Chinese forces capable of rapid deployment - now and within ten years?

I think air units can be used very effectively. Ultimately it depends largely on how they're armed. They can certainly be armed for anti-tank and anti-air attacks as well as bring mortars for some attacks. In significant numbers, with air support, airborne troops could be highly effective.

That would likely be the problem Russia experienced as well as possibly poor communication. I'm not too sure about how Russian forces were used during that time, though.

Used in conjunction with air support and heavy arms such as anti-tank weapons, airborne troops could prove just as deadly, if not more deadly, than regular ground troops.

Regarding about Russia in Chechen. Airborne tatic is not to blame for the defeat! The Russia that time is still recovering from Soviet collaspe. Soldier moral all time low. Leadership is horrible(The armour march to Gronzy is sucidal)... 18 yrs old young recruit was throw into battlefield against veteran Chechen fighter!All this held a high percentage for faliure of Russian in Chechen!
How do u expect a victory?

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I did say that Air mobile units where forced to fight as a normal mechanized infantry and as they were ill-equipted for it, they recieved heavy penalty. It means that for example in Chetchenia (and more properly in the first part of the campaing) Russians used the airbrone units as normal mechnized infatry but with their illsuited equipment. The one reason to this was that unlike in normal divisional units, the general morale was high in Airbrone units (as it normally is with all special forces). And the "veteran Chechen" is bit weird word...against who where those chechen fought before to gain that "veteran" status?

Gollevainen said:

I did say that Air mobile units where forced to fight as a normal mechanized infantry and as they were ill-equipted for it, they recieved heavy penalty. It means that for example in Chetchenia (and more properly in the first part of the campaing) Russians used the airbrone units as normal mechnized infatry but with their illsuited equipment. The one reason to this was that unlike in normal divisional units, the general morale was high in Airbrone units (as it normally is with all special forces). And the "veteran Chechen" is bit weird word...against who where those chechen fought before to gain that "veteran" status?

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Ok veteran shall not be the word used. But those Chechen fighter were former USSR regular who had many years of experience as a soldier! But I seriously doubt Airborne division morale were high. Even if it is true,their unit were lowly fund and badly maintain. If will be very difficult for them to perform as previous USSR standard!

No, the collabsing USSR and the emerged Russian state kept the airmobile units as their most highly praised units and they were maintanned as best possiple condition that the resources and state of the nation allowed at that time.
Chechens won mostly becouse they used decade old gurellia warfare tactics that can give serious proplems to innovatívely slowly responding opponent, such like Russian VDV

The russian airborne forces performed well alongside spetsnaz in afghanistan, conducting ambushes and anti guerilla operations. The light equipment and high mobility mean that they are better suited than normal mechanized forces to these tasks. But as you say, if they are forced to act as regular infantry, they are at a disadvantage. Airborne forces are best used for offensive action.

Vlad Plasmius said:

China already has RRUs, rapid reaction units, that can be deployed in a few days. However, as far as their ability to extend beyond China's immediate area and to Africa or the Middle East, they currently are lacking there.

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Thanks, (and also for other answers) is there a list of China's RRU's available?

Jon K said:

Thanks, (and also for other answers) is there a list of China's RRU's available?

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The PLA does not have a list of RRU per se. It has some units on higher readiness and alert level for emergency situations. 15th Airborne Coprs (with three airborne divisions) is generally regarded as the rapid reaction/depoyment unit due to its nature of high mobility. While the unit is being deployed, some heavier units will also be deployed via railway and roads. These inlcude the several mechanised infantry divisions, for example, 127th MID under 54th Group Army (GA) in Jinan Military Region.

Finally, some group armies are capable of being deployed to a location within the country without requiring too much time of preparation. These include 38th GA, 39th GA, and 54th GA.

The concept of RRU was somehow in spot light in the 90s but since then the PLA has increased the readiness of those "not so rapid reaction units", or sometimes referred to as "Category B units". For example, 31st GA in Nanjing MR was a Category B unit before but now it is on very high readiness level due to the Taiwan Strait situation. So nowadays the difference between the RRU and non-RRU is not that clear any more.

Vlad Plasmius said:

It might raise some noise, but I doubt anyone's going to care. I think China has every intention of deploying its navy there.

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I think China's priority is Taiwan. Any navy deployed overseas will be useless for Taiwan since they will be trapped or sunk by USA.

I don't see China plunking $1 billion worth of ships in the indian ocean for some vague "power presence" theory.