Strong vs. Strong → Strong Collaboration: Multi-Unit "Aggregation" Training in the Eastern Theater Command

Recently, a certain brigade of the Eastern Theater Air Force fully utilized the regional collaborative training mechanism, conducting live-fire confrontation exercises with ground-to-air missile and radar units around multiple challenging subjects. This tested equipment performance in real combat readiness, innovated tactical research, and enhanced the joint operational capabilities of the troops.

Joint Confrontation Exercises of Multiple Services

Enhancing Joint Operational Capabilities

At an airport in East China, fighter jets are lined up, poised for action. Upon receiving the order, the red side fighter jets slid out in succession and took off, quickly heading to the designated airspace.

Air Force Ground-to-Air Brigade An Mingyu: After receiving the air situation warning, personnel at all levels immediately rushed to their respective positions, completing combat deployment within the specified time. At the same time, relying on radar air situation data, we closely monitored the aerial situation and prepared for immediate counterattacks.

After the red side fighter jets arrived in the target airspace, they quickly organized into formations for escort, suppression, and ground strikes to breach defenses. At this time, relying on target information provided by the early warning system, the blue side fighter jets adjusted their flight posture to construct interception routes while activating radar for air search and locking onto the incoming direction.

During the confrontation, the red side formation utilized data link to share battlefield situations, seizing attack positions first and implementing beyond-visual-range kills on blue side fighter jets. Subsequently, the red side formation employed strong electromagnetic interference to conduct ultra-low altitude penetration, launching a covert raid on blue side air defense positions. Faced with multiple batches of red side fighter jets accompanied by electronic jamming, blue side personnel remained calm and flexibly adjusted their tactics.

Ground-to-Air Radar Constructs a Dense Three-Dimensional Air Defense Network

Refining Joint Operational Hard Skills

Behind the aerial confrontation lies the precise support of ground air defense forces. In this multi-service live confrontation exercise, ground-to-air missile and radar units closely coordinated and efficiently interacted, forming an integrated combat system with aerial combat forces, comprehensively honing the joint air defense hard skills of the troops.

During the exercise, ground-to-air missile and radar units received air situation warnings, and personnel immediately rushed to their positions, quickly completing the establishment of positions, radar setup, and missile loading. Each combat unit closely cooperated to construct a tight three-dimensional air defense system. In the face of multiple ultra-low altitude penetration targets under strong electromagnetic interference from the red side, blue side personnel responded calmly and initiated anti-jamming operations.

Each radar unit enhanced search tracking, accurately captured targets, and issued missile power-up commands to simulate strikes against red side air superiority forces. Throughout the confrontation, ground-to-air missile and radar units efficiently coordinated from target identification to firepower allocation, effectively honing their command guidance and joint counterattack capabilities in real combat scenarios.

Air Force Aviation Brigade Fu Xi: Future warfare is a contest between systems; the era of fighting alone is long gone. We fully utilize the regional collaborative training mechanism to lead and organize joint confrontation training among multiple services, deeply researching winning mechanisms, strengthening the "aggregation" awareness and coordination capabilities of each combat unit, and promoting a qualitative leap in system combat capabilities through real combat and resistance, ensuring we are always ready for battle and can fight at any time, defending national air defense security with solid skills.

Achieving Aggregation is the Key Capability for System Victory

Coordinated operations mean that all military branches and combat units closely cooperate and support each other according to a unified operational intent and plan, forming a cohesive combat action. In this multi-service live confrontation exercise, what is the key to building a modern joint operational system? A military observer from the Central Station provided an interpretation.

Building a modern joint operational system is fundamentally about achieving deep integration of different operational platforms. In this exercise, the efficient cooperation between aviation fighter jets and ground-to-air missile and radar units vividly exemplifies the construction of a joint operational system.

Central Station Military Observer Wei Dongxu: The future battlefield is complex and dangerous. Advanced fighter jets are the "sharp blade of air superiority," while ground-to-air missile and radar units serve as the "air defense shield." Only through mutual cover, support, and tacit cooperation can these two combat forces defeat strong enemies. The greatest advantage of the regional collaborative training mechanism is its ability to proactively set challenges, pushing the limits of personnel and equipment in live confrontation scenarios, using "strong against strong" training to ultimately achieve "strong teaming" for victory.

Regarding the tactical applications of both red and blue sides during the exercise, experts noted that the red side's tactics could be summarized in three words: "far," "disrupt," and "low," showcasing their tactical ingenuity and practical capabilities, while the blue side's ground-to-air missile and radar units also demonstrated solid combat skills.

Central Station Military Observer Wei Dongxu: During the exercise, the red side's tactics can be described in three words. The first is "far." The red side fighter jets' onboard radars can see far, and their air-to-air missiles can strike from a distance, allowing them to take the initiative, sweep the airspace, and create a safe environment for subsequent tasks. The second is "disrupt," using advanced electronic warfare systems to interfere with and disrupt the opponent's system, strengthening the combat situation favorable to themselves. The third is "low," with non-stealth fighter jets conducting ultra-low altitude penetration, demonstrating that the pilots are skilled and daring, able to fly the aircraft at very low altitudes, using undulating terrain to evade radar searches and air defense fire interception, ultimately achieving precise bombing of high-value ground targets.

Experts point out that modern warfare must rely on system victory. The "aggregation" awareness is one of the fundamental skills needed to adapt to the complex future battlefield and achieve readiness at all times.

Central Station Military Observer Wei Dongxu: Achieving "aggregation" requires both technical support and the cultivation of operational tacit understanding through repeated training and scientific exercises, ultimately generating joint victory capabilities. The live confrontation exercise conducted by a certain brigade of the Eastern Theater Air Force is about bringing equipment and tactics together, sharing experiences, making joint progress, and rapidly enhancing joint operational capabilities.