aimarraul
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2008
- Messages
- 2,778
- Reaction score
- 0
Eyeing the Frontiers The Logistics Command Academy of The PLA
Jun.23 (Military Report released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Hu Yushan) Smoke drifts over a military airfield where explosions have blasted craters in the runways.
Reports arrive one after another at the command office: The air assault fleet of the red army has encountered enemy air defenses. Four helicopters have been destroyed and two pilots have bailed out.
The supply ship at the B naval port has been attacked by missiles and awaiting rescue.
The command officer delivers his orders: Repair the airport and rescue the injured with the utmost dispatch.
Repair vehicles, armored ambulances and helicopters with the flexible support contingent rush to the sites, on land, at sea and in the air.
It is a typical scene in a modern war.
However, this is a scenario at the war simulation center of the Logistics Command Academy (LCA) of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing.
The LCA is the only intermediate training school for logistics officers in the PLA, established to train logistics commanders in modern warfare.
The cadets at this drill come from logistics departments of various arms and services. Some already hold the rank of major or lieutenant colonel. For these cadets, the situations in the virtual simulation are issues of real significance.
A Post and a Reform
Three years ago, an entry posted on the online forum of the LCA, titled Old Wine in New Bottles, drew the attention of the teachers and cadets.
The post read: As a cadet of the LCA, I have been here for training three times. I found that, although the names of the text books varied in the three sessions, the substance was almost the same. Moreover, there are gaps between the book knowledge in the materials and the real situations of the military operations.
The post stirred heated discussion in the Academy. Cadets used the online posts to put forward their suggestions on the arrangement, content, method and practical activities of the courses.
The criticism triggered by the very post was surprising at the time.
That was because the LCA. founded in 1952, was of great prestige in China. It was developed from one of Chinas three major military academies: the military academy, the political academy and the logistics command academy. In 1980s, the logistics command academy was adjusted to the corps level during the one-million disarmament while the other two academies combined into the National Defense University. In the 58 years since its founding, 70,000 cadets have been trained in the LCA. including more than 300 who became officers at corps level, and more than 10,000 who became regimental officers. Some cadets became renowned military scholars and experts.
However, the discussion triggered by the post puts forward a pressing issue: What should the school do to adapt to the rapidly changing military situation?
The answer of LCA is: adjust training to needs of the future wars and logistics support.
For that purpose, the leading group of the school summarized the suggestions in the online posts and solicited further comments via questionnaires and forums. The school sent groups of teachers to different forces to gain an in-depth understanding of real situations in military training and the need for skills.
The investigation revealed that the intensifying trend of joint action in the digitalized era called for logistic talents competent to organize logistics support operations with all services: land, navy and air forces and the second artillery force.
To train officers as highly-qualified logistics commanders, the LCA launched a comprehensive reform of teaching and training with the principle of keeping in tune with the needs of logistics support operations in modern war, in tune with the real situation of logistics services and in tune with the needs of the cadet officers.
Training for Modern Warfare
The first step of the reform was targeted at the content of the courses. The LCA offers one national key discipline, three key disciplines at corps level and several main disciplines for the General Logistics Department of the PLA, with several courses within each discipline.
These disciplines and courses had to be substantial foundations for the development of the PLA.
In order to meet the demand of logistics support in future wars, the LCA, sifted out more than 10 courses no longer appropriate to the reality. The school also added eight new subjects, such as information technology, command in combined service actions, and military logistics distribution.
To avoid another case of old wine in new bottles, the LCA spent millions of yuan to launch a course innovation project in which 100 new textbooks were published, more than 60 courses were added and more than 70 percent of the content in the courses was updated.
Meanwhile, the school set a theme course system, designed for discipline integration, with five main courses, one practical course and several optional courses.
Cadets in the LCA come from different arms and services. The LCA adopted a system in which cadets are trained together for joint operations logistics. It also established training bases in the land, navy and air forces and the second artillery force. The school established the cadet lecture, which allowed cadets to state their opinions on modern logistics combined with their specific major, so cadets from different services could learn from each other and share their experiences.
To ensure that the content of the courses can be applied to real military situations, the school maintains field and practical training as crucial parts of the training program.
The LCA divided the practical training courses into three levels: personal skills, team work, and comprehensive action. In this way, the cadets are trained in an ever-deepening system. This innovative system ranked top of the military training achievements appraisal.
Moreover, the LCA took advantage of its location in Beijing, where many government and military headquarters are located, to establish an open training mode to maintain contact with both the headquarters and elementary military units and share resources with official departments, colleges and research institutes. The LCA invited experts to hold lectures every Friday. Experts from military headquarters, combat troops, and famed organizations such as the Academy of Military Sciences, the University of National Defense, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the National School of Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Central Financial Work Leading Group gave lectures on topics including the national security situation, the prosperity of the nation and the army, and national economic mobilization.
The distinctive teaching and training methods bore fruit. In 2009, the LCA visited a number of military units to conduct a sample investigation on the performance of its graduates. Of the graduates in the sample, over 90 percent were rated satisfactory by the units they served.
The Frontier of Modern Logistics
There is an old saying in China: food and fodder should go ahead of troops and horses. How to transport supplies from place A to place B in an emergency?
This issue seems simple, but is actually complicated. There are many approaches. Should they be carried out by road, water, rail or air? Of routes A, B and C, which should be taken? The decision should be made after careful consideration. Is the route suitable for the transportation of these supplies? Will it contain any obstacles? What are the best and the second best routes? Is some part of the best route impassable? What is the alternative?
In more complicated modern warfare, numerous choices are involved in a simple supplies distribution mission.
These problems can be resolved efficiently at the LCA with its computer simulation system and military logistics optimization system.
The LCA is the PLAs intermediate training school for logistics officers. In addition to the teaching sections responsible for daily teaching tasks, it has six research offices and other research offices, including translation and editorial offices, responsible for academic research. Experts and professors with the LCA persist in the mechanism of aligned teaching and research. They remain focused on the frontiers of modern logistics. This has resulted in innovative and practical research achievements. In the last decade, the LCA has made 500 research achievements in theoretical and technological fields, published more than 130 theoretical monographs, more than 50 translations, and drafted more than 20 laws and regulations on logistics.
At the same time, the LCA has offered proposals to the headquarters affiliated to the CPC Central Military Commission through research reports, reference materials and special academic projects. Proposals such as Comprehensive efforts to build modern logistics, Deepening the reform of socialization of military logistics support, and Diversifying logistics support in military actions have been adopted by the CPC Central Military Commission or its affiliated headquarters.
The Computer search system for the Art of War, the Research system of Mao Zedong Thought. the 123-XT logistics command operations system and the DJ-II application system of command operations developed by the LCA have won high praise from national leaders and the CPC Central Military Commission.
As a window on Chinese military schools, the LCA has hosted more than 100 visiting foreign military delegations, bringing Chinas only logistics command academy into international military circles. Delegations from more than 30 countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Brazil and Russia, have visited and given lectures.
In November, 2009, the LCA was ranked Excellent Teaching Unit in military teaching appraisal,
Nonetheless, the LCA never rests on its laurels. Its leadership committee made specific requirements on all faculty: stay united and confident under the guidance of the Scientific Outlook on Development, actively deal with multiple challenges and tests, live up to the historic mission of promoting furthur development, and push forward the overall construction of LCA.
Jun.23 (Military Report released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Hu Yushan) Smoke drifts over a military airfield where explosions have blasted craters in the runways.
Reports arrive one after another at the command office: The air assault fleet of the red army has encountered enemy air defenses. Four helicopters have been destroyed and two pilots have bailed out.
The supply ship at the B naval port has been attacked by missiles and awaiting rescue.
The command officer delivers his orders: Repair the airport and rescue the injured with the utmost dispatch.
Repair vehicles, armored ambulances and helicopters with the flexible support contingent rush to the sites, on land, at sea and in the air.
It is a typical scene in a modern war.
However, this is a scenario at the war simulation center of the Logistics Command Academy (LCA) of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing.
The LCA is the only intermediate training school for logistics officers in the PLA, established to train logistics commanders in modern warfare.
The cadets at this drill come from logistics departments of various arms and services. Some already hold the rank of major or lieutenant colonel. For these cadets, the situations in the virtual simulation are issues of real significance.
A Post and a Reform
Three years ago, an entry posted on the online forum of the LCA, titled Old Wine in New Bottles, drew the attention of the teachers and cadets.
The post read: As a cadet of the LCA, I have been here for training three times. I found that, although the names of the text books varied in the three sessions, the substance was almost the same. Moreover, there are gaps between the book knowledge in the materials and the real situations of the military operations.
The post stirred heated discussion in the Academy. Cadets used the online posts to put forward their suggestions on the arrangement, content, method and practical activities of the courses.
The criticism triggered by the very post was surprising at the time.
That was because the LCA. founded in 1952, was of great prestige in China. It was developed from one of Chinas three major military academies: the military academy, the political academy and the logistics command academy. In 1980s, the logistics command academy was adjusted to the corps level during the one-million disarmament while the other two academies combined into the National Defense University. In the 58 years since its founding, 70,000 cadets have been trained in the LCA. including more than 300 who became officers at corps level, and more than 10,000 who became regimental officers. Some cadets became renowned military scholars and experts.
However, the discussion triggered by the post puts forward a pressing issue: What should the school do to adapt to the rapidly changing military situation?
The answer of LCA is: adjust training to needs of the future wars and logistics support.
For that purpose, the leading group of the school summarized the suggestions in the online posts and solicited further comments via questionnaires and forums. The school sent groups of teachers to different forces to gain an in-depth understanding of real situations in military training and the need for skills.
The investigation revealed that the intensifying trend of joint action in the digitalized era called for logistic talents competent to organize logistics support operations with all services: land, navy and air forces and the second artillery force.
To train officers as highly-qualified logistics commanders, the LCA launched a comprehensive reform of teaching and training with the principle of keeping in tune with the needs of logistics support operations in modern war, in tune with the real situation of logistics services and in tune with the needs of the cadet officers.
Training for Modern Warfare
The first step of the reform was targeted at the content of the courses. The LCA offers one national key discipline, three key disciplines at corps level and several main disciplines for the General Logistics Department of the PLA, with several courses within each discipline.
These disciplines and courses had to be substantial foundations for the development of the PLA.
In order to meet the demand of logistics support in future wars, the LCA, sifted out more than 10 courses no longer appropriate to the reality. The school also added eight new subjects, such as information technology, command in combined service actions, and military logistics distribution.
To avoid another case of old wine in new bottles, the LCA spent millions of yuan to launch a course innovation project in which 100 new textbooks were published, more than 60 courses were added and more than 70 percent of the content in the courses was updated.
Meanwhile, the school set a theme course system, designed for discipline integration, with five main courses, one practical course and several optional courses.
Cadets in the LCA come from different arms and services. The LCA adopted a system in which cadets are trained together for joint operations logistics. It also established training bases in the land, navy and air forces and the second artillery force. The school established the cadet lecture, which allowed cadets to state their opinions on modern logistics combined with their specific major, so cadets from different services could learn from each other and share their experiences.
To ensure that the content of the courses can be applied to real military situations, the school maintains field and practical training as crucial parts of the training program.
The LCA divided the practical training courses into three levels: personal skills, team work, and comprehensive action. In this way, the cadets are trained in an ever-deepening system. This innovative system ranked top of the military training achievements appraisal.
Moreover, the LCA took advantage of its location in Beijing, where many government and military headquarters are located, to establish an open training mode to maintain contact with both the headquarters and elementary military units and share resources with official departments, colleges and research institutes. The LCA invited experts to hold lectures every Friday. Experts from military headquarters, combat troops, and famed organizations such as the Academy of Military Sciences, the University of National Defense, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the National School of Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Central Financial Work Leading Group gave lectures on topics including the national security situation, the prosperity of the nation and the army, and national economic mobilization.
The distinctive teaching and training methods bore fruit. In 2009, the LCA visited a number of military units to conduct a sample investigation on the performance of its graduates. Of the graduates in the sample, over 90 percent were rated satisfactory by the units they served.
The Frontier of Modern Logistics
There is an old saying in China: food and fodder should go ahead of troops and horses. How to transport supplies from place A to place B in an emergency?
This issue seems simple, but is actually complicated. There are many approaches. Should they be carried out by road, water, rail or air? Of routes A, B and C, which should be taken? The decision should be made after careful consideration. Is the route suitable for the transportation of these supplies? Will it contain any obstacles? What are the best and the second best routes? Is some part of the best route impassable? What is the alternative?
In more complicated modern warfare, numerous choices are involved in a simple supplies distribution mission.
These problems can be resolved efficiently at the LCA with its computer simulation system and military logistics optimization system.
The LCA is the PLAs intermediate training school for logistics officers. In addition to the teaching sections responsible for daily teaching tasks, it has six research offices and other research offices, including translation and editorial offices, responsible for academic research. Experts and professors with the LCA persist in the mechanism of aligned teaching and research. They remain focused on the frontiers of modern logistics. This has resulted in innovative and practical research achievements. In the last decade, the LCA has made 500 research achievements in theoretical and technological fields, published more than 130 theoretical monographs, more than 50 translations, and drafted more than 20 laws and regulations on logistics.
At the same time, the LCA has offered proposals to the headquarters affiliated to the CPC Central Military Commission through research reports, reference materials and special academic projects. Proposals such as Comprehensive efforts to build modern logistics, Deepening the reform of socialization of military logistics support, and Diversifying logistics support in military actions have been adopted by the CPC Central Military Commission or its affiliated headquarters.
The Computer search system for the Art of War, the Research system of Mao Zedong Thought. the 123-XT logistics command operations system and the DJ-II application system of command operations developed by the LCA have won high praise from national leaders and the CPC Central Military Commission.
As a window on Chinese military schools, the LCA has hosted more than 100 visiting foreign military delegations, bringing Chinas only logistics command academy into international military circles. Delegations from more than 30 countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Brazil and Russia, have visited and given lectures.
In November, 2009, the LCA was ranked Excellent Teaching Unit in military teaching appraisal,
Nonetheless, the LCA never rests on its laurels. Its leadership committee made specific requirements on all faculty: stay united and confident under the guidance of the Scientific Outlook on Development, actively deal with multiple challenges and tests, live up to the historic mission of promoting furthur development, and push forward the overall construction of LCA.
