Erickson, Andrew S.

Kamphausen, Roy

Scobell, Andrew

English

U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons

Naval War College ReviewVolume 61Number 4 Autumn Article 162008Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army:Exploring the Contours of China’s MilitaryAndrew S. EricksonRoy KamphausenAndrew ScobellFollow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-reviewThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted forinclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contactrepository.inquiries@usnwc.edu.Recommended CitationErickson, Andrew S.; Kamphausen, Roy; and Scobell, Andrew (2008) "Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Exploring theContours of China’s Military," Naval War College Review: Vol. 61 : No. 4 , Article 16.Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol61/iss4/16Unfortunately, discussions of asymmet-ric warfare all too often devolve into ef-forts to push pet programs or ideas,attack or defend political leaders, andsubstitute emotion for understanding.Thankfully, Asymmetric Warfare is cutfrom a different cloth. Dr. Rod Thorn-ton, an authority on security issues atKing’s College London, has produced apractical and useful primer on this im-portant subject. In doing so, he also dis-pels several common misconceptions,including the ideas that asymmetricmeans unequal, and that asymmetricwarfare is solely a tool of the weak.While asymmetric warfare can be prac-ticed by any actor, it is the modern ter-rorist who creates the most concern.Thornton takes a close look at terroristsas adversaries and how “new” terroristsdiffer from their historical predecessors.He identifies three characteristics asparticularly important: an increased de-gree of fervor, an increased ability toimplement attacks, and an increasedability to cause mass casualties. The au-thor takes the time to explain why thesechanges have occurred and how theymight manifest themselves in futureattacks.Thorton does not overlook the relation-ship among terrorism and asymmetricwarfare and strategic communication.In addition, he explores how an asym-metric opponent would seek to win awar through attacks on infrastructureand the use of deception, electronicwarfare, and psychological operations.Each of these issues is dealt with insome detail.Asymmetric Warfare is not a perfectbook. A deeper discussion of historicalexamples of asymmetric warfare wouldhave been a powerful addition to thework. It may also be that Thorntonoverstates the vulnerabilities of some ofthe unmanned systems he examines.However, these flaws are minor at best.Asymmetric Warfare is a valuable addi-tion to current security-related litera-ture. It is especially useful for readersnew to the field who are seeking a co-gent and readable description of asym-metric warfare, its various facets andaspects, and potential methods thatmight be used to deal with asymmetricfoes.RICHARD NORTONNaval War CollegeKamphausen, Roy, and Andrew Scobell, eds.Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Explor-ing the Contours of China’s Military. Carlisle, Pa.:Army War College, 2007. 582pp. (Informationabout free copies can be obtained at www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs.)This edited volume combines high-levelinquiry into the larger purposes and di-mensions of People’s Liberation Army(PLA) reforms with fresh data that aredifficult to find elsewhere. Its overalltheme, the likely future dimensions andmissions of China’s military, is ad-dressed in contributions from leadingexperts in the field.The chapters, organized by service, aresolidly grounded in Chinese sources andknowledge of Chinese organizations. Ina characteristically sound overview ofChina’s national military strategy, DavidFinkelstein is scrupulous in his explana-tion of the relative authority of variousChinese military documents. EvanMedeiros assesses that while Chinese nu-clear doctrine has become increasinglysophisticated (while remaining opaqueto foreign analysts, particularly in the1 5 2 N A V A L W A R C O L L E G E R E V I E W1Erickson et al.: Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Exploring the ContoursPublished by U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons, 2008area of “no first use”), “the developmentof conventional missile doctrine is . . .potentially incomplete.”There is attention to both hardware andsoftware, with particular focus on thehuman dimension of PLA capabilities. Ina persuasive defense of the value ofopen-source research, Dennis Blasko ex-plains that the ground forces, which stilldominate the PLA, are modernizing andundertaking new nontraditional mis-sions, including domestic and interna-tional humanitarian operations. Whilerestructuring and modernization arelikely to occupy the ground forces foryears, Blasko notes that salaries for manyPLA personnel doubled in 2006.A wide range of possibilities is considered.Phillip Saunders and Erik Quam offerseveral alternative scenarios for PLA AirForce (PLAAF) force structure, and in-sights into the key factors that shapethem. In assessing future PLAAF opera-tional concepts, Kevin Lanzit and Ken-neth Allen state that the PLAAF is trying“to become actively involved in managingChina’s military space program with anemphasis on the informatization aspects.”While the authors are careful to offer bal-anced assessments of capabilities and limi-tations, it is clear that dramatic newpossibilities are emerging for the PLA. Inhis chapter on command, control, and tar-geting, Larry Wortzel judges that PLA“informatization” could be remarkablyrapid and successful. “PLA officers seemconvinced that using ballistic missiles toattack naval battle groups is a viable con-cept, and they obviously are actively pursu-ing the capability,” Wortzel asserts, addingthat “the PLA will have near real-time re-gional intelligence collection capabilityfrom space in a few short years, if it doesnot already have it.” On this note, MichaelMcDevitt estimates that China “currentlyhas seven satellites in orbit that can con-tribute to ocean surveillance.” China’s firstradar satellite, launched in 2006, “canprobably inspect objects as small as twentymeters in length and is thus excellent foridentifying ships.” While Chinese nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine(SSBN) development faces a high barrierto entry in terms of acoustic signature re-duction, McDevitt judges, China’s navymay be preparing “to arm nuclear attacksubmarines with nuclear-tipped cruisemissiles.” Bernard Cole projects that, de-spite current limitations in naval aviationand training, “the PLAN of 2016–17, atthree times its present size, will dominateEast Asian navies, with the possible excep-tion of the JMSDF [Japan MaritimeSelf-Defense Force] . . . and will offer a veryserious challenge to the U.S. Navy when itoperates in those waters.”In the final chapter, Ellis Joffe concludesthat the need to deter Taiwan from de-claring independence has driven muchof China’s recent military moderniza-tion, and Beijing is growing increasinglyconfident in this regard. Yet Beijing re-mains far from reaching its presumedgoal of achieving a “paramount positionin the East Asian region.” It is hoped thatthis volume’s contributors will continueto probe the possibility of such a transi-tion occurring—with the understandingthat much may remain unclear toBeijing’s leaders themselves.ANDREW S. ERICKSONNaval War CollegeYoshihara, Toshi, and James R. Holmes, eds. AsiaLooks Seaward: Power and Maritime Strategy.Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2008. 226pp. $49.95As the first decade of the twenty-firstcentury draws to a close, the mostB O O K R E V I E W S 1 5 32Naval War College Review, Vol. 61 [2008], No. 4, Art. 16https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol61/iss4/16

Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China’s Military

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Right-Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China’s Military

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