On the edge of the South China Sea, at a coastal radar outpost of the Air Force of the PLA Southern Theater Command, round-the-clock vigilance is a way of life for the soldiers here. For the radar men stationed at this front-line radar station near the Beibu Gulf, every moment could bring an unexpected challenge.
Over the past 60 years since its establishment, the radar station has remained on constant alert, monitoring airspace and responding swiftly to any aerial incidents.
As soon as the alarm goes off, the radar operators would spring into action. Such unexpected scenarios happen daily.
"As a radar operator, I compare myself to an air traffic policeman, monitoring all military aircraft activities on the sea. We need to detect any irregular operations as early as possible and as far as possible," said Huang Zhongbin, a radar operator.
Describing the radar screen as a basin covered in beans, Huang said that each dot represents a signal and the challenge is to identify threats quickly and accurately. A single wrong input could cause serious consequences.
The unit's success lies in rigorous daily training. Beyond regular duty shifts and sentry duty, the radar soldiers will spend eight to nine hours a day in simulation drills, maintaining sharp focus at all times. The team has maintained a 100 percent intelligence accuracy rate for several consecutive years, earning the nickname "far-seeing eyes" in the sky.
Once during training, Huang came outside and suddenly heard the roar of a jet fighter. It flew just about 100 meters above him.
"It was breathtaking," recalled Huang, "it felt like seeing an old friend" as usually, he only tracks them on radar.
"The radar guards the sky, and I guard it. When I see the lights of thousands of homes glowing peacefully across the country, I know everything we do here is worth it," Huang said.
Coastal radar men remain vigilant, securing China's southern airspace
