People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps

History

The present PLANMC was originally established in April 1953 to conduct amphibious operations against islands held by the Republic of China (Taiwan). By the end of the Korean War, the PLANMC numbered 110,000 personnel organized in eight divisions. However, the organization was disbanded in October 1957 when the leadership of China abandoned any plans to seize the island of Taiwan. In 1979 the Central Military Commission (CMC) re-established the Marine Corps and organized it under the PLAN.

Prior to 2017 when reforms to the corps began, the PLANMC consisted of two brigades with around 12,000 personnel.

The PLANMC participated in multiple international exercises, including participation in RIMPAC, and engaged with United States Marine Corps in mutual training and friendly cultural exchanges during the Bush and Obama administrations as part of its "tranquility and good order" policy according to its navy chief. However, with the Trump administration the PLAN and PLANMC were dis-invited from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific and the US Marines are trained to fight against the PLANMC.

Organization

PLANMC currently has 8 brigades: 6 maneuver brigades, 1 aviation brigade and 1 commando brigade.

• 1st Marine Brigade and 2nd Marine Brigade, both based in Zhanjiang
• 3rd Marine Brigade based in Jinjiang
• 4th Marine Brigade based in Jieyang
• 5th Marine Brigade based in Qingdao
• 6th Marine Brigade Qingdao and Yantai
• Naval Shipborne Aviation Brigade based in Zhucheng
• Special Operations Brigade based in Sanya

Each Marine Brigade is organized into the following elements:

• Amphibious mechanized infantry 1st battalion
• Amphibious mechanized infantry 2nd battalion
• Light mechanized infantry 3rd battalion
• Air assault infantry battalion
• Reconnaissance battalion
• Artillery battalion
• Air defense battalion
• Operational support battalion
• Service support battalion

The PLA has additional amphibious assault capabilities in the PLAGF amphibious combined-arms brigades.

Equipment

; Personnel equipment

• FHJ-84

; Armor

• ZTD-05
• ZBD-05
• ZTL-11
• ZBL-09
• CS/VP4 ATV
• ZTQ-15

; Aircraft

• Z-8
• Z-9WA
• Z-9C

; Artillery and ammunition

• PHL-81
• PLZ-07B

File:US Navy 061116-M-9827H-076 A marine with the People's Liberation Army (Navy) (PLA (N)) marine regiment, fights through a combat obstacle course at a naval base as part of a day of marine capability demonstrations.jpg|A PLAN marine fighting through a combat obstacle course at a naval base as part of marine capability demonstrations, 2006. File:140716-G-HN254-571 (14714332244).jpg|A PLAN marine with a boarding team assigned to the guided missile destroyer Haikou during a maritime operations exercise in RIMPAC 2014. File:PLA Marines 2025 V-J Parade CNS.png|Chinese Marines in Type 21 uniforms at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade

References

References

1. (2024). "Modernising the People’s Liberation Army: Aspiring to be a Global Military Power". Routledge.
2. Gabriel Dominguez & Samuel Cranny-Evans & J Michael Cole. (3 June 2021). "PLANMC may be re-equipping for combined arms, multidomain operations".
3. "China's PLA Marines: An Emerging Force".
4. (July 2003). "The Lessons of History: The Chinese People's Liberation Army at 75". US Army War College Press.
5. Kennedy, Conor. (October 2021). "China Maritime Report No. 15: The New Chinese Marine Corps: A "Strategic Dagger" in a Cross-Strait Invasion". [[U.S. Naval War College]].
6. (22 April 2019). "China wants 'tranquillity', navy chief says ahead of new warships reveal". Reuters.
7. "U.S. Kicks China out of military exercise".
8. "US Marines are practicing seizing small islands as a possible China fight looms in the Pacific".
9. (29 April 2020). "US continues to train with allies in the event of Chinese attack".
10. Blasko, Dennis J., "China Maritime Report No. 20: The PLA Army Amphibious Force" (2022). CMSI China Maritime Reports. 20.