Editing People's Liberation Army Navy (section)

==Organizational structure==
===Administrative structure===
The PLAN central HQ is directly subordinate to the [[Central Military Commission (China)|CMC]]. The PLAN HQ functional offices have the administrative command, control, coordination, and force construction duties over all naval forces. The PLAN is divided into five major "arms" or service branches (兵种): the Surface Force, the Submarine Force, the Coastal Defense Force, the Marine Corps, and the Naval Air Force.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title=PLA as Organization v3.0 |url=https://www.sosi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Conference-Summary-Report_Final-20240624.pdf |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Sosi}}</ref>

====Functional offices====
After the 2016 reforms, the main offices of the PLAN HQ are:<ref name=Surprises>{{cite journal |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/28 |title=War without Surprises—Education for Command in the People's Liberation Army Navy|last1=Martinson|first1=Ryan D.|authorlink=Ian M. Easton |date=Summer–Autumn 2024 |website=US Naval War College |publisher=Naval War College Review|volume=77-3-4|access-date=2025-03-09}}</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[PLAN General Staff Department|General Staff Department]] (参谋部)
* [[PLAN Political Work Department|Political Work Department]] (政治工作部)
* [[PLAN Logistics Department|Logistics Department]] (后勤部)
* [[PLAN Equipment Department|Equipment Department]] (装备部)<ref>{{Cite web |title=PLA Navy Equipment Department & Support Department: History & Organizational Background {{!}} Andrew S. Erickson |url=https://www.andrewerickson.com/2025/01/pla-navy-equipment-department-and-support-department-history-and-organizational-background/ |access-date=2025-03-09}}</ref>
* [[PLAN Commission for Discipline Inspection|Commission for Discipline Inspection]] (纪律检查委员会, 监察委员会)
}}

====Theater-level Combat Arm====
* [[People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps|PLAN Marine Corps]]
* [[People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force|PLAN Air Force]]

====Directly subordinate support units====
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[PLAN Experimental Base]] (海军试验基地)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-21 |title=中国海军试验基地50年定型武器装备200余种(图)-搜狐军事频道 |url=https://mil.sohu.com/20081021/n260146551.shtml |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=mil.sohu.com}}</ref>
* [[PLAN Carrier-based Aircraft Comprehensive Experimental Training Base (海军舰载机综合试验训练基地)]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=习近平视察辽宁舰 机库现2架歼-15模型同时起飞 |url=http://imil.ifeng.com/29206965/news.shtml |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=imil.ifeng.com}}</ref>
* [[People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti|PLA Djibouti Support Base]] (解放军驻吉布提保障基地)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dutton |first1=Peter |last2=Kardon |first2=Isaac |last3=Kennedy |first3=Conor |date=2020-04-01 |title=China Maritime Report No. 6: Djibouti: China's First Overseas Strategic Strongpoint |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/6/ |journal=CMSI China Maritime Reports}}</ref>
* [[PLAN Research Institute]] (海军研究院)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-02 |title=中国人民解放军海军研究院 |url=https://www.sohu.com/a/442033169_120066603 |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.sohu.com【军队文职】}}</ref>
}}

====Directly Subordinate Academic Institutions====
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Naval Command College]]
* [[Naval University of Engineering]]
* [[Naval Aviation University]]
* [[Naval Medical University]]
* [[Dalian Naval Academy]]
* [[Naval Submarine Academy]]
* [[Naval Service Academy]]
* [[Naval NCO School]]
}}

===Operational units===
Operationally, the PLAN's naval forces are subordinate to the CMC [[CMC JOCC|Joint Operations Command Center]] through the Theater Command's own Joint Operations Command Center (T-JOCC). The three fleets (one per Theater) has in turn a  Each fleet has their own headquarters, headed like all PLA units by a dual team of a commander and a political commissar, and each has set up a “maritime operations sub-center” (MOSC) (海上作战分中心) to coordinate operations.<ref name="Surprises" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Dahm |first1=J. |last2=Zhao |first2=Alison |date=2023-06-10 |title=China Maritime Report No. 28: Bitterness Ends, Sweetness Begins: Organizational Changes to the PLAN Submarine Force Since 2015 |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/28/ |journal=CMSI China Maritime Reports}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=着戎装、登战舰、阅编队……十八大以来习近平多次视察海军 |url=http://www.qstheory.cn/zdwz/2019-04/23/c_1124401847.htm |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.qstheory.cn}}</ref> The fleets are in turn organized into formations (编队) consisting on various numbers of vessels, each under the operational control of a "formation command post" (编队指挥所). Fleet units are ordinarily organized into ''zhidui'' (支队, usually translated as "flotilla") of [[Grades of the armed forces of China|divisional or brigade grade]], and ''dadui'' (大队, usually translated as "squadron") of [[Grades of the armed forces of China|regimental or battalion grade]]. Temporary smaller detachments (中队), and larger task forces (战斗群) or "clusters" (集群) can be organized according to circumstances.
The Coastal Defense Force, Marine Corps, and Naval Air Force are organized in brigades.<ref name=":2" />

While the CMC [[Joint Operations Command Center]] has superior command, the Theater Command's T-JOCC has immediate operational control of all services in its jurisdiction.{{efn|with the likely exception of the [[PLARF]]'s nuclear missiles, which are directly controlled by the CMC}} A peculiar case is the East Sea Joint Command Center established in 2013, which has operational control over all forces above, on, and under that sea, including PLAN, PLAAF, [[China Coast Guard]], and [[Maritime Militia]].<ref name=":2" />

===Fleets===
The People's Liberation Army Navy is divided into three fleets:
* The [[North Sea Fleet|Northern Theater Command Fleet]] (North Sea Fleet), based in the [[Yellow Sea]] and headquartered in [[Qingdao]], Shandong.
* The [[East Sea Fleet|Eastern Theater Command Fleet]] (East Sea Fleet), based in the [[East China Sea]] and headquartered in [[Ningbo]], Zhejiang.
* The [[South Sea Fleet|Southern Theater Command Fleet]] (South Sea Fleet), based in the [[South China Sea]] and headquartered in [[Zhanjiang]], Guangdong.
Territorially, each fleet has two or three Bases (基地),{{efn|In English, usually written in uppercase to differentiate command Bases (hierarchical units) from ordinary operational bases (facilities)}} each with a number of subordinate [[Maritime Garrison Areas]] (水警区), each with a given spatial jurisdiction, usually only over territorial waters. Deep blue sea operations are controlled at Theater and Fleet levels.

===Branches===
====PLAN Surface Force====
[[File:RIMPAC_160720-N-KM939-138.jpg|thumb|250px|Sailors from the U.S. Navy talk with Chinese Navy sailors from the [[Chinese destroyer Xi'an (153)|destroyer ''Xi'an'']] after the [[Rim of the Pacific]] 2016 (RIMPAC 2016) exercise]]
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force}}
The People's Liberation Army Surface Force consists of all [[surface combatant|surface warship]]s in service with the PLAN.  They are organised into flotillas spread across the three main fleets.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

====PLAN Submarine Force====
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force}}
The People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force consists of all [[nuclear submarine|nuclear]] and [[diesel-electric submarine]]s in service with the PLAN.

The PRC is the last of the [[permanent members of the United Nations Security Council]] which has not conducted an operational [[ballistic missile submarine]] patrol, because of institutional problems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thediplomat.com/2014/01/chinas-deceptively-weak-and-dangerous-military/ |title=China's Deceptively Weak (and Dangerous) Military |last1=Easton |first1=Ian|authorlink=Ian M. Easton |date=31 January 2014 |website=thediplomat.com |publisher=The Diplomat |access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref> It operates a fleet of 68 submarines.

====PLAN Coastal Defense Force====
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force}}
The PLAN Coastal Defence Force is a land-based branch of the PLAN in charge of [[coastal defence and fortification|coastal defence]],{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} with a strength of around 25,000 personnel. Also known as the coastal defense troops, they serve to defend China's coastal and [[littoral]] areas from invasion via [[landing operation|amphibious landing]]s or [[Airstrike|air attacks]].

Between the 1950s and 1960s, the Coastal Defense Force was primarily assigned to repel any [[Kuomintang]] attempts to infiltrate, invade and harass the Chinese coastline.  After the [[Sino-Soviet split]] and the abandonment of [[Project National Glory|KMT's plans to recapture the Mainland]], the Coastal Defense Force was focused on defending China's coast from a possible [[Soviet]] sea-borne invasion throughout the 1960s to 1980s.

With the [[fall of the Soviet Union]], the threat of an amphibious invasion of China has diminished and therefore the branch is often considered to no longer be a vital component of the PLAN, especially as the surface warships of the PLAN continue to improve in terms of anti-ship and air-defence capabilities and the PLAN's [[power projection]] begins to extend beyond the [[first island chain]].

Today the primary weapons of the coastal defense troops are the [[YJ-62]], [[YJ-18]], [[YJ-12]], and [[C-602]] anti-ship missiles, plus [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] and [[Short range air defense|SHORAD]] batteries.

====PLAN Marine Corps====
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps}}
[[File:Shooting range at 1st Marine Brigade in Zhanjiang, China..jpg|thumb|250px|PLAN Marines of the 1st Marine Brigade and members of the [[USMC]] fire the [[Type 95 Assault Rifle]] during an exchange exercise in 2006.]]
[[File:140716-G-HN254-571 (14714332244).jpg|thumb|A PLAN marine with a boarding team assigned to the [[guided missile destroyer]] ''[[Chinese destroyer Haikou (171)|Haikou]]'' during a maritime operations exercise in [[RIMPAC]] 2014.]]
The PLAN Marine Corps was originally established in the 1950s and then re-established in 1979 under PLAN organisation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hanson |first1=Capt. Michael A. |title=China's Marine Corps Is on the Rise |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/april/chinas-marine-corps-rise |website=U.S. Naval Institute |date=April 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref>  It consists of around 30,000-40,000 [[marines]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kennedy |first=Conor |date=2021-10-01 |title=China Maritime Report No. 15: The New Chinese Marine Corps: A "Strategic Dagger" in a Cross-Strait Invasion |url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/15/ |journal=CMSI China Maritime Reports}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaushal |first=Sidharth |date=2022-09-07 |title=The Distinctive Force Structure of the Expanded PLA Navy Marine Corps |url=https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/rusi-defence-systems/distinctive-force-structure-expanded-pla-navy-marine-corps |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=RUSI}}</ref> with roughly two brigades in each theater. The Marine Corps are considered elite troops, and are [[rapid deployment force]]s trained primarily in [[amphibious warfare]] and sometimes in [[air assault]]s to establish a [[beachhead]] or act as a spearhead during assault operations against enemy targets.

The marines are equipped with the standard [[QBZ-95|Type 95 assault rifle]]s as well as other [[small arms]] and personnel equipment, and until 2022 they had distinct blue/littoral camouflage uniform as standard (now being replaced by more subdued coloring based on the [[Xingkong (camouflage)|xingkong]] pattern).  The marines are also equipped with [[amphibious vehicle|amphibious]] [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s (including amphibious [[assault gun|assault vehicle]]s such as the [[Type 05 amphibious fighting vehicle#Variants|ZTD-05]] and [[infantry fighting vehicle|IFV]]s such as [[Type 05 amphibious fighting vehicle#Variants|ZBD-05]]), [[military helicopter|helicopter]]s, [[naval artillery]], [[anti-aircraft]] weapon systems, and short range [[surface-to-air missile]]s.

With the PLAN's accelerating efforts to expand its capabilities beyond territorial waters, it would be likely for the Marine Corps to play a greater role in terms of being an offshore [[expeditionary warfare|expeditionary force]] similar to the [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] and [[Royal Marines]].

====PLAN Air Force====
{{Main|People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force}}
The People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) is the [[naval aviation]] branch of the PLAN and has a strength of around 25,000 personnel and 690 aircraft.  It operates similar hardware than the [[People's Liberation Army Air Force]], including [[fighter aircraft]], [[bomber]]s, [[attack aircraft]], [[tanker (aircraft)|tanker]]s, [[reconnaissance aircraft|reconnaissance]]/[[airborne early warning and control|early warning aircraft]], [[electronic warfare aircraft]], [[maritime patrol aircraft]], [[military transport aircraft|transport aircraft]] and [[helicopter]]s of various roles.

The PLA Naval Air Force traditionally operated from coastal [[air base]]s, and received older aircraft than the PLAAF with less ambitious steps towards [[modernization of the People's Liberation Army|mass modernization]].  Advancements in new technologies, weaponry and aircraft acquisition were made after 2000.  With the introduction of China's first [[aircraft carrier]], ''[[Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning|Liaoning]]'', in 2012, the Naval Air Force began conducting [[carrier-based aircraft|carrier-based]] operations for the first time<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/stories/chinas-first-aircraft-carrier-enters-service|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512153921/http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/stories/chinas-first-aircraft-carrier-enters-service|url-status=dead|title=China's first aircraft carrier enters service|archive-date=12 May 2013|access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref> with the goal of building [[carrier battle group]]-focused [[blue water navy|blue water]] capabilities. In 2023, the PLANAF transferred the majority of its land-based combat planes to the PLAAF, in exchange for more investment on ship-based aircraft (both carrier based like the [[Shenyang J-35]], or ship-borne like helicopters).<ref name=":1" />

The PLANAF naval air bases include:
* North Sea Fleet: [[Dalian]], [[Qingdao]], [[Huludao|Jinxi]], [[Jiyuan]], [[Laiyang]], [[Jiaoxian]], [[Xingtai]], [[Laishan]], [[Anyang]], [[Changzhi]], [[Liangxiang]] and [[Shanhaiguan District|Shan Hai Guan]]
* East Sea Fleet: [[Danyang, Jiangsu|Danyang]], [[Daishan]], Shanghai ([[Dachang]]), [[Ningbo]], [[Luqiao District|Luqiao]], [[Feidong]] and [[Shitangqiao]]
* South Sea Fleet: [[Foluo]], [[Haikou]], [[Lingshui Li Autonomous County|Lingshui]], [[Sanya]], [[Guiping]], [[Jialaishi]] and [[Yongzhou|Lingling]]

===Relationship with other maritime organizations of China===
{{see also|China Coast Guard}}
The PLAN is complemented by paramilitary maritime services such as the [[China Coast Guard]].  The Chinese Coast Guard was previously not under an independent command, considered part of the [[People's Armed Police]], under the local (provincial) border defense command, prior to its reorganization and consolidation as an unified service. It was formed from the integration of several formerly separate services such as [[China Marine Surveillance]] (CMS), [[General Administration of Customs]], Armed Police, [[Maritime law enforcement agencies in China#Fisheries Law Enforcement Command|China Fishery Law Enforcement]] and local [[maritime militia]].

The CMS performed mostly coastal and ocean search and rescue or patrols, and received quite a few large patrol ships that significantly enhanced their operations; while Customs, militia, Armed Police and Fishery Law Enforcement operated hundreds of small [[patrol craft]]. For maritime patrol services, these craft are usually quite well armed with machine guns and 37mm anti-aircraft guns. In addition, these services operated their own small aviation fleets to assist their maritime patrol capabilities, with Customs and CMS operating a handful of [[Harbin Z-9]] helicopters, and a [[maritime patrol aircraft]] based on the [[Harbin Y-12]] STOL transport.

Every coastal province has 1 to 3 Coast Guard squadrons:
* 3 Squadrons: Fujian, Guangdong
* 2 Squadrons: Liaoning, Shandong, Zhejiang, [[Hainan]], Guangxi
* 1 Squadron: Heibei, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Shanghai