78th Group Army

The 78th Group Army is one of the group armies of the People's Liberation Army's Northern Theater Command. It was established in 2017 by seemingly a redesignation of the former 16th Group Army.

Organisation
It was composed of the 69th, 46th, 48th, and 4th Armoured Divisions, the 68th brigade and an artillery brigade.

In 2006 the formation consisted of the: (Source Blasko 2006, 76)
 * Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
 * 46th Motorised Infantry Division, Changchun, Jilin
 * 48th Motorised Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
 * 4th Armoured Division, Meihekou, Jilin
 * Artillery Brigade, Yanbian, Jilin
 * AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

In 2013 the formation consisted of the: Note Blasko 2013 lists the 4th Armoured Division as a division, not as a brigade.
 * Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
 * 46th Motorized Infantry Division, (Red Army Division) Changchun, Jilin
 * 69th Motorized Infantry Division, Harbin, Heilongjiang
 * 48th Motorized Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
 * 68th Motorized Infantry Brigade (People's Republic of China), Qiqihar, Heilongjiang
 * 4th Armoured Division, Meihekou, Jilin
 * Artillery Brigade, Yanbian, Jilin
 * AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

(Source Blasko, Tradition and Transformation of the PLA, 2013, 89)

In 2017 the formation consisted of the:
 * Headquarters, Harbin, Heilongjiang
 * 8th Combined Brigade
 * 48th Combined Brigade
 * 68th Combined Brigade
 * 115th Combined Brigade115th Combined Brigade
 * 202nd Combined Brigade
 * 204th Combined Brigade
 * 78th Special Warfare Brigade(former 67th Brigade)
 * 78th Aviation Brigade
 * 78th Artillery Brigade
 * 78th Anti Air Brigade防空第78旅
 * 78th Chemical Engineering Brigade
 * 78th Brigade Support Battalion

History
The origins of this army go back to Nanchang Uprising. After People's Republic of China was established, it belonged to the 62nd Group Army for a while.

On February 19, 1949, column 1 of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region in Henan Shenqiu area became the 16th Army of the People's Liberation Army, was placed under the 5th Corps of the PLA Second Field Army. Yin Xianbing (尹先炳) was appointed army commander.

Notable people
People who served in the 16th Group Army include Xu Caihou, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.