russian Federation, in fact, only the analytical – according to expert assessment of the nature of the main arms and the geopolitical realities, China is not going to point his weapon in the direction of Russia. In relations with Russia, China likely to solve problems in other ways.
Well, come to the main question: what is actually so hard preparing China?
Recently, the Chinese government showed the world a new national doctrine.
Its key point is the transition to the national defense. The document States that China will not attack, but will counter if it will be attacked. In addition, the new Chinese doctrine is based on the fact that threats to the country come from the sea. Yes, threats from China in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) a lot.
To this day, disagreements remain on delimitation in the South China sea with several countries in South-East Asia. Among them are Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Talking about Islands of the Spratly archipelago. Another “Apple of discord” of Diaoyu Islands, which, apart from China, claimed by Japan and Taiwan. The tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The conclusion is obvious: the main interest, and, therefore, the main challenge for China in the near future – in the Maritime sphere. In response to threats Beijing sights on the creation of an ocean fleet. The Chinese Navy since the Soviet Union was focused on so-called “yellow fleet” composed of ships operating in coastal waters (missile, patrol boats, small landing craft). Now China takes the policy of “the blue fleet” – ships capable of long-term raids (destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers).
It should be noted that China has successfully commits Hiking surface ships with a duration of 6-9 months, nuclear submarines – over 100 days. Chinese ships with friendly visited ports as far away as Poland, Brazil, Peru, Israel etc. And in Africa the Chinese are generally loyal guests.
In the zero years, Beijing updated its destroyers and frigates, leaving the number behind Russia and Europe. Now turn the aircraft carriers. Soon to the “Liaoning” (Ukrainian “Varyag”) will add another full Chinese carrier.
A vivid example of the updated naval doctrine of China – the use of mobile landing platforms, created on the American model. This is a giant Autonomous vehicles that can provide all the necessary boats away from shores. With the help of such platforms can be in any point of the World ocean. China has already one such – Gongheguo”. Except for China and the United States, ships of this type, no one.
In order to successfully defend their interests in the region, China has built several artificial Islands in the South China sea. They are now the runways of airfields. Certainly, such innovation is recognized as the outstanding new island play the role of unsinkable aircraft carriers in a potential confrontation with American aviation strike groups.
Apparently, China in the future will be able to place on these Islands anti-ship missile systems. In recognition of the American experts, such “carriers” can withstand any forces of the enemy. And this circumstance is now possible to explain the intention of the States to send new missile destroyer stealth “Zumwalt” (“Zumwalt”) closer to Chinese shores.
Obviously, the main interests of Beijing are limited to the South China sea. And indeed, after its waters are communication, providing 75% of the supply of middle East oil in Asia Pacific, which is nearly half of the supply of oil directly to China. Here, where up to 30% of the volume of Maritime trade to $5 trillion.
It is clear that the influence in this region in the future will be perhaps the most key factor in geopolitics. So the next 15-20 years, China will take control of the sea transportation arteries, which the transport of hydrocarbons, and the main efforts will be focused on the construction and expansion of the fleet.
Relying on economic power, China continues an ambitious reorganization of the army, and, of course, the scale of change cannot go unnoticed. Media referred to the reform in China, “new revolution”. After all, this is the biggest reform of the army since its formation. It is hoped that the Beijing task is to make the army more efficient and modern, will be performed. And then the dream of the leader of China – “to transform the army from a cocoon into a butterfly” – will come true.
