China is to test its modern \u2018digitized\u2019 military units in an exercise next month. The Chinese military says developing such units is among its priorities for modernizing the armed forces.<\/p>\n
\n \u2018Digitized\u2019 troops are taking advantage of modern information
\n technology to succeed on the battlefield. Integrated computerized
\n systems are used to gather intelligence, assess the combat
\n situation, provide communications and control the status of a
\n unit. China sees upgrading its People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
\n with such systems as crucial for making it a smaller, yet more
\n capable force.\n<\/p>\n
\n In late June, two combined corps of the Beijing Military Area
\n Command will be conducting drills at the Zhurihe training base in
\n north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, reports Xinhua
\n news agency.\n<\/p>\n
\n The general staff said the exercise will focus \u201con combat forces
\n including digitalized units, special operations forces, army
\n aviation and electronic counter forces.\u201d It would be the first
\n publicly-announced field training of the IT-enhanced troops by
\n China.\n<\/p>\n
\n While military experts have long said that digitizing its
\n soldiers is likely to be high on China\u2019s priorities, the PLA
\n first admitted it to be true in April in its white paper entitled
\n \u2018The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces\u2019. The
\n document provides an overview of the country\u2019s military
\n capabilities and Beijing\u2019s policies regarding their use.\n<\/p>\n
\n Beijing is investing heavily into upgrading its military, buying
\n or developing new types of hardware, including aircraft carriers,
\n strategic missile submarines and advanced aircraft. The
\n modernization is part of China\u2019s building up political clout
\n corresponding to its economic development.\n<\/p>\n
\n China is also accused by some nations, including the US, of
\n conducting hacker operations to steal military technology. The
\n Pentagon recently pointed fingers to Beijing, reporting that it
\n acquired blueprints for some of America\u2019s most sophisticated
\n weaponry. The classified report was leaked to the media.\n<\/p>\n
\n Beijing denies the allegations, saying that PLA\u2019s cyber-warfare
\n unit created in 2011 is purely defensive in nature.\n<\/p>\n