Approved For Release M6W6§jyiEDCIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 INQUIRK=DOC13D ITEM NO=00102029 ENVELOPE CDSN = LGX859 MCN = 90353/33301 TOR 903531645 RTTUZYUW RUEKJCS6338 3531646-UUUU--RUEALGX. ZNR UUUUU HE ER R-1 1 46Z DEC 9Q, FM JOINT 9-T-AFT WASHINGTON DC INFO RUEALGX/SAFE R 19153OZ DEC 90 FM FBIS HONG KONG TO AIG 4581 RUEHBF/AMEMBASSY BEIJING RUHHHMA/CDRWESTCOM FT SHAFTER HI//APIN-IN// RUMJBP/FBIS OKINAWA JA ACCT FBHK-EWDK BT CONTROLS UNCLAS 1M PAGE:0020 SERIAL: HK1912153090 /***********-THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE BODY COUNTRY: PRC SUBJ: TAKE 1 OF 2--PLA'S QUICK-REACTION UNIT VIEWED SOURCE: BEIJING LIAOWANG IN CHINESE NO 49, 3 DEC 90 PP 16-17 TEXT: M(ARTICLE BY GE XIANGXIAN (5514 6272 6343)_~AND W-PONGFENG (0702 2EIT 14-jrYT- (tiVIN-k TB__QgUjQF~ T_UF_R I C-~:7: 47 IQ Qua COUNTRY'S FIRST QUICK-REACTION UNIT")) ((TEXT)) THE "ENEMY MISSILE BASE" WAS CLOSELY GUARDED. WHEN THE SUN HAD JUST SET, A HELICOPTER WAS FLYING IN THE VALLEY AT AN ULTRA-LOW ALTITUDE, QUIETLY AND CAREFULLY AVOIDING RADAR DETECTION. SUDDENLY, A NUMBER OF SOLDIERS, WEARINC, CAMOUFLAGE, JUMPED OUT OF THE CABINS, AND FIRED AT THE GUIDANCE AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE "ENEMY MISSILE BASE" WITH ALL KINDS OF WEAPONS AND DESTROYED THEM. LATER, UNDER COVER OF CROSSFIRE, A SHOCK BRIGADE SOLDIER PLACED A TIME BOMB IN THE-MOST IMPORTANT-PART OF A MISSILE LAUNCHER. WITH A BIG EXPLOSION, THE "ENEMY MISSILE BASE" WAS INSTANTLY TURNED INTO A SEA OF FLAMES. BY THIS TIME,..THE SOLDIERS, WHO HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM THE SKY, HAD ALREADY BOARDED THE HELICOPTERS, AND WERE SLOWLY ASCENDING TO THE SKY. THE ATTACK OPERATION ON THE "ENEMY MISSILE BASE" WAS OVER IN A LITTLE LESS THAN SEVEN MINUTES. THE UNIT UNDERTAKING THE "COMBAT OPERATION" WAS THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY'S ((PLA)) FIRST SPECIAL-MISSION, QUICK-REACTION UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 Approved For Release :ff6bM§jTjEj1 CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 PAGE:0021 UNIT. SINCE IT WAS FORMED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE UNIT HAS UNDERGONE RIGOROUS, STRENUOUS AND SCIENTIFIC TRAINING, AND NOW IT POSSESSES A HIGH DEGREE OF COMBAT STRENGTH AND HAS BECOME A NEW TYPE OF UNIT POSSESSING SPECIAL COMBAT ABILITIES SUCH AS LAND INFILTRATION, AIRBORNE MOBILITY, AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE, STRUGGLE IN THE ENEMY'S REAR. IN A TREE-SHADOWED MILITARY CAMP, WE INTERVIEWED SOME YOUNG SOLDIERS OF THE UNIT. THE PARTLY VISIBLE NET-LIKE RADAR ANTENNA AND THE NEW-MODEL TRUCKS THAT WERE COMING AND GOING MADE US FEEL THE MYSTERY AND STRONG ATMOSPHERE OF THIS PLACE. TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, THE QUICK-REACTION UNIT IS NOT A NEW THING. ITS ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR, AND SINCE THEN IT HAS FINALLY DEVELOPED INTO AN INDEPENDENT ARM OF THE SERVICES. THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS ARM HAVE SPREAD, LIKE A LEGEND, ALL OVER THE WORLD. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, THE BRITISH "GOODMAN" SHOCK BRIGADE LAUNCHED A SUDDEN ATTACK ON NAZI GERMANY'S HEAVY WATER PURIFYING WORKS IN.NORWAYIS (NORKESEE). HEAVY WATER IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ATOMIC BOMBS. THE BRITISH MILITARY OPERATION EFFECTIVELY PREVENTED NAZI GERMANY FROM DEVELOPING THE ATOMIC BOMB. ONE DAY IN JULY 1976, FOUR LARGE TRANSPORT PLANES SUDDENLY LANDED AT UGANDA'S ENTEBBE AIRPORT. THOSE EMERGING FROM THE PLANES WERE NOT ORDINARY PASSENGERS, BUT FULLY ARMED ISRAELI SOLDIERS. IN A SPLIT SECOND, THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE BACK THE 100 AND MORE HOSTAGES FROM THE TERRORISTS. THAT WAS THE "FLASH OPERATIONI" OF THE WORLD- SHOCKING ISRAELI "WILD BOYS" SHOCK BRIGADE, AND WAS CONSIDERED THE "BRAVEST WONDER IN CONTEMPORARY MILITARY HISTORY." ON THE EVE OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS-WAR, THE BRITISH "SPECIAL AIR SERVICES REGIMENT" UNEXPECTEDLY TURNED UP ON SOUTH GEORGIA ISLAND AND (PEIBUER) ISLAND. IT TOOK, THE PORTS AND BOMBARDED THE AIRPORTS, RAISING THE CURTAIN ON THE FALKLAND ISLANDS WAR AND CREATING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE LANDING OF MAJOR BRITISH FORCES. ALTHOUGH PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT HAVE BECOME IRREVERSIBLE HISTORICAL TRENDS, LOCAL WARS AND SUDDEN VIOLENT INCIDENTS NEVER CEASE FOR A MINUTE. IN ORDER TO REDUCE CASUALTIES IN A MILITARY OPERATION AND PUT ONE SIDE IN A BETTER POLITICAL AND MILITARY POSITION, MILITARY DEPARTMENTS OF ALL COUNTRIES ARE KEEN ON BUILDING UP CAPABLE QUICK-REACTION UNITS, AND UNDERTAKE SMALL-SCALE BUT HIGHLY RISKY AND DECISIVE MILITARY ACTIONS. SOME WESTERN MILITARY EXPERTS HAVE STATED WITH CERTAINTY: "BATTLEFIELDS IN THE FUTURE WILL ONLY BE FOR"THE USE OF SMALL, SPECIAL UNITS." IN KEE THE, DEVELOP,_=1~,,q _IJF ,-,W P_POLITICAL AND MILIT RY SI ATION9 51qyq4AL~JEARS AGO., CHINAS RELEVANT P~OLMYMAKING 6_9'P_A_M(k9T§_' 'TO BUILD UP SIMILAR QUICK -1"' VTN-I_T'_S-t0_'___'_ tAbKLE POSSIBLE'LOC ' ' -7WOT Qx_-.-__'__ A_ WARS- ANP.Q94 NGENCIES, AND SHOULDER SPECIAL DUT18S SUCH AS ANTI-KIDNAPPING, ANTI -TERR'bRISM,,_, 'A-mt,A-mT_r_'-_ff&9_9CS -DUTIES. FAr XIAOBING,- 35 YEARS OLD, IS THE UNIT HEAD-9 AND IS A LEGENDARY FIGURE IN THE MILITARY DISTRICT. HE IS AN EXPERT MARKSMAN-AND A VERY GOOD BOXER. HE CAN DRIVE ALL TYPES OF TRUCKS. DURING THE WAR OF SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST VIETNAMO HE WENT-AS FAR AS THE ENEMY'S REAR TO COLLECT INFORMATION AND COURAGEOUSLY ENGAGED IN AMBUSH,BATTLES. HE TOLD THE REPORTERS THAT ALTHOUGH CHINA WAS-LATE IN BUILDING UP A QUICK-REACTION UNITt IT WAS NOT MERELY_ A PLAN ON A SHEET OF PAPER-. UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 Approved For ReleaseAbMilfiFDcIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 PAGE:0022 IN WARTIME, THE PLA CREATED NUMEROU~ COMBINATION MODES UNDER ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL CONDITIONS, SUCH AS THE RENOWNED RAILWAY GUERRILLA BRIGADE, THE ARMED WORKING TEAM IN ENEMY-OCCUPIED AREAS, AND THE SHAO JIANBO-STYLE DETACHMENTS IN "IMMENSE FOREST AND SNOWFIELD MINHAI XUEYUAN)).It THE UNIT, WHICH HAS INHERITED THE PLAIS TRADITIONS AND USES THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED EXPERIENCE OF TROOPS OF OTHER COUNTRIES, WILL DEFINITELY BECOME THE PLAIS SPECIALLY KEEN STEEL KNIFE. WHEN THE REPORTER-LOME.-TO THE UNIT'S TRAINING FIELD, THE SOLDIERS WERE UNDERTAKING B SI ~A Mim, I - ---- Q,_PHYSTCAL TRAINING. ,__g L - E MAk ARTS. WRESTLING AND BRICK- I )R~_WBjL_TIAL BffffffnWWITH QIGONG. THE HEIGHT_0_'F'_'1`L'_L_ "THESE YOUNG WARRIORS IS 1.7 bR7RbR8, AND THEY ARE ROBUST AND STRONG. THE SQUADRON HEAD, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAINING, SAID: THE SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY SELECTEDt ONE FROM AMONG A HUNDRED FROM VARIOUS MILITARY UNITS. /****** BEGINNING OF TAKE 002 REF: HK1912153090 BEIJING LIAOWANG CHINESE No 49, 3 DEC///VARIOUS MILITARY UNITS. TEXT: ((TEXT)) ((PARAGRAPH CONTINUES)) IN ADDITION-TO THE REQUIRED IDEOLOGICAL, POLITICAL, AND PHYSICAL QUALITIES, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH VARIOUS TESTS, 114CLUDING RIGOROUS PHYSICAL AGILITY, MILITARY SKILLS, AND INTELLIGENCE TESTS, BEFORE THEY ARE SELECTED. HERE CADRES AT AND ABOVE THE LEVEL OF PLATOON LEADER ARE ALL OUTSTANDING GRADUATES FROM ARMY ACADEMIES. THE UNIT RECEIVES MUCH MORE RIGOROUS TRAINING THAN ORDINARY UNITS. THEY DO A 10-KM CROSS-COUNTRY EXERCISE CARRYING WEAPONS EARLY IN THE MORNING, IN ADDITION TO THE EIGHT-HOUR ORDINARY TRAINING. BEFORE CLASS BEGINS IN THE MORNING, THEY RUN, CARRYING BRICKS IN THEIR ARMS, TWO CIRCUITS OF THE BARRACKS. IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY PRACTICE BOXING FOR HALF AN HOUR. BEFORE CLASS BEGINS IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY DO 150 PUSHUPS, 100 SQUATS WHILE CARRYING WEIGHTS, AND 300 METERS OF FROG JUMPING. BEFORE GOING TO BED AT NIGHT, THEY HIT SANDBAGS OR THE WALL 100 TIMES WITH THEIR HEADS, ELBOWS, KNEES, PALMS, FISTS, AND LEGS, AND DO 200 PUSHUPS. YIN DAOQING, VICE SQUAD LEADER AND CORPORAL OF THE 11TH CLASS OF THE FIFTH DETACHMENT SAID: "AT THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL, I WAS THE STRONGEST AMONG MY FRIENDS. BUT HERE, I NEED TO DO MY BEST, OTHERWISE I WILL LAG BEHIND." .IN ORDER TO TRAIN THE HEAD'S RESISTANCE TO BLOWS, THE WARRIORS BEGIN BY HITTING THEIR HEADS WITH THEIR HANDS AND SANDBAGS AND THEN HIT THEIR HEADS AGAINST TREES AND WALLS. AFTER TWO TO THREE MONTHS OF TRAINING, THEY BREAK BRICKS, WINE JARS, STOOLS, AND EVEN WATER VATS WITH THEIR HEADS. NOW ALL SOLDIERS ARE ABLE TO BREAK JARS WITH THEIR HEADS. ONE CAN IMAGINE THE PRICE THEY HAVE PAID FOR THIS. ALMOST ALL THE SOLDIERS HAVE TWO OR THREE WHITE BALD SCARS ON THEIR HEADS, THE RESULT OF THEIR HITTING THEIR HEADS AGAINST WALLS AND WINE JARS. MANY SOLDIERS ARE WORRIED THEY WILL BE DISFIGURED AND WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING GIRL FRIENDS.-IN THE FUTURE. IN SPITE OF THIS, TH&WARRIORS PRIDE THEMSELVES ON RECEIVING THE UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 Approved For Release :gbb~6W~qiEPCIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 PAGE:0023 TOUGH TRAINING. ONE DAY, WHEN MORE THAN 20 WARRIORS WERE RECEIVING TRAINING, THEY HIT A WALL WITH THEIR HEADS WITH A LOUD "HI ..... 11 SUDDENLY, WITH A GREAT RUMBLING, THEY SMASHED MORE THAN 20 COLORFUL CEMENT WINDOWS ((NI HUA CHUANG 3136 5363 4514)) ON THE WALL. AT THE SIGHT OF THIS, THE COMMANDING OFFICER WAS SURPRISED AND FELT PAIN IN HIS HEART. HIGHLY DEMANDING MILITARY TRAINING GOES ON HERE: WHEN THE FULLY ARMED WARRIORS ARE RIDING ON MOTORCYCLES AT HIGH SPEED, THEY CHANGE HANDS IN DRIVING MOTORCYCLES, JEEPS, AND TRUCKS. THEY THEN JUMP ONTO ARMORED CARS OR TANKS, AND CONTINUE TO DRIVE. THE MACHINE GUNS IN THE ARMORED CARS FIRE A NUMBER OF SHOTS. ALL HIT THE TARGETS. THE TANKS1 FOUR CANNON ALSO HIT FOUR OBJECTS. UNDER COVER OF ARMORED CARS AND TANKS, 12 WARRIORS.FIRE FOUR TYPES OF PISTOL, FOUR TYPES OF SUBMACHINE GUN, AND TWO TYPES OF LIGHT AND HEAVY MACHINE GUN, WITH SOME LYING, SOME KNEELING, AND OTHERS STANDING. THE BULLETS HIT ALL THE TARGETS. THEY THEN SHOOT WITH RECOILLESS GUNS, MORTARS, ROCKET LAUNCHERS, AND SO ON. THEY HAVE DONE WELL ONCE AGAIN. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN WARFARE DEMANDS THAT ALL ARMS OF THE SERVICES BE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED, WHILE QUICK-REACTION UNITS BE MULTIFUNCTIONAL. STRENGTHENING MULTIFUNCTIONAL TRAINING, AND LEARNING TO USE VARIOUS TYPES OF WEAPONSt INCLUDING THE ENEMY'S WEAPONS, IS A MAJOR-CHARACTERISTIC OF THE TRAINING FOR THIS UNIT. IT IS SAID THAT ON THE BASIS OF EXTENSIVELY ABSORBING THE PLAIS TRAINING RESULTS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN TROOPS, THE UNIT HAS EXPLORED AND FORMULATED THE PLAIS FIRST SET OF TRAINING OUTLINES. IN KEEPING WITH THE DEMAND THAT THEY SHOULD SPECIALIZE IN ONE SKILL WHILE MASTERING OTHERS-~ ALL THE OFFICERS AND MEN RECEIVE HIGHLY INTENSE AND ALL-DIRECTIONAL TRAINING, INCLUDING BASIC TRAINING IN REGULATIONS AND ORDERSt FORMATION DRILLING, AND PHYSICAL TRAINING; TRAINING IN SKILLS, INCLUDING THE USE OF ALL TYPES OF WEAPONS, BOMB THROWING, SETTING EXPLOSIVES, WRESTLING, CLIMBING, MINE DETECTION, PHOTOGRAPHY, PARACHUTING, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MAP READING, RIVER CROSSING, AND CAMOUFLAGE; TACTICAL TRAINING, INCLUDING INFILTRATION TACTICS, ATTACK, AMBUSH, ATTACK PREVENTION; AND SPECIAL TRAINING INCLUDING FOREIGN LANGUAGES, GEOGRAPHY, METEOROLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE, DRIVING OF MAJOR TYPES OF TRUCKS, FIELD SURVIVAL, SKILLS. THEY USE THE MODE OF GRADED TRAINING: IN GRADE ONR~ THEY ARE REQUIRED TO FINISH BASIC TRAINING AND PARTIAL TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINING. IN GRADE TWO, THEY RECEIVE BASIC TRAINING IN TACTICS AND SKILLS. IN GRADE THREE, THEY RECEIVE TRAINING IN SPECIAL SUBJECTS. MOREOVER, THEY USE THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM, BY WHIM THEY ELIMINATE-INCOMPETENT TRAINEES IN DIFFERENT PROCESSES. IN ORDER TO FACILITATE TRAINING, BASIC STANDARDIZED TRAINING FACILITIES HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE BARRACKS, INCLUDING THE OPERATIONAL HALL, SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE TRAINING FIELD, PARACHUTE TRAINING FIELD, 400-METER HURDLE TRAINING FIELD, COMPREHENSIVE SHOOTING FIELD, TACTICS TRAINING FIELD, SPECIAL EXPLOSION AND FIRING TRAINING FIELD, FOREIGN-TROOPS;RESEARCH OFFICE, CLASSROOMS FOR GEOGRAPHY, METEOROLOGY~ AND MATHEMATICS, ANELTELECOMMUNICATIONS TRAINING HALL. THE UNIT MAKES IT A PRINCIPLE TO-USE ADVANCED, EASILY OPERATED, LIGHT, AND MULTIFUNCTIONAL WEAPONS. THE REPORTERS WERE ALLOWED TO UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 JIDC Approved For Releasegfb%q IA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5 PAGE:0024 VISIT THEIR WEAPONS WAREHOUSE- HERE THERE WERE ALL TYPES OF SPECIAL TRUCKS, SHOCK WEAPONS, SELF-DEFENSE WEAPONS, RECONNAISSANCE EQUIPMENT, SABOTAGE EQUIPMENT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS WEAPONS, AIRBORNE EQUIPMENT, CLIMBING EQUIPMENT, AND WARMING EQUIPMENT. THE KNIVES, KNIFED GUNS, PILOTLESS RECONNAISSANCE PLANES, GRENADE LAUNCHERS, AND IMAGE AND TELEVISION ((ZHAO.XIANG DIAN SHI 3564 0288 7193 6018)) RECONNAISSANCE TRUCK THAT CAN TAKE PICTURES OF AN OBJECT A HUNDRED LI AWAY WERE ALL NEW TO US. A SPECIALLY DESIGNED NECESSITY BACKPACK IS SUPPLIED TO EACH OF THEM. IN THE PAST, ON AN OPERATION, A SOLDIER HAD TO HANG A DOZEN THINGS ON HIS BODY. NOW THEY CAN PUT ALL WEAPONS AND OTHER DAILY NECESSITIES IN ONE PACK. A SOLDIER, CARRYING A COLORFUL BACKPACK OF THIS KIND, TOLD US: "IF THE BACKPACK WERE TO BE ADVERTIZED ON TELEVISION, IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE BIG SALES ACROSS THE COUNTRY." ADVANCED WEAPONS HAVE ADDED TO THE STRENGTH OF THIS MIRACULOUS UNIT. MAINTAIN AN ARMY FOR A THOUSAND DAYS TO USE IT FOR AN HOUR. WE CAN SAY THAT BY BUILDING UP THIS UNIT, THE REPUBLIC HAS ADDED TO ITS NATIONAL DEFENSE ABILITY. ADMIN TE-NDALL) GW121912.09E 3 DEC KS/WELLS/AN 19/1543Z DEC BT #6339 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/11 : CIA-RDP96-00792ROO0400260001-5