"Mixed Eagle Swarm" Strikes in Sequence: A Close Look at This Multi-Type Cross-Day-and-Night Flight Training Exercise
On a summer day, engines roared at a certain combined training ground. Several attack helicopters and transport helicopters were arrayed in formation as maintenance officers and soldiers conducted final pre-flight checks. "Checks complete — conditions met for takeoff!" As reports came in successively from each crew, the tower commander issued the takeoff order. In an instant, the participating helicopters lifted off one after another, and a multi-type cross-day-and-night flight training exercise of a certain brigade of the 75th Group Army got underway.
After becoming airborne, multiple types of helicopters were mixed and organized into assault formations and maneuvered toward the target airspace. "Subjected to 'enemy' electromagnetic jamming — communications severed"; "sudden meteorological change ahead — severe convective weather encountered" … During the flight, the command post introduced multiple types of unexpected situations (特情) on an ad hoc basis, and the participating crews responded calmly: attack helicopter crews rapidly switched to backup communications modes and maintained close contact with other aircraft in the formation; transport helicopter crews decisively adjusted their flight routes, using terrain to avoid adverse weather conditions, and continued maneuvering toward the target airspace.
The "mixed eagle swarm" (混编鹰群) struck in sequence. This reporter observed at the command post that all types of aircraft shared data in real time, with situational information displayed clearly on the command platform. After the aircraft group reached the designated airspace, attack helicopters simulated ground fire strikes; transport helicopters carried assault teams to conduct simulated air assault landings (机降), successfully seizing and controlling "enemy" key positions.
"The future battlefield is a contest of system against system (体系与体系的对抗), a competition of system against system (系统与系统的较量). Only by training together and exercising together in peacetime can we truly clench scattered fingers into a fist." The brigade's leadership explained that they constructed a realistic battlefield environment under demanding and rigorous conditions, and by coordinating participating forces with training subjects, flexibly adopted the approach of "mixed aircraft-type grouping, integrated subject training, and ad hoc introduction of unexpected situations (机型混合编组、课目融合施训、特情临机导调)," comprehensively testing officers and soldiers' emergency response and coordinated combat capabilities.
After the simulated fire strikes were completed, wartime emergency repair (战时抢修) training for helicopters immediately commenced. A "damaged" helicopter executed an emergency forced landing, and the accompanying maintenance detachment immediately moved forward and rapidly carried out repair operations under the cover of ground fire. Simultaneously, another helicopter urgently took off to take over the mission of the "damaged" aircraft.
As night fell, training continued. Aircraft that had completed daytime subject training returned successively for resupply, then transitioned into nighttime flight training. Instrument flight, nighttime search, low-altitude penetration … Pilots relied on instrument data and night-vision equipment to maneuver their aircraft silently through the darkness, successfully completing nighttime subject training.
In the dead of night, as the last aircraft touched down smoothly, the multi-type cross-day-and-night flight training exercise concluded successfully. Without pausing to rest despite their fatigue, the pilots went directly to the tactical review room to conduct an after-action review (复盘) of the training process together with commanders and senior maintenance personnel. Officers and soldiers participating in the exercise focused on problems exposed during training, formulated targeted corrective measures, and optimized subsequent training plans.
"Only when peacetime training is real and solid can we fight hard on the battlefield." The brigade's leadership explained that they will conduct intensive and refined training (专攻精练) focused on difficult and critical subjects including complex electromagnetic environment confrontation, air assault landings in unfamiliar terrain, and long-range maneuvering of mixed multi-type formations, continuously expanding the boundaries of training, forging pilots' all-weather, full-time-domain (全天候、全时域) combat capabilities, and laying a solid foundation for the force to carry out diversified missions.