The 13th Group Army (GA), headquartered in Chongqing Municipality, is one of the two group armies subordinated to the Chengdu Military Region (MR). The group army serves as a strategic reserve, readily to be deployed to Tibet to reinforce the Sino-Indian border, or to the southern border with Vietnam in Yunan Province. One of the PLA’s seven “Class-A” group armies in the 1980s, the 13th GA is said to be specialised in mountain and highland warfare.
The 13th GA was formed in 1985 on the basis of the PLA 13th Corps, which consisted of three infantry divisions (37th, 38th, and 39th). Upon its establishment, the group army lost its 39th Infantry Division, but received the 149th Infantry Division previously organic to the 50th Corps, a tank brigade, an artillery brigade and an AAA brigade.
In the early 1990s, the 149th Motorised Infantry Division became one of the PLA’s “rapid Reaction Units” 9RRU), ready to mobilise within 24~48 hours.
In 1996, the 38th Motorised Infantry Division was transferred to the People’s Armed Police (PAP).
In 1998, the tank brigade of the group army was reorganised into an armoured brigade.
The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment organic to the 13th GA was formed in the late 1990s.
At the same time, the 10th Tank Division was reorganised into the 10th Armoured Division, and the AAA brigade was reorganised into an air defence (SAM/AAA) brigade.
The special operations group previously under the direct command of the Chengdu MR was reassigned to the 13th GA possibly around 2003.
