Military women from around the world. Women in the Chinese Armed Forces (2016) Military Transport and Support Aviation

The exact number and percentage of women who serve in the Chinese armed forces is not known, but it is stated that the number of women in combat units has increased. The last time I noticed the girls in the crew of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, they have more cabins there than the guys!

In China, women have served in the army since the beginning of the formation of the People's Liberation Army of China. The PLA serves primarily in low-risk positions such as communications and healthcare. The first female pilots appeared in transport aviation in 1952.

In 1995, the first batch of female marines graduated from the South China Navy. Two years ago, 16 women passed the final fighter pilot test. And last year, a woman from Jiangsu province became the first captain in the PLA Navy, safely piloting a 14,000-ton hospital ship.

According to the PLA Daily, China is among the countries with the highest number of female pilots, although he did not give numbers. The Air Force said it would train female pilots for strike aircraft and bombers.

The Chinese armed forces are the largest in the world. Chinese army strength overall structure is 2,480,000 people. In terms of the totality of combat capabilities, they are still in third place after the United States and Russia. The composition includes: Air Force, Naval Forces, Ground Forces, Strategic Missile Forces and People's Militia. The subdivisions are equipped with both modern and very outdated equipment. Due to the increased level of secrecy, the quantitative estimates of the Chinese military equipment are often only approximate.

In 2010, a new military reform was launched to increase the size and quality of China's army. For 2019, there was a sharp jump in the combat capability of the PRC Armed Forces. According to the current Chinese military doctrine, measures are being taken to implement the so-called "principle of restricting access." It is designed to create restricted areas in China and nearby waters where they will not be able to conduct fighting even the US military. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to create no-fly zones and counteract aircraft carrier strike groups. great attention is given to the development of nuclear forces, as well as to building up the space constellation and ensuring security in cyberspace.

Air Force

The number of Air Force personnel in the Chinese army in 2019 is 330 thousand people. The PRC Air Force has a mixed fleet of modern and obsolete aircraft, an extensive network of airfields, including extremely fortified underground ones, equipped in mountain ranges. They use both cars of Russian and their own production, often resorting to illegal copying Russian technology. The Air Force also includes anti-aircraft missile troops.

Aviation is divided into the following main categories:

Strategic aviation

Strategic aviation is one of the components of the Chinese nuclear triad and is represented by 130 Xian H-6 long-range missile-carrying bombers, in fact, modified copies of the outdated Soviet Tu-16. Depending on modification, H-6 can carry from 2 to 6 cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. Presumably, the Air Force has deployed from 120 to 150 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads, which is about a quarter of China's total nuclear potential. Unlike aircraft of American and Russian strategic aviation, Chinese bombers have a much shorter range and payload, in fact, they are not intercontinental.

tactical aviation

The structure includes: fighter-bombers - 24 Su-30MK2, 73 Su-30MKK, 43 Su-27SK, 32 Su-27UBK, 205 J-11 (clone Su-27), 323 J-10, 120 JH-7, 4 FC-1, 12 J-20 (5th generation), as well as obsolete fighter-bombers and attack aircraft - 192 J-8 (modification based on the MiG-21), 528 J7 (Mig-21 clone), 120 Q- 5 (attack aircraft based on the MiG-19), 32 Z-9 multipurpose helicopters, 200 attack helicopters Z-10 and Z-19, several dozen V-750 UAVs

The range of weapons is dominated by unguided weapons, although there is a fairly wide range of high-precision weapons, including guided bombs, anti-radar and anti-ship missiles, various air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles with active radar guidance. A great achievement of the Chinese defense industry is the launch of the fifth-generation J-20 multirole fighter jet.

AWACS aircraft

Includes: 4 KJ-200, 2 KJ-500, 4 KJ-2000, 1 KJ 3000.

Chinese AWACS are built on a modern element base and generally meet the standards for machines of this class, although there are some doubts about the quality of the headlights and software.

Military transport and auxiliary aviation

The structure includes: 2 Xian Y-20, 16 Il-76 MD \ TD, 1 Il-78, 4 Y-9, 61 Y-8 (An-12), 2 Boeing 737, as well as several dozen more middle class transporters and about 300 light An-2s, about 40 transport helicopters of Russian, domestic and French production.

On the this moment The Chinese Air Force has a small number of heavy transport aircraft, so the ability to transfer military equipment is very limited.

Anti-aircraft missile troops

About 120 HQ-2, HQ-6, HQ-7, HQ-9, HQ-12, S-300 PMU air defense systems are in service. As an auxiliary force, the Chinese army has a large number of artillery anti-aircraft systems(over 1100).

China's air defense system is an impressive force, air defense systems are mainly located in the eastern coastal and central regions. Measures are being taken to create a deeply echeloned air defense system and cover long-range complexes with the help of air defense systems and short-range air defense systems.

Naval Forces

The Chinese Navy today has a significant combat potential and is the most rapidly growing type of troops. The number of military personnel of the Navy in the Chinese army for 2019 is 290 thousand people. At the moment, the fleet is being completed entirely with the help of domestic shipbuilding companies, although copies purchased in Russia are still in service. Ships and submarines under construction are equipped with modern precision weapons different class. The breakthrough of the Chinese industry in the field of electronics makes it possible to introduce modern CICS in the fleet (only on destroyers pr 052D and 055), approaching in their functionality to the capabilities American system Aegis, as well as modern radar and anti-submarine equipment.

The fleet is conditionally divided into the following categories:

Fleet of guided missile ships

The structure includes: type 4 Kunming-class destroyers, pr. 052D, 6 Lanzhou-class destroyers, pr. 051, 4 Sovremenny-class destroyers: project 956E and project 956EM, 2 Jiankai-class frigates, project 054/054A, 10 Jianwei-2-class frigates, project 053H3, 4 053H2G, 29 Jianghu-1 frigates, project 053, 28 corvettes, project 056 / 056А, 83 missile boats, project 022, 31 missile boats, project 037, 25 missile boats, project 024.

The large number of missile boats in the Navy makes it possible to effectively solve the tasks of the coast guard and counteract larger enemy ships in coastal waters. The extensive fleet of corvettes is mainly concentrated on anti-submarine missions. About a third of the total number of destroyers are modern. 4 destroyers pr 052 D (it is planned to build 8 more) are very innovative for the Chinese fleet and are comparable to the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (without missile defense capability). The construction of a series of even more advanced project 055 destroyers has begun, 16 are planned.

submarine fleet

The composition includes: 4 SSBN pr. km), 4 MPLATRK project 093 Shan, 1 nuclear submarine project 097 Kin, 4 nuclear submarine project 091 Han (obsolete),

15 diesel-electric submarines pr. 041 Yuan, 10 diesel-electric submarines pr. 636, 2 diesel-electric submarines pr.

The Chinese Navy has one of the most powerful diesel-electric submarine fleets in the world (largely thanks to modern Russian boats pr 636). Due to their low noise, they pose a serious threat to the ship formations of any enemy, therefore, the development of diesel-electric submarines in China is given Special attention within the framework of the "deny access" strategy. The nuclear submarine fleet is actively developing, both in the field of creating multi-purpose boats and SSBNs. A significant part of the Chinese nuclear deterrence forces is located on underwater platforms, being one of the components of the nuclear triad. In terms of low-noise nuclear submarines, there is still a noticeable lag behind the advanced models of the Russian and American fleets.

Amphibious fleet

The structure includes: 4 UDC type "Qinchenshan" pr. 071, 25 large landing craft type "Yukan" pr. , 10 MDK type "Yuhai", project 074

The Chinese Armed Forces are actively increasing the number of marines, landing ships of new projects are being laid. Project 071 helicopter carriers are the largest ships in the Chinese fleet after the Liaoning aircraft carrier. In general, the PRC landing fleet has significant potential and is capable of landing fairly large units marines.

Naval aviation

The Navy is armed with the only Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning (a converted Soviet Varyag), has 24 Shenyang J-15 fighters, 4 Z-18J AWACS helicopters, 6 Z-18F anti-submarine helicopters, 2 Z search and rescue helicopters. -9C.

Airfield-based naval aviation includes: multipurpose fighters - 24 Su-30MK2, 110 J-11/15/16 (clones of various versions of the Su-27), 24 J10; 230 obsolete fighters, bombers and attack aircraft J7, J8, Q5 (converted versions of the MiG-19 and MiG-21), 36 H-6 long-range bombers, 19 Ka-28 helicopters, 27 Z-8 helicopters, 25 Z-9С helicopters, 9 Ka-31 helicopters.

Despite the fact that the PRC army maintains a large number of obsolete equipment on its balance sheet, the naval aviation has 134 modern multi-role fighters capable of performing anti-ship warfare and air defense missions in significant areas of coastal waters. The disadvantage of Chinese naval aviation is the lack of modern anti-submarine aircraft.

Ground forces

The number of land Chinese army for 2019 is about 870 thousand people. For a long time, they were subordinate to the leadership of the central military council, and its chairman was one of the most influential figures in the PRC, but in 2015, a separate military command of the Ground Forces was created for the first time. At the moment, they represent the most powerful ground strike force in the region.

In service are: 3400 type-59 / 59-2 / 59D tanks (modifications of the Soviet T-54), 300 type-79 tanks, 500 type-88 tanks and modern: 2200 type-96 / 96A tanks, 40 type-98A tanks , 750 type-99/99A tanks, 750 type-03/type 62/type 63A light tanks, 200 type-09 wheeled tanks: 1850 type-92/92A/92B infantry fighting vehicles, 1650 type-63 armored personnel carriers, 1500 type-89 armored personnel carriers , 400 ZBL-09 armored personnel carriers, 100 WZ-523 armored personnel carriers, 1820 self-propelled guns of various modifications, 6340 towed guns and mortars, 1810 MLRS (BM-21, WS-2 / WS-2D, WS-3), 1570 anti-aircraft guns, about 3000 MANPADS, several thousand ATGMs HJ-8, HJ-73, AFT-20, Red Arrow.

Of particular note is the power of Chinese artillery and the large size of the Chinese ground forces in 2019. The unique WS-2 and WS-3 MLRS systems are in service, significantly superior to Western and Russian counterparts in terms of range and accuracy of fire, closely approaching in their capabilities to operational-tactical missile systems at a much lower cost. They provide an accuracy of hitting with a KVO of 30 m at a distance of up to 200 km. It was on the basis of these complexes that the Belarusian MLRS Polonaise was created as part of military cooperation.

The strengths also include the introduction of the 3rd generation ATGM in the ground forces (the principle of fire-and-forget) with optical and infrared guidance systems. At the moment, only 5 countries of the world (USA, Israel, China, Japan, South Korea) can mass-produce such systems, since they require high-tech production of uncooled thermal imaging matrices.

Nuclear Forces

In China, this type of force is officially called the 2nd Artillery Corps. The number of personnel is approximately 110 thousand people. What is the real number of this secret unit in the Chinese army remains a mystery. All data relating to this type of troops are approximate.

The total potential of China's nuclear forces is estimated at about 400-600 nuclear blocks of strategic and tactical classes. Of these, approximately 250 strategic-class charges are distributed among the components of the triad. For mobile ground platforms of ICBMs, an extensive network of underground tunnels has been created, both under Beijing and in various (mainly mountainous) regions of China, which significantly increases the secrecy and stability of nuclear forces from a probable first strike from the enemy.

The composition includes: ICBMs - 20 DF-5A, 28 DF-31A, 16 DF-31, 10 DF-4. MRBM - 2 DF-3A, 36 DF-21C, 80 DF-21. BRMD - 96 DF-15, 108 DF-11A, as well as 54 long-range KR DH-10.

For new ICBMs based on modifications of the DF-31, placement on mobile ground platforms is typical. It is supposed to have 3-4 nuclear units on one missile. In addition to the listed types of missiles, the newest ICBM DF-41 is beginning to enter service, where, probably for the first time in Chinese rocket science, a multiple warhead for 10 blocks of individual guidance. This means that China has achieved technological parity in rocket science with the US and Russia.

Truly unique is the medium-range missile DF-21D with a maneuvering warhead and a guidance system that allows you to attack large moving targets (aircraft carrier class). It was created as part of the “deny access” strategy, implementing an extremely effective asymmetric response to the superiority of the United States in the field of naval weapons and AUGs in particular. In fact, it represents a completely new class of anti-ship missiles with a record low flight time and a firing range of 1750 km. According to Pentagon analysts, the appearance of such missiles could completely prevent the entry of the US fleet into the Taiwan Strait in the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan, and is also the first threat to the global dominance of the US Navy since the end of the Cold War.

People's Militia

The People's Militia of the People's Republic of China is a paramilitary unit of the internal troops (an analogue of the National Guard). They are engaged in maintaining order in China, the fight against terrorism, the protection of important facilities and carry border service. According to various estimates, the size of the Chinese "internal" army for 2019 is from 1 to 1.5 million people.

Major A. Akimova

In China, military affairs have long been considered a purely male occupation. For centuries, women were assigned only the role of the guardian of the hearth and about no military career they couldn't think. However, starting in 1927, when the first guerrilla units of the communist "Red Army", which later became the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), were created, women began to be accepted into military service, which gave them the opportunity to join the Communist Party, and the presence of a party card opened up prospects for further career growth.

The expediency of accepting women for military service in China is also determined by such qualities inherent in the "weaker" sex as diligence, responsibility, discipline, perseverance and diligence in the study of military disciplines.

In addition, the decision to devote oneself to the army is influenced by socio-economic factors: high unemployment; insufficient material support; the availability of social and economic benefits for military personnel, including the possibility of receiving earlier and increased pensions; the possibility of professional self-realization and service career, etc.

Today, service in the armed forces is considered a privilege among young people for both boys and girls.

According to the law on military service, both men and women aged 18 to 22 are subject to conscription, while the term of military service is the same - two years. According to the Xinhua news agency, the latter account for up to 7.5% of the total number of PLA troops.

Military personnel serve both in the rear troops, communications or medical service, and in the ground forces, air force, navy, NVM (people's armed police), people's militia and troops special purpose. At the same time, the “weaker” sex is involved not only as translators, medical personnel, but also as operators of radar stations, combat information and control systems, etc.

According to the Xinhua news agency, women account for up to 7.5% of the total PLA military. Today, China is one of the countries with the highest number of female military personnel.

So, for the first time, women pilots appeared in transport aviation in 1952. On March 8 of the same year, a group in this composition made the first demonstration flight over Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In the future, the pilots participated in research test flights, emergency response and air parades.

Since the 2000s, the PRC Air Force began to train female pilots for army aviation. So, in 2009, the first group of female pilots of the Jianhong-7 fighter-bomber was formed. The girls graduated from the PLA Air Force Flight Institute with the rank of Air Force Lieutenant.

In 1991, women soldiers first began serving in the Navy on one of the ships of the Southern Fleet, and in 2002 they took part in a round-the-world trip. To date, the "weak" sex is included in the units of the Marine Corps, the crews of both combat and auxiliary ships, where the cabins for it differ increased level comfort.

According to Chinese media, women have also served in the ranks of the special forces since 1995. The leadership of the People's Republic of China made this decision in 1979, based on the experience of the war in Vietnam, where the Chinese units, equipped with such a composition, showed courage, heroism and zeal in carrying out their tasks.

In 2013, the first women's special forces unit was formed as part of the PLA. The training program for its personnel involves the acquisition of skills in handling small arms, driving a car, performing skydiving, mastering the basics of rock climbing. In addition, they are taught how to protect themselves and hand-to-hand combat, terrain orientation.

Selection for the new women's division was conducted in 12 Chinese provinces. Applicants were required to have higher education, good physical training they also had to pass an interview. Despite the rather short period of existence, these units have a very high level training and can effectively solve any tasks.

In 2009, a separate women's battalion militia"Iron Roses" consisting of about 350 people took part in a military parade to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. For the first time, the calculation of the women's militia participated in the parade on the occasion of the formation of the PRC in 1958.

Thus, the military-political leadership of the PRC, paying attention to the development of the PLA, attaches great importance to its recruitment of female military personnel. This helps to increase the country's defense capability and the growth of the professionalism of the national armed forces, as well as strengthening the morale of their personnel in the interests of maintaining the stability of the internal situation and confronting external and internal threats.

Female soldier - yes or no? It is still a contentious issue. Women are made to take care of children and provide comfort at home when their men are at war.

A warrior woman - from time immemorial, this was only an exception to the rule, and today, in the 21st century, a policewoman and a female soldier have long been no surprise to anyone.

2. Israeli military forces during training at a military base in southern Israel on February 12, 2007. REUTERS/Eliana Aponte

3. Israeli platoon commander Rachel Levant undergoes combat fitness tests at a sports center near Netanya on February 22, 2007. REUTERS/Eliana Aponte

4. Special military police training with men during training in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui, May 28, 2007. REUTERS/China Daily

5. Female members of the Philippine National Police show their skills during a demonstration at the police headquarters in Taguig, south of Manila October 30, 2007. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

6. Women American soldiers walk along the beach of Mogadishu with weapons, July 11, 1993. REUTERS/Dan Eldon

7. A police officer loads a gun during a shooting competition among female police officers on the occasion of the upcoming International Women's Day in the Russian city of Stavropol, March 5, 2008. REUTERS/Eduard Korniyenko

8. Palestinian women soldiers during a military show in Saladin, near Damascus July 15, 2010. REUTERS / Khaled al-Hariri

9. North Korean female soldiers on the banks of the Yalu River near the North Korean city of Sinuiju, July 27, 2010. REUTERS / Jacky Chen

11. Female soldiers help each other make up their lips before a military parade in Beijing, July 29, 2010. REUTERS / Jason Lee

12. Female soldiers dressed in traditional clothing during a military parade in Mexico City, September 16, 2010. Tens of thousands of Mexicans flocked to the street to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain. REUTERS/Eliana Aponte

14. Female soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) ground forces march in Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009. REUTERS/David Lewis

15. Women soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the capital Kinshasa, February 18, 2006. REUTERS/David Lewis

16. A woman of the Islamist rebel forces raises weapons near the stadium in Mogadishu, Ethiopia, January 14, 2009. REUTERS/Ismail Taxta

17. A soldier from the guard of honor looks back, the official ceremony of welcoming the Prime Minister of St. Lucia Stephenson King in Havana, January 7, 2010. REUTERS / Enrique De La Osa

20. Croatian soldiers on shooting in snowy conditions at a military base near Zagreb on January 31, 2003. Four women Members of the Croatian army unit who will go to Afghanistan in February as part of the German unit of the NATO mission. . REUTERS/Nikola Solic

21. Residents of Baghdad walk past a female American soldier on patrol in the mall, May 26, 2008. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen

22. A government soldier carries a baby on his back, in eastern Congo on January 26, 2009. REUTERS/Alissa Everett

23. A female cadet corps marches at a military academy in Bogota on March 4, 2009. REUTERS/John Vizcaino