Exercises Doctrine

Bayi Sharp Commentary | Summer Training in the Dog Days Is the Right Time

八一锐评丨夏练三伏正当时

PLA Daily (解放军报) 28 July 2026

Summary

A Bayi commentary published at the start of the 三伏天 (three dog-day periods) calls on commanders at all levels to sustain full-intensity summer training across all environments—desert, island reefs, deep forest, and open ocean—while improving heat-prevention measures and medical support (卫勤保障) rather than reducing training standards. The piece documents the PLA's standing institutional tension between pushing realistic high-stress training and managing heat casualties, framing scientific training methods (科学练兵理念) as the resolution. This is standard seasonal political-work content; its value is as a record of how the institution justifies and bounds extreme-condition training to the officer corps, not as evidence of a new training policy or changed operational posture.

Translation

Chairman Xi has emphasized the need to 'vigorously pursue training in complex environments and vigorously pursue training under extreme conditions.' Since the onset of the dog days (入伏), heat waves have rolled across the length and breadth of the country. From the desert Gobi to island reefs and tidal flats, from deep mountain forests to the distant ocean, forces across the entire military have seized the training opportunity afforded by the sweltering summer heat, organizing officers and soldiers to battle scorching temperatures and high heat, temper their combat will (战斗意志), and train hard in real-combat skills (实战本领), with a new batch of combat methods and training methods (新战法训法) forged and refined in the process.

War does not avoid cold or heat, and training does not select for favorable weather. The battlefield environment never shifts according to human will, and a powerful adversary will not halt its advance because of extreme heat. If troops evade high-temperature training in peacetime, they may stumble in combat due to scorching weather conditions. The 'three dog-day periods (三伏天)' are both a severe test and an excellent training opportunity. Only by improving their heat tolerance and determining the limit performance of their equipment under high-temperature conditions can officers and soldiers continuously forge their combat capabilities, accumulate the confidence to win battles (胜战底气), and achieve full-time combat readiness (全时待战) and the ability to fight at any moment.

'Summer training in the dog days (夏练三伏)' is not blind recklessness—scientific training methods are what yield twice the results with half the effort. Commanders at all levels must firmly establish the concept of scientific training (科学练兵理念): they must maintain training standards and difficulty without reduction, while also scientifically assessing training intensity against the tolerance of officers and soldiers, improving measures for heat prevention and cooling as well as medical and health support (卫勤保障), and truly enabling officers and soldiers to train to a high level and forge genuine combat effectiveness (战斗力) even as they train drenched in sweat.

Original Chinese

习主席强调，要“大抓复杂环境下训练，大抓极限条件下训练”。入伏以来，大江南北热浪滚滚，从大漠戈壁到岛礁滩涂，从深山密林到远海大洋，全军部队抓住暑气蒸腾的练兵时机，组织官兵斗酷暑、战高温，磨炼战斗意志，苦练实战本领，一批新战法训法淬火出炉。打仗不避寒暑，练兵不择天候。战场环境从不以人的意志为转移，强敌对手也不会因酷暑而止步。倘若平时躲着高温练，战时就可能因酷暑天气“栽跟头”。“三伏天”既是严苛考验，也是练兵良机。广大官兵只有在高温环境下提升自身耐热能力、摸清装备极限性能，才能不断锤炼作战本领、蓄积胜战底气，做到全时待战、随时能战。 “夏练三伏”并非盲目蛮干，科学施训才能事半功倍。各级指挥员应树牢科学练兵理念，既要组训施训标准不降、难度不减，又要科学评估训练强度与官兵承受能力，完善防暑降温、卫勤保障等举措，真正让官兵在挥汗如雨中练出高水平、练出战斗力。