Live-fire testing of surface-to-air missiles at an altitude of 5000 meters to verify air defense combat capabilities

Recently, a certain brigade of the Army's 77th Group Army organized an artillery team in the northwest Gobi Desert to conduct a comprehensive, full-process, day-and-night live-fire shooting assessment, thoroughly testing the artillery team's autonomous fire strike capabilities and integrated coordination with multiple types of equipment in an unfamiliar battlefield environment.

Day-and-Night Artillery Shooting

Testing Coordination Capabilities

At the start of the exercise, multiple firepower units composed of howitzers, mortars, and rocket launchers were the first to move out, quickly maneuvering to the designated area. The reconnaissance team swiftly conducted reconnaissance of the enemy target area, guiding each artillery unit to occupy firing positions.

Upon reaching the positions, the forward command post quickly carried out firing parameter calculations, updating battlefield meteorological conditions in real-time, correcting target coordinates, and disseminating them to each combat team. Each unit simultaneously requested and unsealed ammunition.

The Gobi Desert climate is hot, with rapidly changing temperatures and wind directions, adding significant difficulty to the aiming and shooting accuracy of the artillery.

After the first round of firing, the reconnaissance team immediately used vehicle-mounted optical equipment and other digital devices to capture and relay impact information in real-time, assisting the artillery in making shooting corrections and target calibrations.

Army Brigade Li Yong: Our howitzer unit is primarily responsible for precision strikes, targeted destruction, and fire suppression tasks. Compared to previous live-fire assessments, the intelligence data for this exercise was uploaded to the command post via an integrated command platform, allowing commanders to adjust firing parameters in a timely manner, effectively improving strike speed and accuracy.

During the intervals between howitzer firings, the mortar unit, deployed in stages at another position, received firing orders to engage enemy targets on the reverse slope several kilometers away. Subsequently, the rocket unit employed an alternating firing method to provide fire coverage on distant targets.

After multiple rounds of fire strikes, each firepower unit quickly relocated. During the maneuver, the anti-tank missile unit rapidly completed target acquisition and fire distribution, delivering precise strikes on enemy armored targets. After the howitzer unit moved to the reserve position, they quickly seized the forward firing position and switched from indirect fire to direct fire based on the target situation.

Army Brigade Huang Peng: We have distributed various types of equipment across different regions according to the strategy of allocating different firepower, aiming to build multiple firepower clusters that can support and cover each other while also being able to quickly fill in gaps and concentrate firepower for saturation strikes on targets.

As night fell, the troops transitioned to night live-fire shooting assessments, using illumination rounds during brief moments of light to engage different types of targets with appropriate ammunition.

Army Brigade Liu Chaochao: We have created a truly challenging battlefield environment in the unfamiliar Gobi Desert, testing the effectiveness of various types of equipment and munitions in accurately striking different targets, optimizing the strike process, and continuously promoting the deep integration of personnel and equipment, enhancing the overall coordination capabilities of the artillery unit.

Live-Fire Shooting of Surface-to-Air Missiles at an Altitude of 5000 Meters

Recently, a surface-to-air missile unit of a certain division in the Xinjiang Military Region maneuvered to the interior of the Karakoram Plateau at an altitude of over 5000 meters to conduct a comprehensive, full-process live-fire tactical exercise. Facing multiple challenges such as extreme cold, oxygen deficiency, and strong electromagnetic interference, the officers and soldiers honed their interception tactics, testing the equipment's extreme operational performance in high-altitude conditions and its air defense capabilities in cold regions.

Upon reaching the strike position, the officers and soldiers quickly completed missile loading operations and operated radar to conduct air searches.

As the target aircraft took off, the search radar immediately captured the target, and the commander decisively ordered the missile to intercept the target accurately.

After the first round of defense, special situations followed. Enemy aircraft entered the radar search range at low altitude and slow speed, using the weak reflection signal characteristics to blend in with the mountain clutter and electromagnetic interference, increasing the difficulty of interception for the officers and soldiers. After discerning the enemy aircraft's intentions, the radar operator quickly switched the search mode to one suitable for the complex terrain of the plateau to stabilize target tracking. The missile was launched and accurately intercepted the target within a safe range.

Xinjiang Military Region Zhang Baofeng: In this assessment, we compressed the decision-making time for target identification, fire distribution, and missile launch, firmly seizing fleeting strike opportunities in complex environments.

Multiple harsh weather conditions, including low pressure, low temperature, oxygen deficiency, and strong sandstorms, continuously tested the physical endurance of the officers and soldiers as well as the stability of the weapon systems. Since entering the plateau, the unit's officers and soldiers have been studying the extreme performance parameters of the equipment while overcoming altitude sickness, collecting hundreds of data results, and developing various tactical methods.

Xinjiang Military Region Xu Dengyao: This live-fire exercise closely aligns with real combat scenarios in high-altitude environments, embedding special situations such as electromagnetic interference, low-altitude penetration, rapid position shifts, and camouflage protection throughout the entire shooting process. By breaking traditional thinking with a new training model, we enable officers and soldiers to master skills for handling complex airspace in high-altitude conditions, solidifying their combat capabilities and honing their skills for sustained operations and precise enemy elimination in oxygen-deficient environments.