PLA revamps kit for bigger soldiers
Print Edition
A “SIGNIFICANT” change in Chinese soldiers’ physiques has meant an increasingly imminent need to replace older, smaller military equipment, the People’s Liberation Army Daily reported yesterday.
A research institute with the PLA’s General Armament Department found that compared with 20 years ago, the average Chinese soldier is 2 centimeters taller and 5 centimeters larger around the waist.
The findings come from a survey of more than 20,000 in-service ground-force soldiers of different ages.
Initiated in 2009, the study measured and analyzed the personnel’s size, strength and other body indicators.
Because of the changes in physique, there is an urgent need for larger-sized military equipment, the report said.
A soldier with just a normal body figure is likely to feel “cramped” in some commonly used tanks, as they are designed for the average physiques of 30 years ago, it said.
Also, the butts of firearms are now too short for the average soldier, which could affect the guns’ accuracy, the study found.
“Equipment should be configured to match the physique of the average person, because that is the only way to ensure their proper use,” said Ding Songtao, the director of the survey.
The research measured 28 items of basic human body data.
It also collected ergonomic parameters, such as data on hand muscle strength, which can be used to determine the optimum sensitivity of triggers.
The findings of the research study have been used in the design of weapons and equipment for artillery, armored forces, engineer corps and chemical defense corps, Ding said.
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