As modern warfare evolves with cutting-edge technologies that extend the reach of the battlefield, soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) are undergoing rigorous training to hone their operational skills, integrating advanced equipment with irreplaceable human initiative to ensure mission success, according to a recent special production by China Media Group (CMG).
The second episode of the documentary series The Road to Victory, produced for the 99th anniversary of the PLA's founding, details how soldiers master high-tech equipment under volatile conditions to achieve precision strikes.
While cutting-edge algorithms and drones provide extended sight ranges, troops emphasize that volatile real-world scenarios require human reflexes that technology alone cannot replace.
"Imagine this: you lock onto a crawling bug with 20x zoom. It looks slow in real life, but appears extremely fast in the magnified frame. As soon as you center your sight on it, it swerves away, and you lose track when you try to follow. My training is to keep the reticle locked steadily on the insect," said Zhao Lichuan, a soldier with a PLA Army brigade.
Although automated target-locking tools assist operators, the decisive edge during high-stakes moments of aiming, tracking, and firing ultimately rests on individual skill and initiative.
"While modern weapons and equipment are becoming increasingly important, humans still play the decisive role. The outcome of war depends not only on weapons, but even more on the flexible factor of human initiative," said Zhao.
That focus on human capability is central to how ground forces integrate unmanned aerial systems into modern warfare, according to Wang Rui, another soldier from a PLA Army brigade.
"Drones give our PLA Army "hawk eyes." However, seeing far is not enough. We must also strike far and accurately," said Wang.
PLA soldiers hone skills to dominate modern battlefields
