Combat support personnel of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force are playing an essential role in modern missions as they have ensured split-second decisions, seamless coordination and information superiority that can determine battle outcome, according to an episode of CMG's special production, The Road to Victory, released to mark the 99th anniversary of the PLA's founding.
The latest episode features the narration of Wang Weihong, a combat support team member at an aviation unit of the PLA Air Force, who recounted an exercise a few years ago.
"In modern warfare, information superiority has become the key to victory. There is absolutely no margin for error. A single misjudgment of the situation or an incorrect command may leave you personally unscathed, but could cost the lives of your comrades in arms. The battlefield never unfolds as you imagine. Only by analyzing every detail and gaining a thorough understanding of equipment capabilities and tactical maneuvers, can one quickly and accurately assess the situation amid the complexities of combat," Wang noted.
"That year, we faced a realistic combat assessment involving a confrontation between combat systems independently commanded and controlled by an airborne early warning aircraft. The outcome of the battle hinged directly on us. Winning would be an uphill battle for those of us making the transition from fighter cockpits to the mission cabin and from ground-based command to airborne command," he said.
In combat training exercises, the Chinese military traditionally designate a "Red Force" to represent the primary friendly or home military unit, while a "Blue Force" acts as the simulated adversary or opposing force.
Before the fighting began, the "Red Force" carried out system self-check, energized radar to detect "hostile" aircraft, sent flights to designated airspace, and fed them with tactical picture, the documentary showed.
"Were the enemy's movements a feint? Could they attempt a low-altitude penetration, using terrain and valleys to mask their approach? We faced many challenges from the start. The low-altitude airspace was cluttered with a mix of real and false targets, while heavy electronic jamming came and went. We have been unable to detect the Blue Force fighters," Wang said.
Later, Wang's team detected a suspected low-altitude penetration, and then a Flying Tiger Squad was dispatched to investigate, leading to the victory of the "Red Force."
"We capitalized on the situation to determine the Blue Force's offensive intentions and immediately guided our aircraft to deliver a lethal strike against their command nodes," Wang said.
The officer stressed the importance of accurate information, right decisions, and seamless coordination to the victory in a systematic war.
"Ultimately, the victory achieved by combat support personnel is not the triumph of a single individual or a solitary aircraft, but a victory of the entire system. By consistently delivering the most accurate situational awareness and optimal decisions to our comrades in arms, we ensure that the scales of victory gradually tip in our favor," Wang said.
The Road to Victory series premiered on Thursday on CCTV-1 ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug 1, or Saturday this year.
Information superiority guarantees battlefield advantage for PLA Air Force: documentary
