People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) combined-arms brigade (CAB) is the primary ground unit of action
of China’s self-described “World Class Military” designed to outmatch the U.S. military by 2049.¹ The
PLA Army (PLAA) has 78 CABs spread across 13 group armies, which are corps-sized formations. CABs vary
in size from approximately 4,500 to 5,000 personnel.
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Their composition in equipment and personnel and
the types of operations they are assigned is roughly equivalent to a U.S. brigade combat team (BCT), with
variants and is similar to U.S. light airborne and air assault BCTs. The PLAA medium CAB consists of
wheeled armored vehicles and is similar to a U.S. Stryker BCT. The PLAA heavy CAB comprises tracked
armored vehicles like a U.S. armored BCT (ABCT).
A PLAA heavy CAB has more organic maneuver, air defense, and res units than a U.S. Army ABCT. The
heavy CAB has an additional maneuver battalion, an air defense battalion, and multiple launch rockets within
its artillery battalion. The U.S. ABCT has artillery and engineer battalions assigned from its parent division.
PLAA Heavy CAB U.S. Army ABCT
4x Armored/Mechanized Battalions
Reconnaissance Battalion
Artillery Battalion (Tube, Rocket, & Long
Range ATGMs)
Service Support Battalion (Logistics)
Operational Support Battalion (w/
Engineer element)
Air Defense Battalion
3x Armored/Mechanized Battalions
Armored Recon Cav Squadron
Field Artillery Battalion (Tube only, Task
Organized)
Logistics Support Battalion
Engineer Battalion (Task Organized)
Figure 1: Unit data from Congressional Research Service and TRADOC G-2 China Landing Zone
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COMPARING UNITS OF A 2024 PLAA HEAVY CAB TO A 2024 U.S. ABCT
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by Erick Salisbury, Intelligence Analyst, TRADOC G-2
"Know The enemy"
Red Diamond
HTTPS://OE.TRADOC.ARMY.MIL/CATEGORY/RED-DIAMOND-POSTS
3 MARCH 2025
U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command, G-2
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE. DISTRIBUTION IS UNLIMITED.
PLA Bets on Combined-Arms Brigade
as Its Maneuver Workhorse
