Structure of the People's Liberation Army Navy

Last updated

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The PLAN force consists of about 250,000 men and over a hundred major combat vessels, organized into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, the East Sea Fleet, and the South Sea Fleet. Below is the organizational structure of the PLAN.

Contents

PLAN headquarters

PLAN headquarters is subordinate to the PLA General Staff Department and the Chairman of the Central Military Committee .

Information current as of March 2007

CommanderCommand Period
Wu Shengli Aug 2006 – Present
Zhang Dingfa Jun 2003 – Aug 2006
Shi Yunsheng Nov 1996 – Jun 2003
Zhang Lianzhong Jan 1988 – Jun 2003
Liu Huaqing Aug 1982 – Jan 1988
Ye Fei Jan 1980 – Aug 1982
Xiao Jinguang Jan 1950 – Jan 1980
Political CommissarCommand Period
Miao Hua December 2014 – Present
Liu Xiaojiang Jul 2008 – December 2014
Hu Yanlin Jun 2003 – Jul 2008
Yang Huaiqing Jul 1995 – Jun 2003
Zhou Kunren Dec 1993 – Jul 1995
Wei Jinshan April 1990 – Dec 1993
Li Yaowen Oct 1980 – April 1990
Ye Fei Feb 1979 – Jan 1980
Du Yide Oct 1977 – Dec 1978
Su Zhenhua Sep 1971 – Sep 1977
Li Zuopeng Jun 1967 – Sep 1971
Wang Hongkun Mar 1966 – Jun 1967
Su Zhenhua Feb 1957 – Feb 1966

Deputy Commanders:

Deputy Political Commissars:

Chief of Naval Staff: Ding Yiping
Director of Political Department: Xu Jianzhong

Fleet Commanders

Fleets

The People's Liberation Army Navy is divided into three fleets.

China PLA Navy Sea Fleets (2007)
FleetStatusParent CommandPatrol RegionHeadquartersFlagship
North Sea Fleet (NSF; Chinese :北海舰队)Active Northern Theater Command (Chinese :北部战区) Bohai Bay, Yellow Sea Qingdao, Shandong Province DDG 112 Harbin (Chinese :哈尔滨), Type 052 Luhu-class Destroyer
East Sea Fleet (ESF; Chinese :东海舰队)Active Eastern Theater Command (Chinese :东部战区) East China Sea Ningbo, Zhejiang Province DDG 150 Changchun (Chinese :长春), Type 052C Luyang II-class Destroyer
South Sea Fleet (SSF; Chinese :南海舰队)Active Southern Theater Command (Chinese :南部战区) South China Sea Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province AOR/AK Nanchang

Bases

North Sea Fleet Major bases: Qingdao (HQ), Huludao, Jianggezhuang, Guzhen Bay, Lushun, Xiaopingdao.Yuchi Minor bases: Weihai Wei, Qingshan, Luda, Lianyungang, Ling Shan, Ta Ku Shan, Changshandao, Liuzhuang, Dayuanjiadun, Dalian

East Sea Fleet Major bases: Ningbo (HQ), Zhoushan, Shanghai, Daxie, Fujian. Minor bases: Zhenjiangguan, Wusong, Xinxiang, Wenzhou, Wenzhou SE, Sanduao, Xiamen, Xingxiang, Quandou, Wuhan, Dinghai, Jiaotou

South Sea Fleet Major bases: Zhanjiang (HQ), Yulin, Huangfu, Hong Kong, Guangzhou (Canton) . Minor bases: Haikou, Shantou, Humen, Kuanchuang, Tsun, Kuan Chung, Mawei, Beihai, Pingtan, San Chou Shih, Tang-Chiah Huan, Longmen, Bailong, Dongcun, Baimajing, Xiachuandao,

Branches

The PLAN is organised into five branches: [1]

  1. People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force
  2. People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force
  3. People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force
  4. People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force
  5. People's Liberation Army Marine Corps

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army Navy is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army, and the largest navy per number of ships in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Garrison</span> Garrison of the Peoples Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), responsible for defence duties in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.

The submarine hull No. 361 named Great Wall #61 (长城61号) was a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Type 035AIP conventional diesel/electric submarine. In April 2003, during a military exercise in the Yellow Sea between North Korea and China's Shandong Province, the vessel suffered a mechanical failure that killed all 70 crew members on board. It was one of China's worst peacetime military disasters. The PLA Navy's Commander Shi Yunsheng and Political Commissar Yang Huaiqing were both dismissed as a result of the accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sea Fleet</span> Chinese naval fleet

The South Sea Fleet, concurrently the Southern Theater Command Navy (南部战区海军), is one of the three fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. Responsible for South China Sea, the fleet provides naval forces to the Southern Theater Command. The fleet is headquartered in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wu Shengli</span>

Wu Shengli is a retired Chinese admiral who served as commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) from 2006 to 2017. Prior to that, he served as PLA's deputy chief of staff, commander of the South Sea Fleet and commandant principal of Dalian Naval Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ma Faxiang</span> Chinese military personnel (1953–2014)

Ma Faxiang was a Chinese vice admiral who served as Deputy Political Commissar of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He came under investigation for corruption and died by suicide in November 2014.

Ding Yi is a naval aviator and vice admiral of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He has served as Deputy Commander of the PLAN since 2013.

Du Jingchen is a retired vice-admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. He served as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the PLAN, and commander of the East Sea Fleet.

Xu Hongmeng is a retired vice-admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. He served as Deputy Commander of the PLAN and Commander of the East Sea Fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gu Wengen</span> Chinese naval commander

Gu Wengen is a retired vice-admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. He served as Deputy Commander of the PLAN and Commander of the South Sea Fleet.

Ding Yiping is a retired vice-admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. He served as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the PLAN, and Commander of the North Sea Fleet. He was groomed to be the candidate for PLAN Commander, but was demoted following the fatal submarine 361 accident in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Yongyi</span>

Zhang Yongyi is a retired naval aviator and vice admiral of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He served as a Deputy Commander of the PLAN from 2004 to 2013.

Ding Haichun is a vice admiral of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He has been a Deputy Political Commissar of the PLAN since December 2014.

Wang Dengping is a vice admiral of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He has been a Deputy Political Commissar of the PLAN since December 2014, and formerly served as Political Commissar of the PLAN's North Sea Fleet and South Sea Fleet. He has been described as having hawkish views regarding China's territorial disputes.

Cen Xu is a vice admiral of China's People's Liberation Army Navy. He has been assistant to the director of the PLA General Political Department since January 2013, and formerly served as a Deputy Political Commissar of the PLA Navy and Political Commissar of the Navy's East Sea Fleet.

Bai Wenqi is a Chinese naval aviator who is a lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and a former vice admiral of the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). He has been the inaugural political commissar of the Northern Theater Command Air Force since its establishment in February 2016. He formerly served as political commissar of the Jinan Military Region Air Force, and political commissar of the North Sea Fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy</span> Commanding officer of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy

The commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy is the commanding officer of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The current commander is Admiral Hu Zhongming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wei Jinshan</span> Chinese politician (1927–2023)

Wei Jinshan was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and vice admiral of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Starting in 1945, he served for decades in the army under General Xu Shiyou, and became a decorated veteran of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War. He later transferred to the Navy and served as Political Commissar of the PLAN from 1990 to 1993. He was awarded the Medal of Honour by CCP general secretary Xi Jinping and the Order of the National Flag by North Korea.

Yang Zhiliang is a vice admiral (zhongjiang) of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He has been Political Commissar of the South Sea Fleet since December 2019, and formerly served as Political Commissar of Equipment Department of the People's Liberation Army Navy. He attained the rank of rear admiral (shaojiang) in January 2017, and was promoted to the rank of vice admiral (zhongjiang) in December 2019.

Fu Yaoquan is a vice admiral (zhongjiang) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), serving as political commissar of the Northern Theater Command Navy since September 2020. He is a representative of the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

References