PLA Ground Forces Formations
Last updated: 31 December 2007
The ground forces are divided into four functional groups: General Departments (Zongbu), Theatres of War (Zhanqu), Units (Budui), and Sub-Units (Fendui):
Functional Groups |
Hierarchy |
Organisational Entity |
No. of Personnel |
No. of Subordinated Units |
Officer in Command |
General Departments
(Zongbu) |
General Departments |
General Staff Department, General Political Department, General Logistic Department, General Armament Department |
- |
7 military regions |
General |
Theatres of War
(Zhanqu) |
Military Regions (MR) |
Beijing MR, Shenyang MR, Lanzhou MR, Jinan MR, Nanjing MR, Guangzhou MR, Chengdu MR |
- |
2+ group armies
2+ military districts |
General or Lieutenant General |
Units
(Budui) |
Army |
Group Armies, Provincial Military Districts, Municipal Garrison Districts |
20,000~50,000 |
2+ divisions and/or brigades |
Major General |
| Division |
Divisions, Military Sub-Districts |
10,000~15,000 |
3+ regiments |
Senior Colonel |
| Brigade |
- |
3,000~5,000 |
1 regiment and 2+ battalions |
Senior Colonel |
| Regiment |
- |
2,000~3,000 |
3+ battalions |
Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel |
Sub-Units
(Fendui) |
Battalion |
- |
500~700 |
3+ companies |
Lieutenant Colonel or Major |
| Company |
- |
100~150 |
2+ platoons |
Senior Lieutenant or Lieutenant |
| Platoon |
- |
35~40 |
2+ squads |
Lieutenant or Junior Lieutenant |
| Squad |
- |
10~12 |
- |
Class 1/2 NCO |
Command and control for the ground forces originate from the Central Military Commission (CMC), pass through the General Staff Department (GSD), and is exercised through a series of regional and operational headquarters including military regions, provincial military districts, garrison headquarters, military sub-districts, and local people’s armed forces departments. The highest regional administrative and operational headquarters is Military Region (MR). Each MR covers several provinces and its headquarters is directly responsible for the ground force units stationed in these provinces.
Under the old system, a combined group army (36,000~55,000 troops) consisted of 2~3 motorised infantry divisions, a tank division (or brigade), an artillery division (or brigade), an antiaircraft artillery regiment, and support elements. Each infantry division had over 12,000 personnel in three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, one tank regiment, and one antiaircraft artillery (AAA) regiment (or battalion). Organisational structure was flexible, the higher echelons being free to tailor forces for combat around any number of infantry divisions. The assets at army level and within the independent units could be apportioned as needed.
In the past decade, many infantry divisions have been downsized to brigades. Some group armies now no longer have any divisions in their order of battle, and the PLA is planning to form more brigades-only group armies in the future. In contradictory to the previous prediction that the brigades would become the core of the future ground forces, it turned out that only those divisions with lower readiness and manning levels were downsized to brigades, while most elite units were able to retain their division structure.
The group armies now typically includes 24,000~45,000 troops in 2~4 (either motorised or mechanised) infantry divisions or brigades, an armoured brigade, an artillery brigade, a combined SAM/AAA brigade, an engineer brigade/regiment, an electronic countermeasures battalion, and other support elements. Some group armies are also assigned with a helicopter regiment and/or a special operations group. The 31st Group Army in the Nanjing Military Region also has a DF-11 short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile brigade.
See Also
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