Jinan Military Region

Jinan Military Region
Jinan Military Area Command

The Jinan Military Region is comprised of three group armies and two military districts. Seperate of independent units attached to the MR include a combined arms tactical training base an electronic counter-measures regiment, a tankmen training base, a pontoon regiment, a special operations unit, an aviation regiment and several "techincal daduis". The Jinan MR covers the Shandong and Henan provinces. The Jinan Military Region is based in Jinan, Shandong Province and operates a large Navy operation. The Jinan Military Region runs the smallest physical area of all the military regions, but the region is heavily industrialized and populated. During a major military campaign against Taiwan, the Nanjing MR would become part of the so-called "Nanjing War Zone," which probably would include, at a minimum, the three Group Armies in the Nanjing MR, elements from Group Armies based in adjacent military regions (e.g., Guangzhou and Jinan MRs). A previously unidentified MR Reconnaissance Training Dadui, roughly a regimental equivalent, completed the training of some 600 non-commissioned officers over a six month period ending on 30 August 2003. This was the first class for NCOs run by the dadui. The General Headquarters has requested that the dadui conduct training of some 5,500 soldiers to be assigned throughout the PLA. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 8 Sep 2002 (PLA Activities Report Sep 2002)] The Jinan MR's Combined Arms Tactical Training Base built five roads measuring roughly 60 kilometers and 30 kilometers of road for mechanized vehicles. Roughly 40 kilometers of fiber-optic cable was installed, four microwave relay towers in addition to new pillboxes, bunkers, and wire nets. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 27 Sep 2002 (PLA Activities Report Oct 2002)] The Jinan MR pontoon regiment (Unit 71621) constructed a 238 meter floating bridge spanning the Yellow River at Mengjin, Henan in roughly 8 minutes sometime in the Fall of 2002, according to Qianwei Bao. In recent years, the unit had constructed some 168 floating bridges of various types and supported roughly ten major military exercises. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 25 Oct 2002 (PLA Activities Report Oct 2002)]

Order of Battle - Current Order of Battle - 2002 Units 20 Group Army 26 Group Army 54 Group Army Shandong Military District Henan Military District Queshan Combined Arms Tactical Training Base [Unit 72506] MR Tankmen Training Base [Unit 72253] MR Reconnaissance Training Dadui MR Tech Rapid Reaction Unit [Unit 72959] MR ECM REGT MR Pontoon REGT [Unit 71621] MR Special Operations Dadui [Unit 71770] U/I Tech Dadui [Unit 72850] U/I Survey and Cartography Dadui U/I Army Aviation Helicopter REGT 15 Group Army 67 Group Army 68 Group Army Strength 190,000 Location Jinan

The Military Region's Combined Arms Tactical Training Base reportedly trained some 50,000 soldiers in 2002 from various PLA units. The facility reportedly is involved in the training of other service arms as well cadets of some academies and training schools. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 8 Dec 2002 (PLA Activities Report Dec 2002)]

An unidentified motorized infantry division conducted long-distance maneuvers and exercises in early November 2002. The exercise involved traveling some 1,000 kms and practiced infantry and tank coordination. [Liberation Army Daily 1 Dec 2002 (PLA Activities Report Dec 2002)]

An unidentified motorized infantry brigade conducted training exercises in the Kunyu Mountains in Shandong sometime in the late fall 2002. The exercise consisted of opposing force engagments that included artillery and aviation units and mine clearance. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 4 Dec 2002 (PLA Activities Report Dec 2002)]

The Jinan MR's Qianwei Bao indicates that a previously unidentified coastal defense regiment, either based assigned to the Jinan MR or attached to another military region but training in the Jinan area of responsibility conducted live-fire exercises of its large caliber weapons against mobile seaborne targets. The exercises took place along the Bohai Sea. The report indicates that unit demonstrated a high degree of accuracy, every round scoring a hit against the targets. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 20 Dec 2002 (PLA Activities Report Dec 2002)]

An unidentified regiment attached to the Jinan MR, possibly the Pontoon Regiment (Unit 71621) built a training facility amphibious landings and sea-crossings. The training facility is reported to be roughly 400 meters in size and consists of obstacles. This is the PLA sole 400-meter obstacle ground for sea-crossing and island landing training. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 29 Jan 2003 (PLA Activities Report Feb 2003)]

An Unidentified Survey and Cartography Dadui (of roughly regiment equivalent) has been identified as being attached to the Jinan MR. The unit conducted various command post exercises since Fall 2002 and is the first unit in the PLA to produce fully digitized maps. The uit has apparently developed a variety of digital maps including vectograms, image format maps, digital elevation maps, and digital thematic maps. [Jinan MR Qianwei Bao 12 Feb 2003 (PLA Activities Report Feb 2003)]

 

References

• Directory of PRC Military Personalities November 2002
• Directory of PRC Military Personalities Serold Hawaii Inc, June 1998
• PLA Activities Report October 2002 [Compiled by Serold Hawaii, Inc.]
• PLA Activities Report November 2002 [Compiled by Serold Hawaii, Inc.]
• PLA Activities Report December 2002 [Compiled by Serold Hawaii, Inc.]
• PLA Activities Report January 2003 [Compiled by Serold Hawaii, Inc.]
• PLA Activities Report February 2003 [Compiled by Serold Hawaii, Inc.]
• Dennis J. Blasko. "PLA Ground Forces: Moving Toward a Smaller, More Rapidly Deployable, Modern Combined Arms Force" The People's Liberation Army as Organization: Reference Volume v1.0, James C. Mulvenon and Andrew N. D. Yang eds. (Santa Monico: RAND; 2002)