Units of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have recently organized innovative joint operational training to boost their combat capacities.
At a training range in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a live-fire drill was carried out in the past several days. At the drill, as the command was issued at the crack of dawn, the various units of the firepower group executed a mechanized formation to complete a battlefield maneuver spanning nearly 100 kilometers.
During the maneuver, the exercise commanders introduced unexpected scenarios to simulate real combat conditions, prompting each unit to implement their corresponding plans for defense, reconnaissance, and counterattack, successfully handling these situations. Upon reaching the designated operational area, each unit quickly secured their shooting positions, loaded ammunition, and completed their preparations for the fire mission.
"During the exercise, our rocket artillery unit must not only complete fire coverage tasks for long-range targets independently but also closely coordinate with the ground artillery unit. In the systematic collaborative operations, we'll build a three-dimensional firepower network through dynamic adjustment of firing parameters and sharing of target information to effectively shorten concerted response time," said Yang Jinyao, a soldier from a Xinjiang Military Command brigade.
Meanwhile, the ground-to-air missile unit has got ready for missile launches, using air situation information provided by the early warning network of radar reconnaissance.
As simulated enemy planes were approaching the position, the missile unit tracked the targets in real time. When the targets are within the striking range, the missiles were launched, successfully hitting them with precision.
"[We] shared air situation information in real time and made dynamic adjustment to deployment spacing and interceptions to ensure seamless connectivity between short-range low-altitude and medium- and long-range air striking. This effectively created a comprehensive air defense network and significantly enhanced our ability to counter multi-directional and multi-altitude aerial threats in field conditions," said Wang Guoquan, another soldier.
As the drill entered the comprehensive assessment phase, the command center had to efficiently allocate firepower, coordinate various artilleries to conduct synchronized strikes against different targets. Under unified command, each artillery unit independently completed the entire process from receiving orders to executing the fire mission. "This live-fire drill focused on evaluating the collaborative capacities of multiple arms. It encompassed the entire operational chain of 'reconnaissance, control, strike, assessment, and support.' It verified the attack precision of the fire control system and warheads at a maximum range and comprehensively assessed the combat capabilities of different services, as well as the ability of unit commanders to coordinate and make collaborative decisions," said Zhang Daokai, a soldier.
Chinese army conducts real combat-oriented training to boost combat capabilities
