BEIJING – China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has strengthened its powerand management in border defense by developing new types of equipment thatcan be used in all environments, including thosewith extremes of temperature and topography.
A satellite early-warning monitoring system is planned in some border areasthat are in disputeor are difficult to enter and to patrol, the Beijing Evening News reported.
A surveillance camera network has also been built in border zones, and thedensity of coverageis set to increase to cover blind spots, although the report did notmention which, or if all, of China’s border regions are covered.
The informatization and mechanization of equipment, vehicles and monitoringmethods of PLA border defense will give an early warning of any risks tosecurity as well as overcoming previous blind spots, Song Zhongping, amilitary expert and TV commentator told the Global Times.
The PLA has to increase the level of automation of its equipment, Songnoted. This will include using drones and tracking vehicles to conductpatrols and setting up unmanned monitoring systems, which means borderregions will come under continuous monitoring and control.
To cater to various geographic environments along China’s long borders, thePLA hasdeveloped equipment that can be used in water, in the air or on land, Songsaid.
At Pangong Lake, which at an altitude of 4,250 meters is divided betweenSouthwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region and India, the PLA has put a newpatrol boat into use, made of non-metallic materials. The craft has a topspeed of 40 kilometers per hour and can resist ice collisions.
A type of heavy scout vehicle, called the “wild ox,” capable ofaccommodating 17 full-armed soldiers, has been deployed to a border defenseregiment in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province,which shares a border with three countries.Besides a BeiDou satellite navigation system, it also has a real-timecommunication system installed.
The scout vehicle also has water filters, a kitchen and a toilet so it canconduct patrols intropical environments.
The report also implied that in the jungles of Yunnan, the sparselypopulated deserts of Xinjiang and the high plateaus in Tibet, PLA troopsbegan using drones to patrol more areas than 10 years ago, which hasresulted in a 25-fold increase in efficiency.Border defense troops in Koktokay, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,have recentlytested more than 20 types of new equipment.Koktokay, in northern Xinjiang and bordering Mongolia, has an averagetemperature of -20 Cin winter.
A new type of hot water bottle that can keep water hot for 24 hours hasbeen issued tosoldiers in Koktokay.
The troops garrisoned at Koktokay have also tested other new equipment suchas cold-proof blankets, tents and snow camouflage suits.“Logistics support is the main guarantee to generate combat capability,”Song said.“These changes all benefit from China’s increasing military technologyability and innovation,” Song noted.
Guard rails have been set up along the border to prevent terroristssneaking into China, an officer from a border defense detachment inXinjiang’s Kashgar, a prefecture that shares a border with Afghanistan,Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.