SinoDefence Forum

green beret · 11-07-2006

I saw alot of pictures on the Chinese special forces and some elite PLA army units. But face it, when a war really comes, they are not the one that will do most of the fighting. It will be the ordinary Chinese army infantrymen.

As you can see they are quite poorly equipted. they have no kevlar vests, and hell the guys in the first two pictures dont even have helmets.

Also that a look at there canteens, their potato masher grenades (they still use those?), and their little bag thingy (a purse???) and the way they hang on the soldiers. When they run, they had to use their hands on hold them down to prevent them from flying everywhere. Those extra movements would totally give their movement away and turn them into easy targets.

and their guns, still AK -47 i believe? not one type-95 assault rifle in sight.

and I end it all with these pictures. The one on the left shows five friends in the PLA before the Sino-Vietnam War. yes appearently there was a war between the two country. And the one on the right is a picture taken after the war, only one of them was alive.

I wonder how the ordinary PLA Army soldiers will fair if a war happens now.

Gollevainen · 11-07-2006

Moved to proper forum

Again I'm sensing bit too negative wievs against chinese military...

Quote:

As you can see they are quite poorly equipted. they have no kevlar vests, and hell the guys in the first two pictures dont even have helmets.

Ever wore a kelvar vest? We used to hate them as the made us glumsy and our own unofficial "clinical" tests showed that they really weren't more than comfort support...Also it's rather silly to make assumptions and statemnts over three selective pictures. Why not taking a tour of our forums picture threads and you'll get positively suprised.

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Also that a look at there canteens, their potato masher grenades (they still use those?), and their little bag thingy (a purse???) and the way they hang on the soldiers. When they run, they had to use their hands on hold them down to prevent them from flying everywhere. Those extra movements would totally give their movement away and turn them into easy targets.

Running with any fullmilitary gear is bit different that it might appear in the movies..thrust me, even these "modern" type of fighting belts and vest are as much drag than these old chinese gears. From my own humble obinion, based on my own experience is that less you carry the merrier...

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and their guns, still AK -47 i believe? not one type-95 assault rifle in sight.

Well actually the only reqocnizable assault rifle is the type 81...but whats wrong with Ak-47? It's still the best assault rifle ever made and is far superior in conditions like china than many newer western rifle like M16...Boy could I tell you few strories about kalashnikoviks but i've told them so many times (so you can propaply ask from any other regular member

) and it would take too much time...

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and I end it all with these pictures. The one on the left shows five friends in the PLA before the Sino-Vietnam War. yes appearently there was a war between the two country. And the one on the right is a picture taken after the war, only one of them was alive.

I bet there's hundreds of photoes like this one, where only differnece is that the four lads where americans instead of chinese...

green beret · 11-07-2006

Heh, no negative opinion against the Chinese soldiers. I think all soldiers in the world deserves a big salute and a hug and a hershey bar and a good meal.... etc etc.

Most of the comments I make in the first posts were actually made by a former PLA veteran. so I am not making these up. =) that includes the thing about the bag and canteen flying everywhere while in combat training, the no helmet thing, and the thing about the AK... no wait, no, Type 81

As for the gun, SOOORRRYYYY, oh wow I must be really stupid to call it AK-47, I will punish myself by eating this almond hershey bar =p

Gollevainen · 11-07-2006

No harsh feelings

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I will punish myself by eating this almond hershey bar =p

funny to say so, becouse that very same AK-47 can operate just as any otherday if itself had eaten a hershey bar

green beret · 11-07-2006

Ok, get this, this is something I heard from a former PLA soldier online.

You know how the U.S. Army has those LCEs belts where you can clip your first aid kit, ammo clips, pistol ammo clips, grenades, canteens, and all the extra stuff on so you can carry them in one piece?

The PLA soldiers dont have that. They have to put their canteen, their purse, their ammo belt,their ammo jacket (is that what you call it?) and their pistol hoister on seperately. they would put on their ammo jacket thing on first, strap the purse on their left shoulder, their canteen and their grenades on their right shoulder, and then put on the combat belt and the pistol.

And get this, appearently, the fit of their helmets does not fit very well. According to the former PLA soldier, he and appearently all the rest of the soldiers he know had to hold down their helmets with their hand in order to prevent them from falling off while running.

and also onto the issue of their footware. We all know the most important thing to an infantry is his feet. after the new PLA comabt boots where issued, an increasing about of foot injuries were reported, especially sprain ankles; because the new combat boots are not very well designed, soldiers feet can roll very easily while running resulting in a badly sprained ankle, and that automatically take an infantryman out of action.

and onto training. According to some PLA infantrymen, during their entire career in the Army they have only fired 5 rounds. i am not talking about the special forces, or the elite soldiers, just the ordinary ones. 5 rounds, wow, by the end of my first year in ROTC I have already fired up to 40 clips of M4A1 ammos, thats 1200 rounds. How do you expect soldier to fight well in combat if they have never truely fired a gun before?

any who, I am not bashing the PLA. just pointing out its weaknesses. =)

netspider · 11-07-2006

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe I saw these three pictures before. The first picture was took very recently in PLA "QueShang" 2006 exercise, and the last two pictures, thery are not PLA but armed polices. I believe those pictures are about a armed police exercise recently conducted in Xinjiang province.

Also, don't believe those internet rumors spread by those who pretented to be PLA infantry men, you may have already heard that there are a lot of people paid by Taiwan, Japan, FLG or possibly CIA to say such negative things on Chinese forums. Use your own judgement, do you really believe that a PLA infantry man only fired five rounds in his career? Come on, if there is one thing that PLA has plenty of, that must be bullets. When I was in college in China, I fired more than 5 rounds in 20 days military training.

Quote:

Originally Posted by green beret

Ok, get this, this is something I heard from a former PLA soldier online.

You know how the U.S. Army has those LCEs belts where you can clip your first aid kit, ammo clips, pistol ammo clips, grenades, canteens, and all the extra stuff on so you can carry them in one piece?

The PLA soldiers dont have that. They have to put their canteen, their purse, their ammo belt,their ammo jacket (is that what you call it?) and their pistol hoister on seperately. they would put on their ammo jacket thing on first, strap the purse on their left shoulder, their canteen and their grenades on their right shoulder, and then put on the combat belt and the pistol.

And get this, appearently, the fit of their helmets does not fit very well. According to the former PLA soldier, he and appearently all the rest of the soldiers he know had to hold down their helmets with their hand in order to prevent them from falling off while running.

and also onto the issue of their footware. We all know the most important thing to an infantry is his feet. after the new PLA comabt boots where issued, an increasing about of foot injuries were reported, especially sprain ankles; because the new combat boots are not very well designed, soldiers feet can roll very easily while running resulting in a badly sprained ankle, and that automatically take an infantryman out of action.

and onto training. According to some PLA infantrymen, during their entire career in the Army they have only fired 5 rounds. i am not talking about the special forces, or the elite soldiers, just the ordinary ones. 5 rounds, wow, by the end of my first year in ROTC I have already fired up to 40 clips of M4A1 ammos, thats 1200 rounds. How do you expect soldier to fight well in combat if they have never truely fired a gun before?

any who, I am not bashing the PLA. just pointing out its weaknesses. =)

green beret · 11-07-2006

Ok, my source is wrong than =/

and really? O_O man you cant trust anyone these days in China even in the almighty forum =p .

Or did your government just told you guys that so you wont believe the truth they are telling. =/

We will never know...

But the thing about how their infantrymen carry their equipments is truth though, seen them on planty of pictures. and from personal experience I know that would suck in combat.

netspider · 11-07-2006

Do you believe that US government is telling you the truth? Same here.

Back to the PLA infantry man, regarding the PLA "purse", I sort of believe what you said are true issues. These type of bags, belts and ammunition vests can now be purchased in China. I have seen a lot of military fans posted their "cool" pictures online wearing these things, some of them do complain the clumsy of these equipments.

Quote:

Originally Posted by green beret

Ok, my source is wrong than =/

and really? O_O man you cant trust anyone these days in China even in the almighty forum =p .

Or did your government just told you guys that so you wont believe the truth they are telling. =/

We will never know...

But the thing about how their infantrymen carry their equipments is truth though, seen them on planty of pictures. and from personal experience I know that would suck in combat.

RedMercury · 11-07-2006

If you think we're surprised that there was a war (actually, 2) between China and Vietnam you are underestimating the caliber of this forum and shooting your credibility in the foot.

green beret · 11-07-2006

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Originally Posted by RedMercury

If you think we're surprised that there was a war (actually, 2) between China and Vietnam you are underestimating the caliber of this forum and shooting your credibility in the foot.

wow, easy up dude. i am not a military history expert like you.

And if you go ask anyone (except some history expert =p) if they have ever heard of a Sino-Vietnam war, I doubt most of them will say yes.

My first reaction when I found out about it was "What? There was a war between China and Vietnam?" and that part of history was quite forgotten in American text books I am afraid =/

and as for the PLA canteens, "puses" and grenades, trust me, when you run with those on you, they will fly around on your body like freaking monkeys. they drag you down while you ran, they are annoying, and they are just screaming at the snipers "look here, see the purse, shoot me!"

petty officer1 · 11-07-2006

correction. the second and third picture shows not PLA, but PAP in counter terroist training. Yes they have a difference in uniforms. and the first picture shows just enineer troop(maybe even supply company) that is why they don't have a rifle

green beret · 11-07-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by petty officer1

correction. the second and third picture shows not PLA, but PAP in counter terroist training. Yes they have a difference in uniforms. and the first picture shows just enineer troop(maybe even supply company) that is why they don't have a rifle

How in the name of all that is good could you possibily tell them apart (PLA and that PAP)??? (PAP, people's armed police??? wait is it like SWAT or something?)

Also, how did you know it is an engineer company in the first picture? different insignia???

PS. I tried the net, but the net failed me. I cant find any good picture of ordinary Chinese soldiers, instead all I got are these photos of special forces, and tanks. =/

Mr_C · 11-07-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by green beret

How in the name of all that is good could you possibily tell them apart (PLA and that PAP)??? (PAP, people's armed police??? wait is it like SWAT or something?)

Also, how did you know it is an engineer company in the first picture? different insignia???

PS. I tried the net, but the net failed me. I cant find any good picture of ordinary Chinese soldiers, instead all I got are these photos of special forces, and tanks. =/

There are plenty of pictures, you are just not looking hard enough. Or you are searching for them with the incorrect criteria. As for the old fashion looking equipment. Trust me some old stuff is way way better than the new stuff. As for helmets, well in Australia we usually don't get them unless we are depolyed somewhere. Also i agree with with good old Golly... the less stuff u carry, the better. A good thing i can think of straight away about the number of stuff they are carrying, is that if for some strange reason u have to ditch some equipment, u can choose what to ditch and do it quickly and maybe survive.
Besides old stuff is usually good stuff.... especially boots.