By Hou Guoquan and Zhang Bing

BEIJING, April 16 -- The Equipment Development Department (EDD) under China's Central Military Commission (CMC), in collaboration with the State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) and the PLA Academy of Military Science, has officially launched the compilation of Weapons and Equipment History of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which is expected to be completed in 2027.

From the crude equipment when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was established in 1927 to today's advanced weaponry, the Chinese PLA has achieved a great leap in weapons and equipment R&D over the past 93 years.

To objectively record the PLA's evolution from scratch to modernization step by step, and to provide historical reference and inspiration for the future, the PLA Equipment Development Department has taken the lead in compiling the PLA Weapons and Equipment History.

It will chronicle the development of iconic equipment and milestone events through scientifically divided historical stages, and make comprehensive, objective and accurate description of the PLA's development process on weapons and equipment.

Currently, the compilation team is making in-depth interviews with the retired leaders and veteran experts in the field of military equipment R&D, collecting extensive historical materials, and simultaneously performing systematic analysis to refine key entries.