Expert: This Exercise Demonstrates Our Military and Police's Three Major Capabilities to Fight Anytime and Respond to Provocations Promptly

[Global Times - Global Network Report by Reporter Guo Yuandan] The Southern Theater Command announced on the 27th that the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command organized a joint naval and air exercise in the air and sea areas around Huangyan Island on that day. The announcement emphasized that the theater troops maintain a high level of readiness at all times, resolutely defending national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that this exercise demonstrated the "three major capabilities" of our military and police being ready to fight at any time, and responding promptly to provocations.

Jiang Lue, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, stated on the 27th that the China Coast Guard organized law enforcement control exercises in the waters near Huangyan Island that day, focusing on law enforcement actions such as boarding inspections, interception of intrusions, and forced towing. The China Coast Guard will strengthen law enforcement control in the waters near Huangyan Island, resolutely safeguarding national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Professor Zhang Chi from the National Defense University analyzed to the Global Times that this exercise showcased three major capabilities. The first capability: military-police coordination and strategic tactical deterrence. This exercise involved both the military and the Coast Guard. Zhang Chi specifically analyzed, "The military mainly provides overall situational awareness and plays a role in strategic deterrence, providing strong support for the entire operation; the Coast Guard, on the other hand, leverages its advantages as the law enforcement主体, focusing on daily law enforcement and situation handling. This achieves a transition from strategic high-pressure deterrence and control to tactical precise law enforcement and handling."

The second capability: air-sea linkage, strengthening three-dimensional control. The released footage shows that the equipment involved in this exercise includes a series of advanced equipment in the air and at sea. "Early warning aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and various types of ships at sea enable us to perceive the situation in the surrounding air and sea areas in real-time, allowing for three-dimensional reconnaissance and control of the battlefield, making the opponent's provocative actions nowhere to hide, always under our strict control," said Zhang Chi.

Footage released by CCTV shows that after the exercise orders were issued, the Southern Theater Command joint operations command center efficiently directed the participating forces, with various units responding quickly and mobilizing to the designated air and sea areas.

CCTV reported that at an airport in South China, large drones flew to the airspace around Huangyan Island to carry out maritime and aerial reconnaissance missions. Reports indicate that this type of drone has reconnaissance capabilities at high altitudes, high speeds, and long endurance, and it forms an aerial system with various types of fighter jets taking off from multiple airports, along with surface ship formations in the waters near Huangyan Island to conduct joint maritime and aerial exercises.

The footage shows that various types of aircraft, including early warning and reconnaissance aircraft from the Air Force, also took off in succession, while the naval fleet composed of the Yulin, Tianmen, and Qinghai Lake ships arrived on time at the exercise area.

The third capability is: ready to fight at any time, and promptly respond to provocations. This exercise, in terms of timing, is both a timely response to the malicious provocations from the Philippine side and a practical test of our military and Coast Guard's readiness level. Zhang Chi stated, "The farce of the Philippine side conducting joint military exercises has just ended, and our military and police forces are conducting exercises in the air and sea areas near Huangyan Island, fully demonstrating the capability for rapid response and effective handling. Furthermore, this exercise was conducted during our Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, fully indicating that the military and Coast Guard are always on alert and ready to fight at any time."