The study states that in each service, leaders are unlikely to have operational experience in another branch than the one in which they began their careers.
China’s military leaders share a potential weakness that has undermined their Russian counterparts in Ukraine and could hamper their ability to wage a similar war, according to a new report from the US National Defense University. The study identifies a lack of cross-training as a possible Achilles’ heel within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), but analysts remain wary of underestimating Beijing’s capabilities and caution against comparisons with Moscow.
The document delves into the background of more than three hundred top PLA officers in its five services – the Army, Navy, Air Force, rocket force and strategic support force – in the six years leading up to 2021. Leaders in each service were found to be unlikely to have operational experience in any branch other than the one in which they began their careers.
Contrast with Washington
In other words, PLA soldiers are still soldiers, sailors are still sailors, and airmen are still airmen. They rarely venture out of those bunkers, the report said, drawing a stark contrast to the US military, with Joe Biden as commander-in-chief, where cross-training has been a legal requirement since 1986.
The 73-page report goes on to say that this “rigidity could reduce China’s effectiveness in future conflicts,” especially those that require a high level of joint action, and suggests that PLA forces would be bogged down by the same kinds of problems. that have affected their Russian counterparts in Ukraine, “where the general cohesion of the forces was low”.
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