PLA Infantry squad- questions.

[AUSTERLITZ]

A question to knowledgable chinese members,what is the size and composition of a chinese basic infantry squad?
Squad or section is usually considered the lowest tactical unit.

For example -
USA army has 9 man squads composed of 2 fire teams of 4 man each plus squad leader.
Each fireteam has 3 Riflemen(1 with a under barrel grenade launcher) and 1 LMG.
That gives each squad 2 UBGL and 2 LMGs.

Usually 3 sections/squads make up a platoon.

 

[Genesis]

9 men squad.

Left is the deputy leader and right is the squad leader. Deputy leader has the launcher. There's also a light machine gunner, and a anti tank guy.

Though I will say this, there's too much variation with this, there are a lot with two machine gun, with more anti tank, and much more.

Now, sometimes they are also equipped with small drone depending on mission.

Some also carry company level weapons and much more. All depends.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

View attachment 138356 View attachment 138356

9 men squad.

Left is the deputy leader and right is the squad leader. Deputy leader has the launcher. There's also a light machine gunner, and a anti tank guy.

Though I will say this, there's too much variation with this, there are a lot with two machine gun, with more anti tank, and much more.

Now, sometimes they are also equipped with small drone depending on mission.

Some also carry company level weapons and much more. All depends.

Much appreciated.Any idea how they break up in actions like 2 4- man us fireteams(each with 1 lmg),or in IA case 2 sections[1 4-man' fire' section(UBGL and LMG) and 1 5-man(AT/bunker buster) assault plus additional 1 designated marksman with dragunov.PA is probably similar.

I have heard PLA uses 3 man 'cells'.Any ideas on this?

 

[Genesis]

Much appreciated.Any idea how they break up in actions like 2 4- man us fireteams(each with 1 lmg),or in IA case 2 sections[1 4-man' fire' section(UBGL and LMG) and 1 5-man(AT/bunker buster) assault plus additional 1 designated marksman with dragunov.PA is probably similar.

I have heard PLA uses 3 man 'cells'.Any ideas on this?

the three men formation is a civil war relic, not sure if it's still used.

I'm not sure about the exact tactics, but it's a little different. The American humvee holds a 5 men team, China's vehicle holds all 9.

The reason I said it's very different is because the local commanders have flexibility here, and the reason they do is because china is unsure of how to move forward and is experimenting.

For example, recent exercises, helicopter support, both attack and transport has played a much bigger role, pin point artillery, platoon/company level air strikes, drones strikes and recon, and more has been tried. Breaking up into small teams and conduct gurrella war against bigger force, and quite a few new tactics have been used.

New equipments also doesn't help with

I say we probably won't completely set on a few variations until a few years later. The goal is full modernization of the army by 2020.

 

[cnleio]

Easy to understand, PLA Army 9 men squad with heavy fire

 

[GeHAC]

Easy to understand, PLA Army 9 men squad with heavy fire

View attachment 138367
View attachment 138368

I don't like the PF98 in the squard.This just showed how it occupied the squard formation.

 

[cnleio]

I don't like the PF98 in the squard.This just showed how it occupied the squard formation.

PF98 120mm rocket == building destroyer, to blow whole enemy pillbox up but it's heavy.

Wait HJ-12 to replace it