Indian Defence Review

While analysing the significance of the leadership transition, the prospects of Rocket Forces’ contribution to joint operations emerge as an essential factor according to the Chinese military’s vision of future war.21 The joint exercises held in 2014 and 2015 were conducted in the South China Sea. Therefore, it is not a surprise that officials from Second Artillery had also been transferred to the Navy for facilitating this process. For instance, Ren Yongji, a few months after his promotion at the end of May 2015, was transferred as the deputy Chief of Staff of PLA Navy’s South Sea Fleet.22 After this stint, Ren was transferred back to 56th missile base as its deputy Commander in 2016. In fact, the deputy Chief of Staff from the South Sea Fleet, Major General Wang Liyan, was also from the Second Artillery. He was placed in this position in July 2014. The purpose of the September 2014 exercise, “Joint Action 2014 – A” was to test joint command performance and conventional missile strike. The naval exercises conducted in July 2015 was an annual drill to test the “air defence system and early warning system of the navy”. The Rocket Forces had also participated in the exercises.23Such exercises are always exhibitional deterrence, designed to use the deterrent capability of the Second Artillery’s anti-ship missiles and to facilitate training for joint operational capabilities among different branches of the Chinese military. Commenting on this exercise, a Global Times report hinted that the Second Artillery in general might use its operational tactical missiles for such exercises. These missiles would be used in the early stages of war against enemy command centres, key radar positions, air defence missile positions and airports. The objective of the attack by Rocket Forces missiles would be to paralyse enemy points and open up aviation routes for Chinese naval aircraft to strike enemy targets.24 In Chinese calculations, the Rocket Forces’ cruise missiles could also be modified into anti-ship missiles for use against large warships, given that the Tomahawk was initially a surface missile and later converted into an anti-ship missile.25

A Chinese report gave the opinion of Li Li of PLA National Defence University that the inclusion of missile units is aimed at “reminding those who might want to control China in the South China Sea that they will face formidable missile strength.”26 Commenting about the objective of the Second Artillery’s mission in the exercise, Major General Yin Zhuo of the Navy Informatisation Expert Advisory Committee pointed out that the force has two main targets: ‘large warships and offshore targets… if countries in bases or airports around South China Sea attack China or attempt to occupy the islands, then China has the right to use Second Artillery to attack these airport or bases.’27

Increasing Profile of Equipment Research Department:

In recent years, the profile and contribution of the Second Artillery’s Equipment Department (第二炮兵装备部), now the Rocket Forces Equipment Department (in short Equipment Department), has increased substantially. Not only have personnel from the Equipment Department (火箭军装备部) been shifted to the higher Rocket Forces command (Wang Jiasheng, Zhang Junxiang), but its function has also been raised. This could be due to the understanding that the Rocket Forces need to upgrade weapons and equipment, on the one hand, and integrate new weapons, on the other. For instance, reports have emerged that the Equipment Department and an “unknown”28 department within the China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco Group) have signed a technology strategy cooperation agreement to ‘to improve missile technology performance and combat effectiveness.’29 The report noted that the fundamental objective was to promote Second Artillery’s missile weapons equipment development. This is part of China’s efforts to promote civil-military integration to encourage private enterprises into entering the military procurement market to meet the PLA’s equipment needs. This particular agreement is reported to have the following objectives: (i) missile weapons technology capabilities and combat effectiveness; (ii) creating civil military integration platform; and, (iii) integrating real military needs with technology.30 This had led to efforts to streamline the licensing directory, which was released last year.31

The leadership shuffle in the Equipment department was to bring in leaders who could facilitate and implement these new reforms. Major General Mo Junpeng (莫俊鹏) is one such example. In February 2015, Mo had assumed the post of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Second Artillery. Before that, he was the Commander of the 22nd base (nuclear warhead storage). But in March 2015, he was once again transferred to the Equipment Department as its Director. Mo Junpeng’s experience must be the reason for bringing him to the Equipment Department soon after a transfer. He was the Equipment Department’s deputy Director before he became the Commander in 22nd base. Mo seems to be eager to implement the reforms. He has already stated that it is important to ‘implement Xi Jinping’s instructions, to develop an understanding about the role of the tasks, to have a clear idea of learning what is ‘real combat’, to understand that one has to be prepared for war anytime’.32 Admitting that the national defence and military reforms are very important and that the problems in reforms are quite serious, he stated that all the leading cadres ‘should have the courage to face the problems and support reforms’.33

Mo’s involvement in the reforms is also considerable. At the 12th session of the National People’s Congress meeting of the PLA delegation, it was reported that he gave a few suggestions on ‘issues in military strategic guidance’.34 Given that he is a graduate of PLA National Defence University with specialisation in military strategy, his suggestions would have been taken seriously. Earlier, in 2014, Mo was actively involved in legislation regarding civil-military integration for equipment support. In a report, he commented that ‘with Second Artillery’s new high tech weapons developing, the growing cooperation with military industry is becoming more complex. It also suffers from challenge due to insufficient legislation affecting coordination and continuity, and timely implementation of the projects’.35 Mo is best suited to the Equipment Department as he is more than aware of the challenges due to his involvement in an “unknown” department in the Second Artillery that studied the combat efficiency of troops. This department, according to Mo, upgraded 178 research tasks in eight major categories, where operational constraints were removed to enhance combat effectiveness. These problems were tackled one by one. The department concluded that scientific research at their operational site contributed to the improvement in equipment operation and combat command efficacy and actual combat-like training exercises. The department specifically grew confident in ‘special equipment transportation, special emergency rescue and operating special equipment in complex conditions’.36

In addition to Mo, a missile expert, Li Xianyu, was also brought to one of the institutes under the Equipment Department as its Chief Engineer. Li, who has compared military research to war, has been steadily rising through the ranks by working in technical teams associated with missile brigades, where she had worked on issues related to launch control systems and operational command procedures.37 Further, the Equipment Research Institute (第二炮兵装备研究院) also saw some changes. The task of this research institute is to focus on innovation, establish a scientific research laws and regulations, realise the scientific projects, and help the Rocket forces to accelerate the development of weapons and equipment.38 In short, the focus is to engage in “real combat research and innovation”. In July 2015, Major General Zhuo Ling (卓凌) was promoted and transferred to the post of Political Commissar of the Equipment Research Institute. He replaced Major General Mu Xiudong (穆修栋). Previously, Zhuo was in the 52nd base as the deputy Director of the Political Department. Further, the research institute had established a new research centre called the Second Artillery Strategic Research Centre (第二炮兵战略研究中心) in 2012. This research centre would be the key institute in all areas of strategic research concerning the Rocket Forces and would provide the force with a development strategy, technical support and advice to the CMC, development of military strategy, weapons and equipment design, and core academic exchange platform.

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Conclusion

The leadership transition in the Rocket Forces shows that the service is not only integrating with other services but that its officials are increasingly called upon to other services to facilitate joint training and exercises. The reorganisation and restructuring of the Chinese military has reached the Rocket Forces, with the leadership finding ways to utilise one of its efficient forces for future warfare. The Rocket Forces are being modernised to act as a deterrent force in potential conflicts in the South China Sea and East China Sea. In that respect, the efficiency of their warfighting capability has to be enhanced. Therefore, the equipment and command competence becomes integral to the force, leading the leadership’s attention to equipment upgradation and integration of the Rocket Forces. Given this focus, it is not surprising that there is growing focus on the Equipment Department. Already, in another rank promotion in May 2016, Jiang Jinglian, the Chief Engineer of the Equipment Department, has been promoted to the rank of Major General. A year after assuming the post of Political Commissar of the Equipment Department, Ma Li would be retiring now, which is likely to result in a further change in personnel. The importance of the Rocket Forces would ensure that the leadership would implement the reforms more rapidly here than in any other service.

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Courtesy: http://www.idsa.in/specialfeature/transitions-in-leadership-of-pla-rocket-forces_msprathibha_060616