Chinese Armed Forces ORBAT Part 3: Ground Forces

Chinese PLA ground forces

Southern Theatre Command

Southern TC covers Hunan, Guangxi, Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau provinces and borders with Laos,  Myanmar and Vietnam borders. It may also support Eastern TC in the Taiwan sector. Its naval component covers the South China sea and some of its units may be deployed against India in case of a war. It was established in 2015 with units taken from Guangzhou and Nanjing Military Regions. 

PLA Southern Theatre Command Units ma
  • HQ Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong  23° 5’44.69″N 113°20’57.22″E ^
  • Army HQ: Qingxiu District, Nanning   22°47’31.20″N 108°22’10.68″E
  • Navy HQ: Xiashan, Zhanjiang.
  • Air Force HQ: Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
IMAGE: BM-21 Grad MBRL mounted on a tracked vehicles belonging to 122nd Medium CAB, 75th GA of Southern TC in fire exercises on May 2022
IMAGE: BM-21 Grad MBRL mounted on a tracked vehicles belonging to 122nd Medium CAB, 75th GA of Southern TC in fire exercises on May 2022

74th Group Army

74th GA was created out of units of 42nd GA in 2017. It had following units:

  • 124th Amphib Mechanised Infantry Division.
  • 163rd Infantry^ Division
  • Armoured Brigade
  • Artillery Division or Brigade
  • Air Defence Brigade
UNITCODEMUCDLOCATIONREMARKSLATLONG
74th Group Army^31661Huangtang Road, Huicheng, HuizhouFormer 41st Group Army23° 4’48.71″N114°24’4.18″E
1st Amphibious Combined Arms BrigadeLN1173022Changning Town, Boluo County, HuizhouHelong BrigadeFrom 124th Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division, 42nd Group Army23°10’54.92″N114° 3’12.21″E
16th Heavy Combined Arms BrigadeLN1231626Yongjun Road, Huadu District, GuangzhouUnits from former 9th Armoured Brigade,23°25’7.75″N113° 9’8.23″E
125th Amphibious Combined Arms BrigadeLN1331627Longhua District, ShenzhenFormer 124th Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division, 42nd Group Army22°53’51.34″N114° 1’5.75″E
132nd Light Combined Arms BrigadeLN1475560Shuangyong Road, Tunchang County, Hainan Provinceor Jiuzhou Village, Qiongshan District, Haikou19°22’29.91″N110° 6’43.43″E
154th Medium Combined Arms BrigadeLN1531628Maba Avenue Middle, Qujiang District, ShaoguanBaitai Mountain Power BrigadeFormer 369th Regiment of the 123rd Division24°42’30.41″N113°36’52.45″E
163rd Light Combined Arms Brigade??LN1675220Luofu Avenue, Changning Town, Boluo County, HuizhouEast Guangdong LionFormer 487th Regiment of 163rd Div, 42nd GA of Guangzhou MR23°12’49.65″N114° 3’10.79″E
74th Artillery Brigade.75230Maba, Qujiang District, Shaoguan, Guangdong24°42’18.61″N113°36’12.59″E
74th Air Defence Brigade^75240Chaozhou, Guangdong23°41’10.59″N116°37’20.86″E
74th Service Support Brigade^31631Bogong Ao, Huiyang District, Huizhou22°50’13.83″N114°20’40.30″E
74th Army Aviation BrigadeLH981cxx75752Sanhua Road, Sanshui District, Foshan City, Guangdong23°19’02112°57’54
74th Engineering & Chemical Defence Brigade31630Louxia, Huiyang, Huizhou, GuangdongFormer 42nd Group Military Engineering Corps &Chemical Defence Regiment of Guangzhou MR22°58’8.25″N114°19’29.77″E
unknown unit32266Pinghu Street, Longgang District, Shenzhen22°42’46.75″N114° 7’12.74″E
74th Special Operations Brigade75738Liantang, Sanjiao, Lianping, HeyuanSouthern Sword24°11’19.35″N114°46’51.38″E
74th GA Hospital32268^Xingang Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou23° 5’45.62″N113°19’25.83″E
Table 3.3.1: 74th GA, Southern Theatre Command

75th Group Army

75th GA was created out of units of 41st GA in 2017.  Before reorganisation, it comprised of following units:

  • 121st Mountain Infantry Division
  • 123rd Motorised Infantry Divisions (or Brigade)
  • 15th Armoured Brigade
  • AA Brigade
  • Tank Brigade
  • One regiment each of Chemical Defense, Engineer, Army Aviation and Boat^
UNITCODEMUCDLOCATIONREMARKSLATLONG
75th Group Army31663Jinbi Road, Xishan District, KunmingFormer 42nd Group Army24°59’42.12102°43’50.00
31st Heavy Combined Arms BrigadeLN3177228Fuxing Road, DaliIron Cavalry TigerFrom 31st Mechanized Infantry Brigade25°40’39.22″N100° 9’37.39″E
32nd Mountain Combined Arms Brigade^LN3277231Century Road, Linxiang District, LincangMountain Subway BoxingFrom 32nd Mountain Infantry Brigade23°53’25.60″N100° 5’31.44″E
37th Light Combined Arms BrigadeLN3377126Dongfeng Road, Kaiyuan City, Honghe Prefecture, YunnanSouthern Great Wall37th Motorised Inf Division of 13th GA of Chengdu MR23°42’55.03″N103°14’30.12″E
42nd Light Combined Arms Brigade^LN3431632^Qingshuigou Village, Guandu District, Kunming CitySouthern Xinjiang HussarsFrom 18th Armoured Bde25°32’37.07″N103°12’21.10″E
121st Air Assault Brigade^LH982cxx75120XupuTashan Garrison Heroes Regiment27°55’58.79″N110°39’40.47″E
122nd Medium Combined Arms Brigade^31633Shijinglin Road, Chongzuo Cityor Guilin , Guangxi ZhuangTashan Pioneer22°22’36.42″N107°21’12.53″E
123rd Amphibious Combined Arms Brigade.75130Gangbei District, Guigang, GuangxiFrom 369th Mechanized Infantry Regiment,123rd Heavy Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division of 41st Group Army, Guangzhou Military Region23° 6’48.86″N109°37’36.09″E
75th Artillery Brigade77146Longchuan Mountain, Liubei District, Liuzhou24°34’6.18″N109°18’11.52″E
75th Engineering & Chemical Defence Brigade77221Zaojiao Village, Hongta, Yuxi31637^24°27’32.34″N102°33’21.56″E
75th Air Defence Brigade^31634Xiaoshiba, Guandu, KunmingApproximate location24°59’4.84″N102°46’22.53″E
75th Service Support Brigade^31638Longquan Road, Panlong District, KunmingApproximate location25° 6’12.38″N102°43’10.54″E
75th Special Operations Brigade^31636Kungang Road, AnningAmphibious?Former 42nd Brigade of 14th GA24°56’16.76″N102°27’49.13″E
75th Army Aviation Brigade31633Laihe, Nongzhangzhen24°35’20.96″N97°49’46.35″E
75th Intelligence & Reconnaissance Brigade^31647Xiashan, Gangbei District, Guigang23° 7’22.63″N109°38’31.94″E
Table 3.3.2: 75th GA, Southern Theatre Command

Other Units Under Southern TC

UNITCODEMUCDLOCATIONREMARKSLATLONG
2nd Information Support/Cyber Brigade^31648Qinglongling, Fusui County, ChongzuoApproximate location22°36’47.67″N107°54’23.12″E
2nd ECM Brigade^75737Yongjun Road, Xinhua23°24’8.32″N113° 8’55.33″E
2nd Rocket Brigade32573Zhongkai Avenue, HuizhouApproximate location23° 1’48.51″N114°22’1.85″E
Comms Brigade^77206Yunnan, Kunming
Tactical training base75750Sanpai Village, Luzhai24°21’19.64″N110° 1’42.42″E
3rd Comprehensive Training Base^75735Jiutang, Huadu District, GuangzhouApproximate location23°28’0.74″N113°12’32.82″E
4th Comprehensive Training Base^31651Shapu, Liucheng County, LiuzhouApproximate location24°34’39.49″N109°18’56.17″E
Unidentified^Dahu, Luzhaizhen24°29’34.13″N109°49’23.64″E
Ammuinition DepoWangling, Guigang23° 7’4.76″N109°39’0.29″E
Unidentified^Gongqiao21° 9’8.99″N110°16’1.37″E
Army AviationChongzuo22°20’7.60″N107°24’1.25″E
Training^ChongzuoVehicle yard and/or training22°21’40.53″N107°19’59.09″E
Unidentified^Xinjiuchang21°30’18.53″N109°13’46.37″E
Unidentified^Da’ao Islet21°36’38.72″N112°32’0.39″E
Unidentified^Wulongcun25°10’7.81″N99°12’21.14″E
Training^Tuguanfen26° 4’11.05″N100° 7’46.05″E
Table 3.3.3: Other Units, Southern Theatre Command

Southern TC Border Defence Units

UNITCODEMUCDLOCATIONREMARKSLATLONG
311th Brigade^31644Zhuhai City, GuangdongNear Macau, Hong Kong22°16’16.01″N113°33’17.12″E
311th Boat Brigade^31645Qi’ao Island, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai22°24’40.12″N113°38’34.21″E
312nd Brigade^31646East Renmin Road, DanzhouFormer 10th, 11th & Provincial Military Artillery Regiments19°42’10.32″N109°12’56.53″E
313th Regiment31639Pingxiang City, Guangxior DongxingFormer Guangxi MR Border Defence3rd, 4th & 5th Regiments21°33’12.84″N107°57’39.31″E
314th Regiment^31640Yuping, Pingbian CountyFormer Yunnan MR Border Defence, 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th Regiments.Vietnam border22°58’46.55″N103°41’25.18″E
315th Regiment31641Shuangyong Road, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna DaiFormer Yunnan MR Border Defence MR 8th & 9th RegimentsLaos and/or Myanmar Borders21°57’2.36100°26’59.83
316th Regiment31642Lincang City, YunnanFormer Yunnan MR Border Defence MR 10th & 11 RegimentsMyanmar Border23°53’23.90100° 4’34.49
317th Regiment31643Mangshi, Dehong Dai and JingpoFormer Yunnan MR Border Defence MR 12th Regiment+ Independent Battalion of the Nujiang Army DivisionMyanmar Border27°44’31.1298°39’55.35
Table 3.3.4: Border Defence Regiments, Southern Theatre Command

Southern Theatre Command Map: https://earth.google.com/web/@25.21418861,105.21602241,1344.35186832a,2708857.28497446d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=MigKJgokCiAxeXhPcXFtdTdFUVpOZy1GYXp6OHNCNF90U1pOOFpFayAC

8 thoughts on “Chinese Armed Forces ORBAT Part 3: Ground Forces

  1. You didn’t seem to get a lot of attention for this but I just wanted to let you know this is some great stuff!

  2. Its so much of hard work
    Great
    Can you share something on UAV Brigade, EW Brigade and Marine Brigade – organization, capability etc

    1. Thanks. Marines have been covered to some extent in one of the posts. There isn’t much useful information available about the rest right now. Maybe will write something in a few months

  3. thanks the valuable information provide by you. is it possible to get .cvs file which you refer in above map view for various theater e.g. China ORBAT Map – East TC.csv, China ORBAT Map – South TC.csv, China ORBAT Map – Central.csv, China ORBAT Map – Airborne.csv, China ORBAT Map – Marine.csv, China ORBAT Map – Border Units.csv, China ORBAT Map – North TC.csv, China ORBAT Map – West TC.csv

  4. Why not? There’s no secrets to keep from the US. JJ has done a fantastical job from published sources. Saying “you’re wrong but I cant reveal my sources” is morally wrong.

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