In this Quick Take for the China Landpower Studies Center, I explain how the 112th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade (HCAB) will receive the ZTZ-99B Main Battle Tank (MBT) to develop the doctrine to effectively employ it during combat operations.

ssi.armywarcollege.edu/SSI-Media/Rece… The tank also indicates that the PLAA is implementing the Systems Warfare (SW) concept in its tactical information-sharing network.

In mid-January, the crew from the Type 054B/Jiangkai III class frigate, the Luohe, conducted a live-fire shore bombardment exercise that involved the use of UAVs to correct the ship’s fire.
The Luohe utilizes the drones to gather targeting data so the ship can conduct fire missions at the targeted positions using its H/PJ-87 100mm naval cannon.

In early February, an image of a J-15T carrier based multirole aircraft flying with two YJ-15 Anti Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCM) on its air intake hardpoints in Lingshui, Hainan province. The J-15T was conducting a training mission so the pilot could learn how to handle the aircraft while armed with heavy munitions, such as the YJ-15. More importantly, the training flight also enabled the pilot to understand the parameters for when they would launch the YJ-15.

My article about the PLANMC tank companies and how it enhances the branch’s expeditionary capabilities is out now with the China Landpower Studies Center’s Quick Takes.

ssi.armywarcollege.edu/SSI-Media/Rece… I would like to thank Joshua Arostegui for providing me with this opportunity to publish my research regarding a topic I am passionate about.

On January 24th, China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that CMC Vice Chairman, General Zhang Youxia, and CMC Joint Staff Department (JSD) Chief of Staff, General Liu Zhenli, were placed under investigation by the CCP’s Central Committee for “serious violations of discipline and law.” Both generals were also absent from the opening ceremony of the Study Session for the Provincial and Ministerial-Level Leading Cadres on Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Central Committee on January 20th.

China loves teasing China watchers with the video and other media from the Fujian’s commissioning ceremony on November 5th. The government should announce the carrier’s commissioning tomorrow though.

https://twitter.com/ChinaMilBugle/status/1986388880900358405

Workers removed the streamers tied to the Fujian aircraft carrier after the ceremony, as seen in the first image on November 6th. In an image from November 5th, the streamers were still tied to the carrier before the ceremony.

On November 5th, SAR imagery from @esa indicated that the Shuiqiao class Landing Platform Utility (LPU) barges returned to Yuhuan Naval Piers after completing a 21-day exercise at Hepu Dasha Beach, located on Nantian Island.
The barges in the November 5th image match similar satellite imagery taken of Yuhuan in September and October, when they were moored at their regular spots on the piers.

On October 3rd, the Shandong and Fujian aircraft carriers, as well as other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships, departed Yulin Naval Base to avoid Typhoon Wanmo. The typhoon is projected to make landfall in northern Hainan and southern Guangdong provinces.

On September 15th, the Fujian aircraft carrier was located in Riyue Bay in Wanning, Hainan, according to satellite imagery. The carrier had some aircraft on its flightdeck while it was sailing in the bay and surrounding area.

On July 31st, the Shuiqiao class Landing Platform Utility (LPU) barges continued their verification exercises at Beach One, located north of Hepu Dasha Beach, Nantian Island.

@MT_Anderson @GordianKnotRay @TaiwanMonitor @tshugart3 @AndrewSErickson @SamRoggeveen The Donggong402 and Donggong403 had their bridges stowed away with their jack-up legs lowered onto the seafloor. The Donggong401 was located some distance from the Donggong403 and was likely in the same configuration as the other two barges.