Beijing: In a major revamp of its 2.3 million strong military, China on Friday elevated the status of its strategic nuclear missile forces of its army, navy and air force and formed a new force to provide electronic and cyber intelligence backup for precision missile strikes in war.
In the newly revamped structure, China's powerful missile force, the Second Artillery Corps (SAC) which was formed in 1966 has been renamed as People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force (PRF) and announced the formation of PLA Strategic Support Force (SSF).
With a variety of short-, medium- and long-range nuclear and conventional missiles, China's missile force is regarded as one of the biggest in the world.
On Thursday, China confirmed reports of PLA conducting scientific tests of a railcar-based long-range missile capable of hitting targets across the US.
Inaugurating the PRF and SSF, President Xi Jinping on Friday conferred military flags on the general command of the two new units at a ceremony.
CCTV said besides renaming the missile force, Xi who is also the head of the military, elevated the status of the new force with the army, navy and air force. The two new forces will not be "subordinating forces".
While the PRF with number of missiles will carry on as a strategic deterrence force, the job of the SSF will be to provide proper electronic intelligence to it in times war.
The new forces which are part of the cyber warfare will play in important role China's plans to win "information wars", it said.
China's military which is in the thick of a massive anti-corruption campaign in which about 40 top military commanders faced investigations is currently undergoing big revamp of its command structure.
Inaugurating the forces Xi who is the Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) which oversees all military forces said the formation of the Rocket Force and Strategic Support Force is a major decision by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) to realise the Chinese dream of strong military, and a strategic step to establish a modern military system with Chinese characteristics.
It will be a key milestone in the modernisation of the Chinese military and will be recorded in the history of the people's armed forces, said Xi who is also the general secretary of the CPC.
He said the PLA Rocket Force is a "core force of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the country's position as a major power, and an important building block in upholding national security".
He asked the officers and soldiers of the PRF to understand the roles and tasks of the force, and to follow the requirement of maintaining both conventional and nuclear weaponry and the ability to deter and strike across the entire defence area.
