- For policy makers, special operations operations forces have become the top option because they are very capable and can operate in small steps.
- China’s current special operations operations units in the People’s Liberation Army are a relatively recent addition, and their role in their U.S. Differs from counterparts.
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Over the past two decades, special working forces have become the choice of policymakers and military leaders around the world.
In the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and in the USIS. U.S. in Syria And the success of the coalition’s special operations units demonstrates the importance and usefulness of small teams of highly trained soldiers.
When the U.S. And while its allies are fighting in the Middle East, the Chinese military is paying close attention to special operations, especially in the US. As a result, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is rapidly investing resources in its own special-operations force.
So, everyone is preparing for the great power competition, how will the Chinese special operations measure up against the US and what is the biggest difference between the two?
U.S. Special Administrators
U.S. Members of the Army Special Forces operate on May 18, 2019 near Mont Saint-Michel, France.
Photo of the U.S. Air Force by Senior Airman Benjamin Cooper
U.S. special operations units can be divided into unofficial levels.
Delta Force and Seal Team 6 will be on top (Tier 1), followed by the 75th Ranger Regiment, Knight Stokers, Marsock, and CL and Boat Teams (Tier 2) and then Special Forces Groups (Tier 3). Air commandos are difficult to classify because they often expand to other units rather than being deployed as teams.
It is important to note that this level has more to do with mission sets and funding than military quality.
For example, Seal Team 6 is part of the National Mission Force (Pentagon’s first competitors, in common man’s terms) and has more money and equipment to use than the “Vanilla” Seal Team, but both are powered by Seal.
Chinese special operators
China Navy Xiaolong, or “Sea Dragon” commando during an exercise.
People’s Daily China / Twitter
Irregular warfare and special operations since the time of Sun Xu have been part of Chinese military culture, whose writings highlight the value of special individuals and units in warfare.
However, modern Chinese specialty operations are brand new. The first unit, the Special Reconnaissance Group, was established in 1988. In the late 1990’s, as part of the modernization of the PLA, seven special operations groups of 1,000 to 2,000 men were formed.
Now each of the five theater commands has a special operations operation brigade-size unitWhich is roughly identical to U.S. combat commands.
In addition, other branches have small special units of various sizes. The Chinese Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force (the branch responsible for China’s nuclear and conventional missiles) each have dedicated special-operations units.
After the navy’s Xiaolong (Sea Dragon) was successfully recaptured by pirates from the Gulf of Aden and helped evacuate civilians from war-torn Yemen, it is the most famous Chinese special operations operation unit, which became the subject of Chinese propaganda.
In total, China has 20,000 to 40,000 special operations troops of various qualities.
Critically, the number of Chinese special operations operations units has more than doubled in the last two decades, indicating that Chinese leaders are paying more attention to the high-return, low-cost characteristics of special operations units.
Both are special but not the same
Chinese Navy Special Forces, or “Jiaolong Commando”, board the ship during an exercise.
CGTN / Twitter
Since the early 2000s, the PLA has undergone a rigorous modernization and professionalization process, shifting primarily from a cross-script force to a smaller, mostly volunteer military, however, as a registration policy.
The main purpose of the new force is to fight short battles against regional adversaries while having technical advantages.
Chinese special operations operations units and the PLA as a whole have gained from modernization and have learned from the examples provided by Western special operations operations over the past 60 years, but the Chinese military is still undefeated in combat.
U.S. special operations units, on the other hand, have increased their combat experience to an astonishing level over the past two decades. It is not uncommon for double-digit combat deployment operators and hundreds of real-worlds with their belts under their belts.
China’s special operations operations units are also regionally centralized and lack central commands such as the US Special Operations Operations Command (SOCOM). This can limit their effectiveness and injurious interoperability.
Member of “Xiaolong Commando”.
CGTN / Twitter
In addition, Chinese special operations operations units lack the dedicated aviation and maritime resources of American commandos, namely the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Special Boat Teams, Seal Delivery Vehicle Teams, and Special Air Force Special Operations.
Without special investment platforms, the usefulness of Chinese commandos is limited and their geographical scope is local.. However, according to the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office Fees (FMSO), the PLA is setting up an aviation brigade that can address some of the shortcomings of this property.
In addition, there is a difference in the mission set.
China’s special operations operations units focus on direct action, special intelligence and counterterrorism. U.S. Unlike commandos, they do not conduct unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, civil affairs and mental operations.
In short, in terms of mission sets, the Chinese commandos are closer to the special units of the modern world war than the special operations of the US. Not that they are not capable, but their scope is more limited, which is a reflection of the PLA’s strategic priorities.
Before the people
On September 18, 2010, the Chinese military recruits at the Nanjing Massacre Museum in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
Ritter
But perhaps the biggest and most important difference between people.
“One of the five special” truths “of the U.S., humans are more important than hardware.” Western special operators take pride in their independence and out-of-the-way thinking, which is encouraged if not expected by their leaders.
Allied units such as Delta Force, Seal Teams, Special Forces Groups and Special Air Service (SAS) excel because of their unrivaled officers. Operations When planning operations, these are the NCOs that come up with ideas and approaches. Ironically, the British SASA has dubbed the listed process the ‘Chinese Parliament’.
In contrast, elements of Chinese military culture, especially the use of compacts as well as differing views on unit integration, pose a significant obstacle to small-team independence.
Explanation and scrutiny by the Communist Party further complicates matters and adds to the second tier of bureaucracy.
China is used to steal and copy military technology and concepts, which are believed to be behind Beijing’s progress in fighter jets and other weapons. But when it comes to units of special operations, it is not easy to imitate these cultural aspects.
Stavros Atlamazoglo is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a P Hellenic Army Pte (National Service with 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters), and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.
