The (PLA) deploys over 8,000 tanks, 4,000 armoured vehicles, and 25,000 artillery pieces. Although not the most modern army in the world, it is slowly re-structuring from its prior Soviet doctrines into a more suitable force to cope with future land warfare.
The PLA has 10 group armies and are currently downsizing their divisions into brigades.
There are 10 active tank divisions consisting of a number of independent armoured brigades. A typical PLA armoured brigade has 4 tank battalions (124 main battle tanks)- each tank battalion has 3 tank companies (30 + 1 tank for the battalion commander), 1 mechanised infantry battalion (40 armoured personnel carriers), 1 artillery battalion (18 self-propelled howitzers) - 3 batteries of 6 guns each and 1 anti-aircraft battalion (18 self-propelled howitzers) - 3 batteries of 6 guns each.
There are 8 active artillery divisions consisting of a number of artillery brigades. A typical PLA artillery brigade has 4 artillery battalions each with 18 guns in 3 batteries and 1 self-propelled anti-tank gun battalion (18 vehicles).
- - newest pistol, 9 mm and 5.8 mm versions
- - 7.62 mm mini pistol for security and police forces
- - standard 7.62 mm for People's Armed Police and civil police
- - 7.62 mm silenced pistol for scout and special operations
- - 7.62 mm, better performance and reliability over Type 54
- - 7.62 mm, copy of the Soviet TT1930/1933 , currently being phased out
- - newest smg, 9 mm and 5.8 mm versions
- - updated Type 79, reduced firing noise, also suppressed and 5.8 mm versions
- - 7.62 mm for airborne, scout and special operations
- - low flash, suppressed 7.62 mm for scout and special operations
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- - family of 5.8x42 mm bullpup design assault rifle, carbine and squad machine gun. Factory names are '''QBZ-95''', '''CAR-95''' and '''QBB-95''', respectively.
- - 5.8 mm assault rifle and squad machine gun, improved version of Type 81, refused by PLA because of outdated layout, technology used in Type 95
- - 7.62 mm assault rifle and squad machine gun, replaced the Chinese Type 56 Assault Rifle and Chinese Type 56 Carbine , both copies of the Soviet AK-47 and Soviet SKS .
- - 5.8 mm newest sniper rifle
- - improved version of Type 79, higher rate of fire but shorter range
- - 7.62 mm sniper rifle, copy of Soviet Dragunov SVD
- - new 5.8 mm GPMG, replacing Type 67
- - 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun (copy of the Soviet PKM )
- - 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun, replacing the Type 53 (SG43) and Type 57 (SGM) 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns
- - newest MBT (100~200)
- - (over 1,500)
- - (about 500)
- - update on Type 69 (mostly retired)
- - redesigned Type 59 (mostly retired)
- - upgraded versions of Type 59-IIA, Type 59-II, Type 59-I and Type 59 (copy of the Russia n T-54 )
- - new and redesigned amphibious tank, the only dedicated modern amphibious tank in the world, 14 km/h water speed, 105 mm gun (several hundred near Taiwan Strait)
- - amphibious tank, similar to Russian PT-76
- - light tank
- Next-generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle - sightings report Chinese chassis with licensed Russian BMP-3 turret
- - airborne IFV, similar to Russian BMD-3
- - upgraded version of Type 92
- - amphibious IFV, similar to the French VAB
- - copy of Russian BMP-1
- - amphibious APC based on Type 85, replacing over 2000 Type 63s
- - also known as M1984, design similar to South African Ratel
- - export model amphibious APC
- - improved version of Russian BTR-50 (+200)
- - also known as K-63, M1967 and M1970
- - an 8 and 4 tube 320 mm multiple launch rocket system
- - 10 tube 300 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher System
- and '''Type 83/WM-40''' - 273 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher Systems
- (on a YW 531H) and '''Type 82''' (on a Yanan SX250 6X6 truck) - 30 tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher replacing the 19 tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher of the Type 70 (on a YW 531C) and Type 63 (on a 4X4 truck)
- (on a Tiema SC2030 6X6 flatbed truck) and '''Type 89''' (tracks) - 40 tube 122 mm multiple launch rocket systems replacing the Type 81 (copy of the soviet BM-21 Grad)
- - 155 mm self-propelled howitzer might replace the obsolete '''Type 83''' which is a 152 mm self-propelled howitzer
- (based on the YW 531H) and the '''Type 89''' (based on the Type 77 APC) - amphibious 122 mm self-propelled howitzers replacing the Type 85 (YW 531C chassis) and Type 70 (YW 531B chassis)
- - 122 mm self-propelled howitzer wheeled (based on a WZ-551 chassis)
- - 155 mm towed gun/howitzer based on the GC-45 Howitzer
- (copy of the soviet D-20) 152 mm towed gun/howitzer and the '''Type 83''' 152 mm towed gun are replacing the Type 54 itself a copy of the soviet ML-20(M1937).
- - copy of the soviet M46 130 mm towed field gun
- - 122 mm towed howitzer derived from the soviet D-30 (M1963) and replaced the Type 54 howitzer
- (120 mm) and '''YW 383''' (82 mm) - amphibious mortar carriers based on the YW 531H replacing the YW 381 and YW 304 respectively which where based on the YW 531C
- - twin 57 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft equivalent to the ZSU-57-2 but using the Type 69 tank chassis.
- (Hongqi-2) - anti-aircraft missiles based on the Type 77 transporter, the missiles are upgraded versions of the HQ-1 which is a copy of the SA-2 Guideline
- - licensed built S-300PMU-1 (SA-10D Grumble) anti-aircraft missiles
- - upgraded version of the HQ-10 anti-aircraft missiles
- - Tank laying bridge using the Type 69 tank chassis
- (Type 69 tank chassis) and '''Type 59''' (Type 59 tank chassis) - armoured recovery vehicles
- (based on the YW 534), '''Type 85''' (based on the YW 531H APC) - amphibious recovery vehicles
- (based on the YW 531H), '''WZ 701''' (based on the YW 531C), '''WZ 506''' (based on the WZ 501) and a version based on the Type 77 - amphibious command vehicles
- (based on the Type 77) - amphibious artillery ammunition carrier
- (based on the YW 531H), '''YW 750''' (based on the YW 531C), '''WZ 505''' (based on the WZ 501) and a version based on the Type 77 - amphibious armoured ambulances
- Swedish tracked all-terrain multipurpose vehicle
- tracked tractors
- consists of the HY473 (tractor truck) and HY962 (semi-trailer) - Heavy Equipment Transporter up to 75 tons
- (20 ton 8x8), '''TAS5450''' (25 ton 8x8), '''TAS5500''' (28 ton 10x10), '''TAS5570''' (30 ton 10x10) and '''TAS5690''' (42 ton 12x12) series special heavy duty trucks
- (6x6), '''WS2400'''(8x8) and '''WS2500'''(10x8) 20 ton series special heavy duty trucks
- (copy of the German Mercedes-Benz 2060) 7.5 ton 6x6 heavy duty trucks
- (copy of the Austrian Steyr-91) 7 ton 6x6 trucks replacing the JN252, CQ261 and SX250 heavy duty trucks
- series 5 ton 6x6 heavy duty trucks
- series 3.5 ton trucks replacing the CA30 (copy of the 2.5 ton soviet ZIL 157)
- series trucks replacing the CA10 (copy of the 3.5 ton soviet ZIL 150)
- series 2.5 ton trucks
- series High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) copied from the US M998
- series 1.5 ton lightweight vehicle
- series 0.5 ton lightweight 4 x4 vehicle
- http://www.sinodefence.com/army/orbat/default.asp
- http://www.chineseforcesforum.com/index.php?showforum=7
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