The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Project

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Project: Organizational Capacities and Operational Capabilities Ian M. Easton and L.C. Russell Hsiao March 11, 2013 |The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s UAV Project| Ian M. Easton is a Research Fellow at the Project 2049 Institute. Before his current fellowship at the Project 2049 Institute, he spent some two years at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) as a China analyst, where he collected, translated and analyzed primary source Chinese language materials on behalf of U.S. Navy, Department of Defense and other government sponsors. Mr. Easton spent a total of five year in Taiwan (the Republic of China) and the People’s Republic of China. During his time in the region he worked as a research intern for the Asia Bureau Chief of Defense News. He also consulted at a Taiwanese think tank, the Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies, and Island Technologies, Inc., a software company. Mr. Easton holds an M.A. in China studies from National Chengchi University in Taipei, a B.A. in international studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a certification in advanced Mandarin Chinese. He received his formal language training at National Taiwan Normal University’s Mandarin Training Center in Taipei, and Fudan University in Shanghai. L.C. Russell Hsiao is a Senior Research Fellow at the Project 2049 Institute. He was the Editor of China Brief at The Jamestown Foundation from October 2007-July 2011. Previously, he served as a Special Associate/Program Officer in the International Cooperation Department at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei, and a Researcher at The Heritage Foundation. Mr. Hsiao graduated from the American University's School of International Service and the University Honors Program. He is a member of the Young Leaders' Program of the Honolulu-based think tank Pacific Forum CSIS. Mr. Hsiao is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. About the Project 2049 Institute The Project 2049 Institute seeks to guide Cover image: PLA General Staff Department UAV decision makers toward a more secure Asia by unit practices parade formations at air base near the century’s mid-point. The organization fills Beijing in September 2009 a gap in the public policy realm through forward-looking, region-specific research on Cover image source: PRC Ministry of National alternative security and policy solutions. Its Defense interdisciplinary approach draws on rigorous analysis of socioeconomic, governance, military, environmental, technological and political trends, and input from key players in the region, with an eye toward educating the public and informing policy debate. www.project2049.net EASTON & HSIAO I OP 13-001| 1 |The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s UAV Project| efforts to become a world-class leader in Introduction unmanned technology, the PLA has developed an extensive and organiza- Revolutionary advances in unmanned tionally complex UAV infrastructure technologies and the prospects offered over the past decade. This program by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in includes national-level organizations surveillance, targeting and attack appear tasked with developing joint UAV to have captured the attention of senior mission requirements; an advanced civilian and defense officials in the military-industrial design, research and People’s Republic of China (PRC). development (R&D), and production Indeed, the PRC government is invest- infrastructure; and a growing number of ing considerable resources into UAV operational UAV units under the PLA capabilities as part of a broader effort to Second Artillery, Air Force, Navy, and modernize China’s military and secure ground forces. the interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership in Beijing. Given UAV systems may emerge as the critical the PRC’s expanding strategic interests, enabler for PLA long range precision and the associated requirement for an strike missions within a 3000 kilometer improved command, control, commun- radius of Chinese shores. Emphasis on ications, computers, intelligence, sur- reducing the radar cross section of new veillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) UAV designs indicate an intent to infrastructure, UAVs represent a survive in contested or denied airspace. transformational capability for the This study surveys publically available Chinese military. materials in an attempt to address several key questions regarding the Technological advances have accelerated PLA’s UAV program. These questions China’s emergence as an economic, include: political and military power. China is already considered a regional economic What organizations and individuals and political powerhouse, and its are the PRC’s national-level authorit- military strength is growing to match its ies for developing UAV related stature in these other arenas. However, policies and mission requirements? given China’s growing assertiveness in What are the primary mission enforcing its disputed territorial claims requirements of the PLA’s UAVs? along its periphery, these trends seem to What are the primary military- suggest a worrisome future outlook for industrial organizations responsible the region. An enhanced C4ISR network for the design, R&D, and production may encourage CCP leaders to accept of the PLA’s UAVs? Who leads these greater risk in resolving sovereignty and organizations? territorial disputes. What operational UAV units are currently active in the PLA? What The Chinese People’s Liberation Army are their missions and capabilities? (PLA) appears to be fielding operational How might the PLA’s UAV UAV capabilities that could have capabilities evolve in the years significant future regional security ahead, and how might they impact implications. In order to support China’s regional security in the Asia-Pacific? EASTON & HSIAO I OP 13-001| 2 | The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s UAV Project| Operational Requirement The S&T Equipment Bureau [科技装备局]4 Development The 55th Research Institute [第55研究所]5 The PLA General Staff Department PLA Intelligence reconnaissance 中国人民解放军总参谋部 (GSD) [ ] and bureau6 the PLA General Armament Department (GAD) [中国人民解放军总装备部] serve The GSD’s Electronic Countermeasures as China’s national-level authorities for and Radar Department [电子对抗与 developing UAV related mission 雷达部] is responsible for radar-related requirements and policies. The GSD joint operational requirements develop- appears to carry out joint mission ment and electronic countermeasures command and develop joint operational (ECM). Also known as the GSD Fourth requirements for UAVs. The GAD 总参四部 advises the Central Military Commission Department [ ] and 4PLA, (CMC) and State Council, through the priorities appear to include developing GAD Science and Technology (S&T) electronic warfare, electronic recon- Committee, on UAV R&D resource naissance, ECM and anti-radiation 7 allocation, technology, and industrial systems. It is probable that the GSD policy. The PLA Second Artillery, Air Fourth Department Third Bureau Force, and Navy headquarters (Fourth Department S&T Equipment departments all advise on their Bureau) assists the Electronic Counter- respective operational requirements measures and Radar Department through GSD and GAD channels. leadership develop operational and technical requirements for UAV electronic General Staff Department (GSD) warfare and sensor refinement in 8 support of ECM operations. The GSD Intelligence Department [情报部], which is also known as the The GSD Military Training Department [总参军训部] is responsible for GSD Second Department [总参二部] and improving the PLA’s strategic thinking, 2PLA, is responsible for military and strategic management theory, joint political intelligence collection and operations training, joint unit analysis.1 It is increasingly reliant upon operations training, and service and airborne and space intelligence, branches training.9 Its subordinate surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) research institute, the GSD 60th systems.2 The Intelligence Department 总参谋部第 oversees two subordinate bureaus and a Research Institute [ 60 research institute that appear to support 研究所], oversees procurement of the department’s leadership in unmanned helicopter systems, for developing operational and technical training purposes.10 It is probable that requirements for collection systems, the GSD Military Training Department including UAV sensors.3 The develops UAV mission requirements for organizations subordinate to the the PLA ground forces through Intelligence Department with strong experimentation and exercises.11 Indeed, UAV focus include: the PLA’s first reported UAVs were target drones acquired in the 1960s for EASTON & HSIAO I OP 13-001| 3 | The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s UAV Project| training purposes.12 According to an Wang Yingxun [王英勋], Beihang unconfirmed source, the GSD 60th University UAV Research Institute Research institute occupies a 120 km2 Chief Engineer17 training site in the Nanjing area that includes a comprehensive UAV Other GAD UAV advisors include:18 laboratory, and individual laboratories for communications, control, sensor, Gong Huixing [龚惠兴], 863-705 engine, and laser development and Expert Working Group19 testing; it also includes live fire ranges Li Ming [李明], Shenyang Design 13 and field exercise sites. Institute Zhao Xu [赵煦], senior PLAAF General Armament Department (GAD) advisor,20 sometimes referred to as 21 The GAD manages the “Father of China’s UAVs” broad technology Chen Zongji [陈宗基], senior Beihang acquisition and University

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