Exercises Modernization

A Naval Aviation Unit Drives the Combat-Oriented Transformation of Aircraft Maintenance and Support——One Second Faster in Emergency Repair, One Point More in the Odds of Victory

海军航空兵某部推动战机维修保障向战转型

PLA Daily (解放军报) 30 June 2026

Summary

An unnamed naval aviation unit conducted a combat damage emergency repair exercise in which a mixed-specialty detachment — integrating mechanical, composite materials, and structural personnel — completed a simulated propeller blade replacement and radome repair under timed, multi-fault conditions, with detachment leader Gao Xiaoyang leading the radome repair sequence. The article documents a structural problem the unit explicitly names: traditional periodic-maintenance and fault-troubleshooting support models are incompatible with the tempo and attrition conditions of modern combat, and the unit's response — cross-training mechanics in composite repair and vice versa under a '混合编组、一专多能' framework — represents an organizational fix to that gap. This fits a documented PLA-wide push to reorient maintenance and logistics functions toward battlefield survivability rather than garrison upkeep, and records the specific cross-specialty training architecture one naval aviation unit has adopted to operationalize that shift.

Translation

A Naval Aviation Unit Drives the Combat-Oriented Transformation of Aircraft Maintenance and Support——One Second Faster in Emergency Repair, One Point More in the Odds of Victory

■ Niu Sihang, Bu Lingbin

"An aircraft has been damaged by 'enemy' fire — immediately activate the combat damage emergency repair plan!" Recently, a naval aviation unit organized an aircraft emergency repair training exercise. At the commander's order, personnel of the emergency repair detachment rapidly assembled and moved to the repair position.

At the work site, detachment personnel coordinated closely and swiftly completed the removal of a "damaged" propeller blade and the installation of a new one, carrying out the entire process smoothly and without interruption.

"Today, warfare has entered an era of 'counting seconds.' The evolution of operational patterns demands that aircraft maintenance and upkeep must accelerate its transformation from 'workshop operations' to 'battlefield emergency repair,'" the unit's leadership explained. Under actual combat conditions, aircraft combat damage emergency repair frequently faces tests such as sudden onset, strict time limits, and limited materiel. The traditional aircraft support model — oriented toward periodic maintenance and fault troubleshooting — can no longer meet the requirements of modern warfare.

To address this, the unit broke down professional barriers, scientifically integrating personnel from mechanical, composite materials, and structural specialties according to the repair workflow to establish emergency repair detachments organized on a "mixed-composition, one specialty with multiple capabilities (混合编组、一专多能)" basis. The unit abandoned the dispersed training model of single subjects and single links, and instead conducted intensive and refined training according to a combat damage repair model of full-process, multi-subject continuous operations. The unit pressed hard on cross-position skills interoperability training, requiring mechanics to master basic composite material repair skills and composite materials and structural personnel to be familiar with mechanical disassembly and assembly procedures, ensuring that aircraft repair missions can be completed successfully even under conditions of combat attrition.

"The aircraft radome has a puncture and the skin is damaged!" At the training site, the exercise control group issued an unexpected special situation. Emergency repair detachment leader Gao Xiaoyang swiftly led personnel to begin work, meticulously completing procedures including wound-edge preparation of the radome puncture, patch fabrication, and composite material repair, earning the affirmation of the exercise control group.

"Strict and demanding in peacetime — only then can one remain composed in wartime." The on-site commander explained that this training was conducted using a method of multiple subjects implemented consecutively and multiple special situations directed on the spot, effectively enhancing the emergency repair detachment's rapid response capability under actual combat conditions.

"One second faster in aircraft emergency repair, one point more in the odds of winning." The unit's leadership stated that going forward, they will continue to optimize the training organization model, steadily improve the effectiveness of aircraft maintenance and support, and lay a solid foundation for the unit to carry out combat-realistic missions.

Original Chinese

海军航空兵某部推动战机维修保障向战转型—— 抢修快一秒胜算多一分 ■牛思航卜令彬 “战机遭‘敌’火力打击受损，立即启动战伤抢修预案！”近日，海军航空兵某部组织一场战机应急抢修训练。随着指挥员一声令下，应急抢修分队官兵快速集结，奔赴抢修阵地。作业现场，分队官兵密切协同，快速完成“受损”螺旋桨桨叶拆卸和新桨叶安装，整个过程行云流水、一气呵成。 “今天，战争已经进入‘读秒’时代，作战样式的演进要求战机维修保养工作必须从‘车间作业’向‘战场抢修’加速转型。”该部领导介绍，实战条件下，战机战伤应急抢修往往面临事发突然、时限严苛、器材有限等考验，侧重于周期性保养和故障排除的传统战机保障模式，已难以适应现代战争要求。为此，该部打破专业壁垒，将机械、复材、结构等岗位人员按照抢修流程科学整合，成立“混合编组、一专多能”的应急抢修分队；摒弃单科目、单环节分散训练模式，按照全流程、多科目连贯作业的战伤抢修模式展开专攻精练；狠抓岗位技能互通训练，要求机械员掌握基本复合材料修理技能，复材、结构岗位人员熟悉机械拆装流程，确保在战斗减员条件下也能顺利完成战机抢修任务。 “飞机雷达罩破孔、蒙皮受损！”训练现场，导调组临机下达特情，抢修分队队长高晓阳迅速带领官兵展开作业，精细完成雷达罩破孔处创面修整、补片制作、复合材料修理等工序，赢得导调组肯定。 “平时从严从难，战时才能从容不迫。”现场指挥员介绍，此次训练采取多科目连贯实施、多特情临机导调的方式进行，有效提升了抢修分队实战条件下的快速响应能力。 “战机抢修快一秒，打赢胜算多一分。”该部领导表示，下一步，他们将持续优化组训模式，不断提升战机维修保障效能，为部队遂行实战化任务打牢坚实基础。