China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
Like I have stated earlier,
the requirement for C-5 and C-17 was to transport MBTs over the Atlantic incase Soviet Navy Succeeded in breaking out from GIUK line and Soviet ground forces rendered major ports in low-country un-useable.
This technical requirement was directly derived from Strategic to Operational levels.
the requirement for C-5 and C-17 was to transport MBTs over the Atlantic incase Soviet Navy Succeeded in breaking out from GIUK line and Soviet ground forces rendered major ports in low-country un-useable.
This technical requirement was directly derived from Strategic to Operational levels.
Western China, where main rail and road transport arteries represent weak choke points.
Essentially There is only 1 mainline going into Xinjiang from Lanzhou. one well placed ordinance can knock it out.
Right now the heavy armour reserve units （parts of 21 and 47th Group) are all in Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia. Xinjiang MR has comparablly smaller force of MechInf. holding as regional reserve and sitting on top of a big logistic pile. Border choke points are held by Mountain and Infantry forces. In the event of an armed conflict 21 and 47th will move their brigade sized units into Xingjiang via railroads and roads... not an exactly comforting thought consider the long road to battle area. also notice 21 and 47 has mostly all brigade sized units...
remember it is not aimed at the central asia stans. Afghanistan and India is the main concern.
PLA is not the multimillion man army anymore. and can't afford to forward place large units.
They have manning level below a million. and actual ground combat units are in around half a million... their ground doctrine relies on timely concentrate mobile armored reserve into theater to deal with any situation.
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Similar thing in Chengdu MR.
13th Army is the operational reserve for Tibet provincial MR in any foreseeable scenario involving India . (14th holding down Yunnan)
13th is based in Sichuan, almost none of its units are on permanent deployment forward. although both of its 2 MotInf divisions are classified as Mountain Divisions, both has a armor regiments, and Army has a Armor brigade. Imagine hualing your Mech Vechicles up those Sichuan-Tibet road with a tractor trailor... night mare.
13th Army is the operational reserve for Tibet provincial MR in any foreseeable scenario involving India . (14th holding down Yunnan)
13th is based in Sichuan, almost none of its units are on permanent deployment forward. although both of its 2 MotInf divisions are classified as Mountain Divisions, both has a armor regiments, and Army has a Armor brigade. Imagine hualing your Mech Vechicles up those Sichuan-Tibet road with a tractor trailor... night mare.
You don't have to forward deploy men, just the equipments.
Afghanistan cant even control its territoty, let alone threaten china. And india wouldnt go far in invading china, we are talking himalayas here. No way it would reach north xinjiang. Most probably it would go far beyond the border. Remember that in a age of recon satellites, preparing such an army would inevitably get noticed well before the attack. This isnt 1939 anymore.
China´s ground force is 850000, not half million. And most probably that doesnt count the milita force. Maybe thats why its ground force went from 1,6 million to 850000 in the latest white paper.
Imagine a huge armored force attacking from Afghanistan or from India over the Himalayas ( I know, very difficult to imagine ). Would China want to meet it with its own tanks or would it be better to give the main roles to Second Artillery and PLAAF?
Some people have that kind of imagination. I remember reading about a press conference at the Pentagon in the mid '80's were some colonel said there was a threat of Libyan armor attacking Sudan ( in area the largest country in Africa ) through a thousand miles of desert with few roads and with little air cover.
Some people have that kind of imagination. I remember reading about a press conference at the Pentagon in the mid '80's were some colonel said there was a threat of Libyan armor attacking Sudan ( in area the largest country in Africa ) through a thousand miles of desert with few roads and with little air cover.
Duhhhh....
The US is pulling out of afghanistan;
The afghan government would never allow the US to build such an army in their country;
How would the US government justify an invasion of china?
Huh? Why would US wanted to invade China? That would most definitely risk a nuclear war between the two super power. In actual fact US would not risk any open conflict with China at all... not at this moment.