Exercises Doctrine

Breaking the Old "Routine": "Combat" Erupts on the Return March to Barracks

打破以往“老套路”，“战斗”在返营途中打响

PLA Daily (解放军报) 28 July 2026

Summary

A fire support element of an unidentified PLA Air Force battalion failed a surprise mid-march fire mission inserted by its assessment team after completing a scheduled live-fire tactical evaluation at a field training site, with the failure attributed to slow reaction, poor coordination, and degraded enemy-situation awareness during movement. The unit's post-exercise critique named the root cause as an insufficiently firm 实战思维 (real-combat mindset) in day-to-day training — a formulation that fits the recurring PLA institutional problem of units mentally standing down once a scripted exercise concludes. The follow-on intensified training, which chained together UAV surveillance, special-forces harassment, and contaminated-zone passage, documents one battalion-level attempt to institutionalize unpredictability, though the article provides no assessment data on whether response times actually met any standard.

Translation

Under the blazing summer heat, a live-force, live-fire tactical assessment was in full swing at an outdoor field training site of a certain Air Force unit. As signal flares rose into the sky, a fire support element of a certain battalion moved on order, rapidly occupying their positions. Assessing wind direction and temperature, computing firing data, completing the assigned azimuth — as the fire command was issued, rounds screamed out and struck their targets with precision.

Having completed all scheduled subjects, element commander Cui Kai reported to higher command that the mission had been successfully accomplished, then immediately issued the order to withdraw and return to unit in accordance with the plan.

In the mountain forest, a convoy of prime movers kicked up a long trail of dust as officers and soldiers set off for home, buoyed by the satisfaction of a mission completed. Because the live-fire mission had gone so smoothly, the tension among the participating officers and soldiers had eased.

"The advance element has come under enemy fire — provide fire support immediately!" In the middle of the return march, a special-situation report suddenly crackled over the vehicle-mounted radio.

"According to the plan, hasn't the assessment already ended?" With no time to dwell on the question, the commander ordered the convoy to halt and organized officers and soldiers to open up a firing position nearby, collect meteorological data, and adjust firing data.

However, because the "battle" had erupted without warning, officers and soldiers scrambled in confusion. Preparation took far too long — not only was the optimal window for supporting the advance element missed, but after their own position was exposed, it was subjected to "enemy" suppressive fire, and the mission was judged a failure.

It turned out that the special situation during the return march had been set up on the spot by the assessment team, with the aim of testing officers and soldiers' emergency response and combat-readiness capabilities. "The battlefield situation changes in an instant; only by thinking about and preparing for war at all times can one improve the odds of winning." The unit's leadership explained that they had seized on this field training exercise as an opportunity to break with the old rules (老规矩) and old routines (老套路) of the past, adjusting the training plan on the fly: after the scheduled training subjects were completed, they randomly inserted complex special situations, with a focused effort to temper officers and soldiers' real-combat capabilities in emergency response, coordinated command, and the application of tactics.

Upon returning to barracks, the unit organized a dedicated discussion and analysis session targeting the "surprises" encountered during the exercise. The unit's leadership put it bluntly: "Scrambling in the face of a sudden special situation ultimately comes down to an insufficiently firm real-combat mindset (实战思维) and inadequate real-combat capability in day-to-day training." Through analysis and self-examination, multiple problems surfaced — among them "weakened enemy-situation awareness during movement and maneuver" — and the unit immediately organized officers and soldiers to develop improvement plans item by item, differentiated by training content such as movement and maneuver, and position construction.

Recently, the unit organized an intensified training exercise. Small-element enemy special-forces harassment, satellite overhead reconnaissance, unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance, passage through a contaminated zone — at the training site, special situations were linked one after another. Officers and soldiers coordinated with tacit understanding, countering each move as it came, and the efficiency of their responses improved markedly.

Original Chinese

夏日炎炎，空军某部野外驻训场上，一场实兵实弹战术考核火热展开。随着信号弹升空，某营火力分队闻令而动，迅速占领阵地。判断风向气温、解算射击诸元、完成赋予射向……随着发射指令下达，一发发炮弹呼啸而出，精准命中目标。完成所有预定课目，分队指挥员崔凯向上级汇报任务顺利完成，随即按照预案下达撤收归队口令。山间密林，牵引车车队拉起一道长长的烟尘，官兵带着完成任务的喜悦踏上归途。由于实弹射击任务完成得十分顺利，参训官兵紧绷的神经放松下来。 “先遣分队遭‘敌’火力打击，迅速予以火力支援！”返营途中，车载对讲机突然传来特情通报。 “按照预案，考核不是已经结束了吗？”来不及多想，指挥员命令车队停止前进，组织官兵就近开辟射击阵地、采集气象数据、调整射击诸元。然而，由于“战斗”突然打响，官兵手忙脚乱，准备时间过长，不仅错过了最佳支援时机，自身阵地暴露后还遭“敌”火力覆盖，任务被判失利。原来，返营途中的特情是考核组临机设置的，旨在检验官兵应急应战能力。“战场态势瞬息万变，只有时时思战备战，才能提高打赢胜算。”该部领导介绍，他们以此次野外驻训为契机，打破以往的“老规矩”“老套路”，临机调整训练方案，在预定训练课目完成后，随机增设复杂特情，着力锤炼官兵应急处置、协同指挥、战法运用等实战能力。返回营区，该部针对演练中遇到的“意外”组织专题讨论辨析。该部领导更是一针见血地指出：“面对突发特情手忙脚乱，归根到底还是平时实战思维不牢，实战能力不足。”经过分析自查，诸如“转移机动途中敌情意识弱化”等多个问题浮出水面，他们随即组织官兵区分转移机动、阵地构筑等不同训练内容，逐项制订改进方案。日前，该部再次组织强化训练。小股“敌特”袭扰、卫星过顶侦察、无人机监视、通过沾染区……训练现场，特情环环相扣，官兵默契配合、见招拆招，处置效率有效提升。