In late 2015, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) initiated reforms that have brought dramaticchanges to its structure, model of warfighting, and organizational culture, including thecreation of a Strategic Support Force (SSF) that centralizes most PLA space, cyber, electronic,and psychological warfare capabilities. The reforms come at an inflection point as the PLA seeksto pivot from land-based territorial defense to extended power projection to protect Chineseinterests in the “strategic frontiers” of space, cyberspace, and the far seas. Understanding thenew strategic roles of the SSF is essential to understanding how the PLA plans to fight and wininformationized wars and how it will conduct information operations. The SSF reports to the Central Military Commission (CMC) and oversees two co-equal,semi-independent branches: the Space Systems Department, which leads a space force responsiblefor space operations, and the Network Systems Department, which leads a cyber forceresponsible for information operations. The SSF has two primary roles: strategic information support and strategic informationoperations. The PLA reforms have substantially altered the command context for many of the missionsnow under the SSF, redefining longstanding organizational relationships and creating new responsibilitiesacross the PLA command bureaucracy. The PLA reforms can be compared to U.S. reforms after the Goldwater-Nichols Departmentof Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, which were similarly aimed at transforming apeacetime military structure toward one more optimized for joint warfare. The SSF is partlymodeled on U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), with modifications reflecting China’sunique approach and challenges. The creation of the SSF heralds a new era for China’s strategic posture, both in terms ofthe PLA’s preparations for fighting and winning informationized wars and its shift to projectingpower farther from China’s shores.
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