This is the PLA's first new division which incorporates brigades and these brigades are grouped under a division for administrative purposes. As for a teams/battle groups size it depends on their role. A reconnaissance team could be squad sized and could call in all the fire support they need depending on their connectivity and their mission. Chinese SOF have practiced targetting deep fire missions for ballistic missile strikes.
Except SOF Dadui isn't involved here and not organic to the div?
A recce team is only a recce team. It should only involve TA and denying enemy recce. I'm quite positive a recce team have no authorization to call in air strike. Artillery support maybe but that would be limited to battalion assets which only mean mortar. No?
You never assume that SOF teams are not involved nor a recce cannot call in fire support. The PLA has been practicing recce teams with the ability to call on fire support should a target appear.
If you have read other China Brief articles on the subject you will note that Martin Andrew (a great guy)has written about resource constraints that will be remedied as the PLA receives more new and upgraded equipment. The cavalry brigade that was created for the Sino-Russian exercise shows that they are somewhat there.
Note taken but isn't that just an experiment? Certainly moving in that direction.
The division is still in its infancy but modularity and battle groups are the way the PLA will operate in the future. They are experimenting in how they will work.
Note where the division is designed for - urban and high altitude areas - not the rolling plains or steppes but in complex terrain where ranges are short and especially at high altitudes where fifty let alone sixty ton tanks have difficulty moving around because of their weight and size. The light mechanised division includes an organic brigade of tanks (Type 59D) and is able to be supplemented by already designated anti-armour, air defence and self propelled artillery units (battalions and brigades)outside of the division including elements of the Sixth Armoured Division.
Type 59 is hardly adequate for such terrain and bogs the whole div down. The tanks would realistically be left behind. LMID is still exposed and vulnerable even to HMG fire. A well placed IFV would spell disaster. SPH units also won't be joining the action soon in such terrain. I'd rather guess heli inserted D-30s or the jeep mounted auto mortar would better surve them.
The Type59D is perfect for high altitude operations as it has a manual gear box, non super charged engine, ans is only 40 tons. Russian experience in Chechnya showed that supercharged diesel and gas turbine MBTs (T-72s and T-80s) with automatic gearboxes didn't work anywhere near as well as the T-62. The LMID is equipped with Type 86 (BMP-1)MICVs with a new turret equipped with a 30mm automatic cannon and co-axial 7.62mm machine gun. They will put paid to any IFVs/light armour that comes its way.I just don't see how you engage a armor bgd with only a handful of ATGMs/Mortars even if you are dug in. It would be interesting to see an adversary try to move an armoured brigade into Tibet and Xinjiang as there are only a few well known areas where they could cross.
Always thought that organic SAM served as CAP for PLA no? They are moving on to try and use aircraft as well as SAMs for air defence. CAP is provided by fighters not SAMs as it stands for combat air patrol.
Except SOF Dadui isn't involved here and not organic to the div?
A recce team is only a recce team. It should only involve TA and denying enemy recce. I'm quite positive a recce team have no authorization to call in air strike. Artillery support maybe but that would be limited to battalion assets which only mean mortar. No?
You never assume that SOF teams are not involved nor a recce cannot call in fire support. The PLA has been practicing recce teams with the ability to call on fire support should a target appear.
If you have read other China Brief articles on the subject you will note that Martin Andrew (a great guy)has written about resource constraints that will be remedied as the PLA receives more new and upgraded equipment. The cavalry brigade that was created for the Sino-Russian exercise shows that they are somewhat there.
Note taken but isn't that just an experiment? Certainly moving in that direction.
The division is still in its infancy but modularity and battle groups are the way the PLA will operate in the future. They are experimenting in how they will work.
Note where the division is designed for - urban and high altitude areas - not the rolling plains or steppes but in complex terrain where ranges are short and especially at high altitudes where fifty let alone sixty ton tanks have difficulty moving around because of their weight and size. The light mechanised division includes an organic brigade of tanks (Type 59D) and is able to be supplemented by already designated anti-armour, air defence and self propelled artillery units (battalions and brigades)outside of the division including elements of the Sixth Armoured Division.
Type 59 is hardly adequate for such terrain and bogs the whole div down. The tanks would realistically be left behind. LMID is still exposed and vulnerable even to HMG fire. A well placed IFV would spell disaster. SPH units also won't be joining the action soon in such terrain. I'd rather guess heli inserted D-30s or the jeep mounted auto mortar would better surve them.
The Type59D is perfect for high altitude operations as it has a manual gear box, non super charged engine, ans is only 40 tons. Russian experience in Chechnya showed that supercharged diesel and gas turbine MBTs (T-72s and T-80s) with automatic gearboxes didn't work anywhere near as well as the T-62. The LMID is equipped with Type 86 (BMP-1)MICVs with a new turret equipped with a 30mm automatic cannon and co-axial 7.62mm machine gun. They will put paid to any IFVs/light armour that comes its way.I just don't see how you engage a armor bgd with only a handful of ATGMs/Mortars even if you are dug in. It would be interesting to see an adversary try to move an armoured brigade into Tibet and Xinjiang as there are only a few well known areas where they could cross.
Always thought that organic SAM served as CAP for PLA no? They are moving on to try and use aircraft as well as SAMs for air defence. CAP is provided by fighters not SAMs as it stands for combat air patrol.