MAY 8, 2025 – The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command released the first in its series of new publications focusing on the United States’ key potential adversaries – China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – and how they fight at the operational level of warfare. Beginning with the most capable and formidable of the four, How China Fights in Large-Scale Combat Operations is a comprehensive analysis of the People’s Liberation Army’s modern operational strategy and capabilities.
“I encourage all members of the Army community to engage with this material and consider its implications,” said Ian Sullivan, TRADOC G-2 deputy chief of staff for Intelligence. “We must begin with an understanding of our potential adversary if we are to visualize how the Army will participate as part of a joint, combined, and interagency team in a future conflict in the Indo-Pacific.”
The publication describes China’s military philosophy, details the structure of the PLA and its Joint Theater Commands, and examines the PLA’s approach to operations across all domains, critical capabilities, and the role of ground forces in Large-Scale Combat Operations. It concludes with two ground force-focused vignettes: an island seizure operation and an island defense. This paper offers the force an effective starting point for visualizing a potential fight in the Indo-Pacific.
Building on foundational material presented in TRADOC Pamphlet 525-92, The Operational Environment 2024-2034: Large-Scale Combat Operations, this paper also complements the Army Techniques Publication 7-100.3, Chinese Tactics.
TRADOC G-2 will release the next paper in the series–How Russia Fights in Large-Scale Combat Operation–in July 2025, to be followed by publications focused on Iran and North Korea.
How China Fights in Large-Scale Combat Operations is available at the TRADOC G-2 Operational Environment website, https://oe.tradoc.army.mil/product/how-china-fights-in-large-scale-combat-operations/.
Story by Raechel Melling
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command