By Han Cheng and Huang Jie

Recently, troops of a border patrol boat unit assigned to the Ground Force under the PLA Northern Theater Command in Northwest China moved into a new kind of self-powered dismountable house, which integrated the functions of accommodation, catering, bathing and entertainment.

With the new house, problems that had long plagued the border defense troops, such as difficulties in accommodation, room-heating, toileting, and showering, were effectively solved. And the living and working conditions of border defense troops were greatly improved.

"It used to be like living in an ice cellar when winter came. Now with the new house, we do not have to fear the cold," said Master Sergeant Class Four Li Yingzhan, who has served in the border troops for more than 10 years.

According to the Logistics Department of the PLA Ground Force, the new self-powered dismountable house uses new technologies of structure-building, power generation, room-heating and insulation, sanitation system, etc. It meets the needs of both temporary troop deployment and long-term field training or the border defense troops'patrol missions.

Different from the traditional movable board room and camping tent, the dismountable house adopts the assembly construction method. “It can function as a fixed building, as it is anti-seismic, sound-proof, heat-resistant and has plumbing and electricity as well as other supporting facilities,” said Prof. Han Xu, a participant in developing the new house.

It is reported that a variety of new types of houses, developed by the PLA Ground Force's Logistics Department, are ready to be put into use for border defense troops. These buildings include dismountable houses for outposts on islands and thermal insulation cabins for border posts on plateau. Next, the PLA Ground Force will continue to improve the various dismountable houses, increase its promotion and application efforts to meet the needs of diverse military mission.