Army Day and Night Live Fire Shooting: Exploring Two Types of Firepower Cross-Suppression Tactics

Recently, a certain regiment of the Xinjiang Military District stationed at an altitude of over 4,000 meters on the Karakoram Plateau conducted a cross-day-and-night live-fire shooting assessment.

At dawn, each squad moved to the designated area according to combat formations. During the movement, the control group suddenly introduced an "enemy situation" report: small-scale harassment, exposed positions, and intermittent communications, prompting the squads to handle the situation while advancing.

Upon reaching the target area, the meteorological team launched a sounding balloon to measure wind speed, air pressure, and air density in real-time; each artillery team loaded ammunition and calculated parameters based on the fire control terminal.

The ground artillery team was the first to launch an attack, with shells directly targeting the designated area, covering the predetermined positions. After the first round of strikes, the positions were exposed, and alarms immediately sounded. Each artillery team retrieved their shells, withdrew, and moved to the reserve positions. Subsequently, the rocket artillery team advanced to take over the firepower and implemented covering strikes on deeper targets.

Regiment of the Xinjiang Military District, Zhao Guofeng: Our focus is on rapid strikes and quick withdrawals, as well as position transitions. The low air pressure and rapid crosswinds on the plateau require us to compress the time from occupying positions to completing firing according to real combat rhythms. Each withdrawal and transfer is set against an enemy situation backdrop, honing the independent combat capability of firepower units in a real plateau environment.

As night fell, temperatures dropped sharply. The squads moved again under the cover of darkness to re-establish their positions. Visibility in the target area was low, and line of sight was restricted. The control group issued the "night coordination" order, adopting a strategy of "first illumination, then suppression, and finally concentrated fire."

Using the brief visibility provided by illumination rounds, the ground artillery team was the first to implement suppressive fire on the target area. The rocket artillery team followed up with fire strikes, with the two types of firepower alternating and cross-firing to form a dense firepower network.

Regiment of the Xinjiang Military District, Aike Remu·Reheman: The biggest challenge at night is the short time window; the illumination rounds have limited duration, and we must quickly complete target confirmation and coordinate transmission.

This assessment did not preset fixed target positions; targets appeared randomly and were controlled in real-time. The ground artillery and rocket artillery teams switched ammunition types as ordered, alternating positions to complete day-and-night firepower coordination in a "fire one area, change to another" maneuver. The exercise system validated daytime staggered strikes, nighttime illumination coordination, and cross-suppression tactics of two types of firepower, addressing the shortcomings of nighttime firepower coordination on the plateau and further enhancing the integrated combat capability of multiple artillery types under high-altitude conditions.

155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

One-Click Calculation, Fire Upon Stopping

Among the new cross-fire tactics, the 155mm self-propelled howitzer's "one-click calculation, fire upon stopping" greatly enhances operational efficiency.

The 155mm self-propelled howitzer is a new generation of large-caliber long-range suppression artillery independently developed by China. It uses a 6×6 high-mobility off-road chassis, with a combat weight of about 25 tons, lighter than traditional tracked self-propelled artillery, capable of nearly 100 km/h on highways, and a maximum range of about 600 kilometers, allowing for more flexible railway and air transport.

It is equipped with a fully automatic hydraulic leveling and suspension height adjustment system, allowing for one-click switching between march and combat modes; the driver's cabin integrates fire control terminals and positioning systems, combining BeiDou navigation, inertial navigation, onboard meteorological data, and muzzle velocity information, enabling autonomous positioning, orientation, and calculation.

It is equipped with an integrated digital fire control system that can achieve real-time reconnaissance information transmission, automatic calculation of firing parameters, and one-click artillery deployment. After stopping, it can complete combat conversion and first shot firing in about one minute, achieving "fire upon stopping, withdraw after firing."

In terms of ammunition types, it is compatible with long-range explosive rounds, illumination rounds, as well as laser-guided and satellite-guided shells, capable of simultaneous multiple impacts, allowing for continuous firing from one gun with multiple rounds landing together. Coupled with data links into the command information system, it can receive target coordinates from drones and reconnaissance vehicles, completing the "discovery—calculation—strike—transfer" closed loop.

122mm Self-Propelled Rocket Launcher

The Army's "Steel Fire Dragon"

Among the new cross-fire tactics, another type, the 122mm self-propelled rocket launcher, is also one of the new generation of suppression weapons. Let's learn about its features.

The 122mm self-propelled rocket launcher is a new generation of modular medium-range suppression weapon independently developed by China. It uses a 6×6 high-mobility off-road chassis, with a combat weight of about 20 tons, only two-thirds that of similar tracked rocket launchers, and can be rapidly air-deployed via medium tactical transport aircraft like the Y-9, achieving strategic mobility across combat zones.

It can travel at about 80 km/h on highways and maneuver freely in complex terrains such as plains, Gobi, mountains, and plateaus. The launch device has two storage and transport launch boxes arranged side by side, each with 20 tubes, allowing a single vehicle to carry 40 rounds at once, with integrated storage and launch, sealed and maintenance-free, enabling complete loading and unloading without individual round loading.

The fire control system is digitalized, with BeiDou positioning, inertial navigation, meteorological calculations, and other inputs into the command link. Once the target coordinates are received, the vehicle automatically calculates parameters and adjusts the artillery. From entering the position to completing the launch takes no more than 5 minutes, and 40 rockets can be fired in a full volley within 30 seconds.

Conventional ammunition types cover ranges of 20 to 40 kilometers, while extended-range guided munitions can reach around 50 kilometers, with unguided rounds providing area suppression and guided rounds allowing for precise targeting.

It does not pursue a single ultra-long range; instead, it aims for mobility, rapid response, dense fire, and sustained firing. It is the "Steel Fire Dragon" in the hands of artillery units and the sharpest firepower knife at the forefront of modern artillery rapid strike and withdrawal tactics.