China's Military Modernization: To What Extent Can the People's Liberation Army Fight at the Operational Level of War?

Abstract

This essay focuses on certain measures of effectiveness to determine the PLA's capability to fight at the operational level of war. It discusses China's national and military goals, and its current doctrine and strategy, proposing military conflicts the PLA is most likely to be engaged in. It explains the PLA's modernization program and where each of the services stands with respect to that. It then evaluates the PLA's ability to fight operationally, and discusses the impact that has on the region and the U.S. Finally, it addresses considerations for U.S. operational planners. Conclusion is that it is unlikely that the PLA is capable of fighting effectively at the operational level of war, of carrying out major operations or campaigns in support of China's strategic objectives.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 17, 1999
Accession Number
ADA370630

Entities

People

  • John H. Bordwell Jr

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircrafts
  • Command And Control
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Doctrine
  • Foreign Relations
  • Military Capabilities
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Quick Reaction Force
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.