- standards with a 40-50 percent of recruits failing the initial screening. The Snow Leopards’ annual “Devil Week” training simulates counterterrorism missions in multiple combat environments including desert, jungle, urban terrain, air, and sea.
Personnel. The PRC’s SOF currently has between 20,000 and 30,000 personnel. The PRC’s SOF units are comprised of experienced officers and non-commissioned officers but are also assigned new conscripts and officers that recently graduated from basic training or military academy, including the Special Operations Academy in Guangzhou. SOF conscripts are selected from volunteers suggesting they are among the most qualified that commit to a two-year term of service. After their two-year commitment, the conscripts are offered to continue service as noncommissioned officers.
Structure and Organization. Beginning in January 2016, the PLA underwent several reforms that impacted the PLA SOF. The seven military regions were reorganized into five theater commands (TC) and five of the 18 GA were deactivated. The PLA SOF were also reorganized assigning a SOF BDE to each GA along with a SOF BDE for the Xinjiang and Tibet Military Districts. These and later reforms also impacted the PLARF Reconnaissance Regiment, the PLAAF Airborne Corps SOF BDE, and the PAP SOF units. Some of these SOF units are relatively new and were created using conventional forces to expand the PLA’s SOF capability. All PLA SOF units are supported by the PLA Air Force’s 15th Airborne Corps for tactical insertion, extraction, and resupply.
Each PLA SOF BDE has between 2,000 and 3,000 personnel while a regiment has between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel. While PLA SOF units have discrete missions based on branch and location, their internal structure resembles the PLA Army brigade-battalion-company-team construct with a main, reserve, and rear command structure.
There are three SOF units within the PAP which have a total of six detachments. Three detachments are assigned to the 1st Mobile Contingent based in Beijing, two detachments are assigned to the 2nd Mobile Contingent based in Guangzhou, and one detachment falls under the Xinjiang Internal Contingent.
There is no national-level special operations command responsible for all SOF activities. PLA SOF also does not have organic or dedicated infrastructure or support and therefore must rely on conventional forces to support their missions whereas the PAP does have an internal logistic support system to support its SOF missions.
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China
