"Soldiers should be elite rather than numerous, and generals should be more resourceful than brave." This is a military thought accumulated over thousands of years in China. The strength of the army lies in cohesion, execution and mobility. Elite soldiers supplemented by advanced weapons and excellent dispatch will be invincible.
In the 1980s, the number of our army reached 4 million, and the expenditure on military supplies was extremely large. At that time, China's situation stabilized and the standing army was far surplus. In order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, Deng Gong launched a massive disarmament after holding a large-scale military exercise. This time's military exercise is also said to be based on elite soldiers rather than large numbers, and generals based on strategy rather than courage.
Thoughts on Vietnam's self-defense counterattack
In 1979, in order to consolidate the border and protect the people, our country launched a self-defense counterattack on the Sino-Vietnamese border, and gave the Vietnamese aggressors a severe lesson.
The counterattack lasted 28 days. Our army expelled the Vietnamese troops all the way to Hanoi and achieved remarkable results. However, when the casualty statistics and the battle situation were restored after the battle, several shortcomings of the army were exposed.
Although the results of this counterattack were brilliant, the price paid was also heavy. Our army sacrificed 10,000 soldiers and injured more than 20,000 soldiers, many of whom were seriously injured.
You must know that Vietnam has always been far inferior to China in terms of military strength. Even if there is foreign military equipment support behind it, such a casualty ratio is really unexpected.
In this counterattack, our army exposed a total of three problems , which was also the main reason for the huge losses of the army . This issue also quickly attracted the attention of the central government and major actions were taken in the follow-up.
The first is the equipment aspect. The production and manufacturing of military weapons takes industry as its soul. In the early days of the founding of New China, our country vigorously engaged in economic construction, vigorously developed heavy industry and light industry, and achieved remarkable results. However, ten years of turmoil destroyed everything. A large number of factories lacked financial support, and the social people were dispersed. No one paid attention to economic construction and scientific research. As a result, China's military equipment basically stayed at the level of ten years ago, lagging behind the world in terms of quality and power.
During the war against Vietnam, the shortcomings of military equipment were exposed. The enemy had advanced helicopters and firearms, and it was difficult for our army to break through the firepower network. It was not until the Ministry of Military Industry urgently established a project to develop new equipment that the situation was improved. It was during this period that the classic 81 gun family, which was popular in major games, was born.
The second is strategic thinking aspects . Our army has gone through large-scale battles such as the Anti-Japanese War and the Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea . It has always fought in a difficult situation with backward military equipment. The reason why it was able to achieve victory was that the strategic model of "defensive operations" played a great role. From the initial contraction of defense to the concentration of forces to attack one point, it can effectively reduce the damage caused by the enemy's superior weapons.
This command model has been brought into the counterattack against Vietnam. Although the Vietnamese army is not as good as our army in terms of numbers and military quality, we fought very conservatively, which also missed a lot of opportunities.
The third is the coordination of arms. During the Vietnam counterattack, our army deployed a large number of artillery, tank troops and air force. Its firepower was several times that of the Vietnamese army. However, it was unable to effectively coordinate during the battlefield command process, which made it difficult to exert its firepower advantage. Many times, infantry charges were targeted by the Vietnamese army's firepower, resulting in the sacrifice of many soldiers in vain.
Compared with the wars in the past when the equipment was backward, it is unjustifiable to have weapons that cannot be used today. In future battles, coordination of arms and strategic strikes with long-range weapons will become the focus of war.
Military exercises
After the Vietnam Self-Defense War, the long-standing shortcomings in the army were reflected. However, at that time, many generals across the country were immersed in the command ideas and tactical guidance of the past. Therefore, to make the entire army aware of this problem, military exercises are necessary. In early 1981, Deng Gong secretly issued the task of conducting a large-scale military exercise somewhere in northern China.
The Beijing Military Region was responsible for this military exercise. Deputy Commander Qin Jiwei and Ma Weihua heard the news and came up with three sets of plans in a short period of time. Finally, Deng Gong made the decision to use the third set of map-based exercises . It was not only large-scale, but also the operation was secret. During the exercise, there would be all-round cooperation between land and air. Tanks, artillery and fighter jets would all appear. This would be an all-round modern exercise.
After receiving the exact instructions, the Beijing Military Region quickly began to recruit troops and began rehearsal exercises.
On September 14, 1981, the "802" military exercise, which had been prepared for more than half a year, kicked off in the Zhangjiakou area. This was a comprehensive and modern military exercise in Beijing. For this purpose, the military region mobilized 1,327 tanks, armored vehicles, 475 bombers, cruise aircraft, etc., equipped with artillery, missiles, and various weapons, and launched a sensational exercise.
Deng Gong personally came to observe . The military exercise lasted for five days. During the period, the military exercise was well directed and ended perfectly with no casualties. The day after the exercise, the entire army held a military parade. Deng Gong personally inspected 53 ground formations and 6 air echelons, and finally delivered a speech, "This exercise achieved the expected purpose."
Million Disarmament
This military exercise was very successful. The commanders and soldiers showed a very high tactical level and fully demonstrated the modern war command skills of different arms and long-range weapons. Many generals who watched the exercise were greatly shocked. But at the same time, this exercise also exposed the long-standing shortcomings of our army and prompted the first reform of the army.
In the era of modern warfare, the number of troops is no longer a key factor in war, and the power of thermal weapons has become more and more prominent. If our army wants to realize military modernization, it must make reforms, and the first step is to kill itself.
Lasted from the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China until the 1980s, the craze for enlisting in the army was unprecedentedly high, and the army did not refuse anyone who came. This resulted in the army remaining in the millions all year round and growing day by day.
But judging from the situation at the time, China's diplomacy was gradually becoming more stable, and large-scale battles were also decreasing. Even guarding the border was more than enough, and the redundant soldiers had nowhere to go.
The huge army has led to bloated institutions. The management of millions of soldiers is a huge system, which has spawned various departments and agencies, making the military internally bloated and greatly affecting the efficiency of the army. Even instructions are difficult to convey quickly and effectively. Cooperation is also unsatisfactory, and efficient mobility and combat effectiveness cannot be exerted.
At the same time, there was a large-scale influx of personnel. There was no baptism of war in peacetime, and the recruits had not been on the battlefield for more than ten years, which also greatly affected the combat effectiveness.
In order to improve the combat effectiveness of the army, a large-scale disarmament operation was launched. Led by Deng Gong, millions of troops were cut and merged, and the scale of disarmament reached 1 million.
This action lasted for several years and was not officially completed until 1987. Our army was merged from 11 military regions into 7 military regions , and many useless organizations and positions were abolished.
After this, the whole army took on a completely new look. The Chinese army changed from its previous large size to a streamlined, flexible and efficient one, and officially embarked on the road to modernization.
Not only that, large-scale disarmament has also diverted a large amount of military expenditures, which have been invested in national defense projects. A batch of advanced weapons have been developed and put into use. Our country's military power and national defense power are rising rapidly.
Summary:
The North China military exercise opened the prelude to military reform and pushed the Chinese military onto the path of modernization and regularization. Today, our fleets are lined up, fighter planes are roaring, and missiles are sufficient. The Chinese military stands proudly around the world with a high-spirited attitude. After decades of hard work and bravery, now the sword is out of its sheath, I ask the world who dares to test my Chinese edge?
