| 78th Group Army | |
|---|---|
| 第七十八集团军 | |
 | |
| Active | 1949–present |
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance |  Chinese Communist Party |
| Branch |  People's Liberation Army Ground Force |
| Type | Group army |
| Part of | Northern Theater Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Harbin,Heilongjiang |
| Engagements | World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major General Zhang Fan |
| Political Commissar | Major General Zhang Xiao |
| Notable commanders | Yang Dezhi Yang Yong Su Zhenhua |
| Insignia | |
| NATO Map Symbol |  |
The78th Group Army (Chinese:第七十八集团军;pinyin:Dì Qīshíbā Jítuánjūn),Unit 31669, formerly the16th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The 78th Group Army is one of thirteen totalgroup armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in thePeople's Republic of China, and one of three assigned to the nation'sNorthern Theater Command.[1]
The origins of this army go back toNanchang Uprising. After People's Republic of China was established, it belonged to the 62nd Group Army for a while.
On February 19, 1949, column 1 of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region in Henan Shenqiu area became the 16th Army of the People's Liberation Army, was placed under the 5th Corps of the PLASecond Field Army.Yin Xianbing (尹先炳) was appointed army commander.
It was composed of the69th,46th, 48th,[2] and 4th Armored Divisions, the 68th brigade and an artillery brigade.
In 2006 the formation consisted of the:
(Source Blasko 2006, 76)
In 2013, the formation consisted of the:
Note Blasko 2013, lists the 4th Armored Division as a division, not as a brigade.
(Source Blasko, Tradition and Transformation of the PLA, 2013, 89)
In 2017, the formation consisted of the:
GeneralXu Caihou, former vice-chairman of theCentral Military Commission (CMC) who was detained as part of a high-profile anti-corruption campaign, was a former member of the 78th Group Army.[10]
Lieutenant GeneralBi Yi, the incumbent commander of thePeople's Liberation Army Information Support Force, was a former deputy commander of the unit.[11]
| Field Armies -野战军 (1949–50) | |
|---|---|
| Army Groups -兵团 (1948–55) | |
| Corps -军 (1948–52) Infantry Corps -步兵军 (1952–60) Army Corps -陆军军 (1960-85) |
|
| Group armies -陆军集团军 (1985–2017) | |
| Group Armies -陆军集团军 (2017–) | |
| Air Force Corps -空军军 (1957-) | |
| Air Defense Force Corps -防空军军 (1955-57) | |
| Railway Corps -铁道兵军 (1956-58) | |
