PLA Organization & Structure discussion
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Then each regiment would function almost like a smaller Combined Arms brigade , if what you said is the accurate then it means that XMR has the same force structure like a us division but with different names.
Meaning crop been the theater element ,Division is the front , regiment / brigade been the field deployed unit.
Not 2 but 3, so a CAD would have 3*3=9 CABn compared to 4 CABn in a CABde. Although there are discrepancies at CABn level.
All OSINT articles point towards two CARs in each CAD.
Whoever did that OSINT is clearly unaware of the fact that each PLAGF infantry division prior to the reform consisted of 2 infantry (whether motorized or mechanized) regiments and 1 armored regiment.
Can someone provide the explanation for the differences between Heavy, Medium, Light, and HIMOB CA brigades?
and if possible where are the new equipment being sent to, i.e. PHL-181 to Battalion level as Artillery company? Brigade level as Artillery battalion that can be broken down into companies and attached to CA Bn?
and if possible where are the new equipment being sent to, i.e. PHL-181 to Battalion level as Artillery company? Brigade level as Artillery battalion that can be broken down into companies and attached to CA Bn?
To answer the first question, the category of a CA Brigade is determined by both the composition of its CA battalions and its vehicles.
A CA Battalion of a HCA Brigade is composed of a Battalion HQ, 2 Armored Infantry Companies, 2 Tank Companies, a Fires Company and a Support & Logistics Company. The vehicles within the Brigade are mostly tracked, this includes the type 05 AAV family. Therefore, Amphibious CABs are considered a sub-category of HCAB (Sometimes denoted AHCAB).
A CA Battalion of a MCA Brigade, on the other hand, is composed of a Battalion HQ, 3 Armored Infantry Companies, an Assault Gun Company, a Fires Company and a Support & Logistics Company. The vehicles within the Brigade is expected to be mostly wheeled using ZBL08 chassis or ZSL92 chassis. There are a few (<10) brigades who are designated MCAB (i.e. they share the same 1+3+1+1+1 structure as other MCABs) but lacks wheeled armor, and therefore has to use obsolete tracked vehicles such as ZSD89, ZTZ59D and ZTZ88B as substitutes. It's expected that these brigaeds will gradually switch into operating wheeled armored vehicles.
A Battalion of a LCA Brigade is composed of a Battalion HQ, 3 Infantry Companies, a Fires Company and a Support & Logistics Company. Note that it does not operate any tanks or assault guns at the battalion level. There are 3 subcategories within LCABs, which are identifyable by the naming of thier battalions: Motorized Infantry, Mountain Infantry and Light-High Mobility Infantry. The former two are pretty self-explanatory. A LCAB composed of LHMI battalions is also known as a "Mengshi Brigade".
For the second question, you have to understand the level of firepowers within PLAGF. PLAGF operates ≤120mm artillery at the CA Battalion level, 122mm artillery at the CA Brigade level, and ≥155mm artillery at the Group Army level. PCL181, as a truck-mounted 155mm self-propelled cannon-howitzer, will be equipt to the Artillery Brigade of a Group Army.
Actually I'm not clear on Chinese Motorized Infantry and Mountain Infantry. I only have vague imagination that Motorized Infantry ride on soft skinned trucks. For Mountain Infantry I have absolutely no idea.
Also, is there a separate Armored/Assault gun batallion at group army lvl that can be broken down into companies and attached to LCAB? That sounds like a solution to insufficient firepower of LCAB. AFAIK it's also being tried by US army for IBCT with it's new MPF.
Then what about the tracked/wheeled division of ≤120mm/122mm/155mm platforms on each Batallion/Brigade/Group Army?
I'll try a list and maybe you can correct it if there's any mistake.
≤120mm:
PLZ-10 on HCABn
PLL-05 on MCABn
PCP-001 on LCABn
122mm:
PLZ-07 on HCABde
PLL-09 on MCABde
PCL-161 on LCABde Motorized, PCL-171 on LCABde HIMOB
155mm:
PLZ-05 and PCL-181 on Group Army.