83rd Group Army

83rd Group Army
第八十三集团军
Country	People's Republic of China
Allegiance	Chinese Communist Party
Branch	People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Type	Group army
Part of	Central Theater Command
Garrison/HQ	Xinxiang, Henan
Engagements	Northern Expedition Long March Second Sino-Japanese War World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Sino-Indian War Vietnam War Sino-Vietnamese War
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Xie Zenggang[2]
Political Commissar	Major General Wang Xinmin[1]
Notable commanders	Ye Ting Zhu De Yang Dezhi Su Yu Xiao Ke Yang Chengwu Huang Yongsheng Deng Hua Ding Sheng
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol

The 83rd Group Army (Chinese: 第八十三集团军; pinyin: Dì Bāshísān Jítuánjūn), Unit 31679, formerly the 54th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 83rd Group Army is one of thirteen total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in the People's Republic of China, and one of three assigned to the nation's Central Theater Command.^[3]

History

In 1952, the 45th Army Headquarter, the 134th Division and 135th Division merged with the 130th Division of the 44th Army, reorganized into the 54th Army. Then it participated in the Korean War.
In 1959, it participated in Tibet insurgency operations. In 1962, it participated in the Sino-Indian War of 1962, and the 130th Division defeated the 11th Infantry Brigade of the Indian Army in the Battle of Walong.
In 1979, it participated in the Western Front Campaign of the Sino-Vietnamese War. At the same time, the 127th Division of the 43rd Army captured Lang Son and defeated the main force of the Vietnamese army. The commander of the 127th Division at that time was Zhang Wannian, who was later the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.
In 1985, the 54th Army was reorganized into the 54th Group Army, which governed the 160th Infantry Division and the 162nd Infantry Division, and the 161st Division was reorganized into an artillery brigade. The 127th Infantry Division of the 43rd Army was transferred to the group army. It became one of the PLA's three rapid response (strategic reserve) units, the other two being the 38th Group Army and the 39th Group Army.
Troops from the army were deployed into Beijing in June 1989 and participated in the anti-protester clearance operations.
After 1997, the 127th Infantry Division was converted into a light mechanized infantry division, and the 160th Infantry Division was converted into a motorized infantry brigade. The 11th Armored Division belonging to the 20th Group Army was swapped with the Armored Brigade of the 54th Group Army, and the anti-aircraft artillery brigade was reorganized into an air defense brigade.
In 2009, the 162nd Infantry Division was converted into a wheeled mechanized infantry division, using the Type 08 series 8×8 wheeled vehicles.
In February 2016, the seven military regions were reorganized into five theater commands, as part of the 2015 People's Republic of China military reform,^[4] 54th Army belongs to Central Theater Command.
In 2017, in an adjustment and establishment of military units, the 83rd Group Army was reorganized based on the 54th Group Army.

Organization

Before 2017, the 54th Group Army was consist of the 127th Mechanized Infantry Division, the 162nd Mechanized Infantry Division, the 160th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the 11th Armored Brigade, the Artillery Brigade, the Air Defense Brigade, and the Army Aviation Regiment, Communications Regiment, Engineering Regiment, etc.

Nowadays, The 83rd Group Army is composed of:

• 11th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 58th Medium Combined Arms Brigade
• 60th Medium Combined Arms Brigade
• 113th Medium Combined Arms Brigade
• 131st Heavy Combined Arms Brigade [zh]^[5]
• 193rd Medium Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 161st Air Assault Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 83rd Artillery Brigade
• 83rd Air Defense Brigade
• 83rd Engineering and Chemical Defense Brigade
• 83rd Service Support Brigade

Commanders

• Ding Sheng (1952.10-1955.12)
• Ouyang Jiaxiang (1955.12-1957.09)
• Ding Sheng (1957.09-1964.09)
• Wei Tongtai (1964.09-1969.06)
• Han Huaizhi (1969.06-1980.05)
• Li Jiulong (1980.05-1985.06)
• Zhu Chao (1985.08-1990.06)
• Liang Guanglie (1990.06-1993.12)
• Zhang Xianglin (1993.12-1998.12)
• Huang Hanbiao (1998.12-2006.08)
• Song Puxuan (2006.08-2009.02)
• Rong Guiqing (2009.02-2014.12)
• Shi Zhenglu (2014.12-2017.04)
• Xie Zenggang(2017.04-)

References

• v
• t
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Structure of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force

PLAGF Headquarters
directly subordinate units

Xinjiang Military District	4th Combined Arms Division 6th Combined Arms Division 8th Combined Arms Division 11th Combined Arms Division 84th Artillery Brigade 84th Air Defense Brigade 84th Special Operations Brigade 84th Army Aviation Brigade
Tibet Military District	52nd Combined Arms Brigade 53rd Combined Arms Brigade 54th Combined Arms Brigade 85th Artillery Brigade 85th Special Operations Brigade 85th Army Aviation Brigade 85th Artillery Brigade 85th Air-Defense Brigade 85th Engineering and Chemical Brigade 7th Electronic Countermeasures Brigade 5th Motorized Transport Brigade
Beijing Garrison	1st Guards Division 3rd Guards Division

Eastern Theater Command
Ground Force

71st Group Army	2nd Combined Arms Brigade 35th Combined Arms Brigade 160th Combined Arms Brigade 178th Combined Arms Brigade 179th Combined Arms Brigade 235th Combined Arms Brigade 71st Artillery Brigade 71st Air Defense Brigade 71st Army Aviation Brigade 71st Special Operations Brigade 71st Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 71st Service Support Brigade
72nd Group Army	5th Combined Arms Brigade 10th Combined Arms Brigade 34th Combined Arms Brigade 85th Combined Arms Brigade 90th Combined Arms Brigade 124th Combined Arms Brigade 72nd Artillery Brigade 72nd Air Defense Brigade 72nd Army Aviation Brigade 72nd Special Operations Brigade 72nd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 72nd Service Support Brigade
73rd Group Army	3rd Combined Arms Brigade 14th Combined Arms Brigade 86th Combined Arms Brigade 91st Combined Arms Brigade 92nd Combined Arms Brigade 145th Combined Arms Brigade 73rd Artillery Brigade 73rd Air Defense Brigade 73rd Army Aviation Brigade 73rd Special Operations Brigade 73rd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 73rd Service Support Brigade

Southern Theater Command
Ground Force

74th Group Army	1st Combined Arms Brigade 16th Combined Arms Brigade 125th Combined Arms Brigade 132nd Combined Arms Brigade 154th Combined Arms Brigade 163rd Combined Arms Brigade 74th Artillery Brigade 74th Air Defense Brigade 74th Army Aviation Brigade 74th Special Operations Brigade 74th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 74th Service Support Brigade
75th Group Army	31st Combined Arms Brigade 32nd Combined Arms Brigade 37th Combined Arms Brigade 42nd Combined Arms Brigade 122nd Combined Arms Brigade 123rd Combined Arms Brigade 121st Air Assault Brigade 75th Artillery Brigade 75th Air Defense Brigade 75th Special Operations Brigade 75th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 75th Service Support Brigade
Hong Kong Combined Arms Brigade Macau Infantry Battalion

Western Theater Command
Ground Force

76th Group Army	12th Combined Arms Brigade 17th Combined Arms Brigade 56th Combined Arms Brigade 62nd Combined Arms Brigade 149th Combined Arms Brigade 182nd Combined Arms Brigade 76th Artillery Brigade 76th Air Defense Brigade 76th Army Aviation Brigade 76th Special Operations Brigade 76th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 76th Service Support Brigade
77th Group Army	39th Combined Arms Brigade 40th Combined Arms Brigade 55th Combined Arms Brigade 139th Combined Arms Brigade 150th Combined Arms Brigade 181st Combined Arms Brigade 77th Artillery Brigade 77th Air Defense Brigade 77th Army Aviation Brigade 77th Special Operations Brigade 77th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 77th Service Support Brigade

Northern Theater Command
Ground Force

78th Group Army	8th Combined Arms Brigade 48th Combined Arms Brigade 68th Combined Arms Brigade 115th Combined Arms Brigade 202nd Combined Arms Brigade 204rd Combined Arms Brigade 78th Artillery Brigade 78th Air Defense Brigade 78th Army Aviation Brigade 78th Special Operations Brigade 78th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 78th Service Support Brigade
79th Group Army	46th Combined Arms Brigade 116th Combined Arms Brigade 119th Combined Arms Brigade 190th Combined Arms Brigade 191st Combined Arms Brigade 200th Combined Arms Brigade 79th Artillery Brigade 79th Air Defense Brigade 79th Army Aviation Brigade 79th Special Operations Brigade 79th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 79th Service Support Brigade
80th Group Army	47th Combined Arms Brigade 69th Combined Arms Brigade 118th Combined Arms Brigade 138th Combined Arms Brigade 199th Combined Arms Brigade 203rd Combined Arms Brigade 80th Artillery Brigade 80th Air Defense Brigade 80th Army Aviation Brigade 80th Special Operations Brigade 80th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 80th Service Support Brigade

Central Theater Command
Ground Force

81st Group Army	7th Combined Arms Brigade 70th Combined Arms Brigade 162nd Combined Arms Brigade 189th Combined Arms Brigade 194th Combined Arms Brigade 195th Combined Arms Brigade 81st Artillery Brigade 81st Air Defense Brigade 81st Army Aviation Brigade 81st Special Operations Brigade 81st Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 81st Service Support Brigade
82nd Group Army	6th Combined Arms Brigade 80th Combined Arms Brigade 112th Combined Arms Brigade 127th Combined Arms Brigade 151st Combined Arms Brigade 188th Combined Arms Brigade 196th Combined Arms Brigade 82nd Artillery Brigade 82nd Air Defense Brigade 82nd Army Aviation Brigade 82nd Special Operations Brigade 82nd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 82nd Service Support Brigade
83rd Group Army	11th Combined Arms Brigade 58th Combined Arms Brigade 60th Combined Arms Brigade 113th Combined Arms Brigade 131st Combined Arms Brigade 193rd Combined Arms Brigade 83rd Artillery Brigade 83rd Air Defense Brigade 161st Air Assault Brigade 83rd Special Operations Brigade 83rd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade 83rd Service Support Brigade