Exercises Doctrine

Embedding "Integration" Throughout Field Garrison Training to Better Forge the Hard-Core Capabilities of the Force

将“融”字嵌入野外驻训全程，更好锤炼部队硬核能力

PLA Daily (解放军报) 4 August 2026

Summary

An unnamed PLA unit recently conducted field garrison training that embedded multi-arm integration across planning, execution, and sustainment phases, with attached and supporting forces brought under a unified command system and sustainment modules maneuvering alongside combat elements rather than operating from static positions. The article documents institutional dissatisfaction with the legacy model of 'one unit, one training location, single-subject specialization,' which PLA military media now explicitly frames as producing insufficient system integration and inadequate cross-unit coordination. The framing points to a recognized gap between current garrison training practice and the joint, system-of-systems demands the PLA expects of future full-domain operations—though the unit, scale, and theater remain unspecified, limiting what can be inferred about how widely this model is being applied.

Translation

Recently, at a field garrison training site, a certain unit proactively coordinated different arms of service to share a single position and jointly study a single set of tactics. Their practice of training soldiers offers us this lesson: only by closely aligning with future operational patterns and embedding the concept of "integration" (融) throughout the entire course of field garrison training can we better forge the hard-core capabilities of the force for full-domain mobility (全域机动), multi-domain coordination (多域协同), and system-of-systems victory (体系制胜).

Modern warfare is a contest of system against system, a competition of network against network. Every combat action depends on the support of the entire operational system. This demands that all units, even during field garrison training, spare no effort to forge the competency of "integration" (融) and the capability of "jointness" (联), and to improve their hard skills in system-of-systems operations (体系作战). The previous training organization model of "one unit, one training location, single-subject specialization" has exposed problems such as insufficient system integration, a single battlefield environment, and inadequate coordination—making it difficult to meet the operational demands of future battlefields for full-domain emergency response and cross-domain offense and defense. Field garrison training is training that closely approximates actual combat; operational elements are concentrated and joint forces are assembled, making it a natural platform for advancing system-of-systems operations. Only by proactively tearing down walls and breaking through barriers, and by running the concept of "integration" through every link of planning, execution, and sustainment, can all units fuse multiple combat forces, combat units, and combat elements into an organic whole—driving the transformation of training and war preparation from single-domain precision training toward multi-domain joint training, and truly aggregating system-of-systems advantages while releasing the effectiveness of coordination.

Emphasize the integration of combat forces. From the garrison training planning stage, attached and supporting forces must be incorporated into a unified command system, with unified communications and liaison protocols, shared intelligence resources, and standardized coordination timelines. During field garrison training, all units should routinely conduct cross-unit joint exercises and training, optimize coordination processes among units, forge joint action capabilities, and work through mechanisms and remedy shortfalls in troop coordination, fire linkage, and spectrum management—driving each combat unit from simple aggregation toward deep coupling, and truly clenching the iron fist of system-of-systems victory.

Emphasize the integration of construction elements (建设要素). Field garrison training conditions are arduous and the tempo is tight; there is no room for a disconnect between political work and training, or for separation of training from sustainment. Political work must be embedded throughout the entire course of garrison training, with training intervals used to conduct battlefield mobilization, heart-to-heart counseling and guidance, and the creation of merit and model examples—allowing the lifeline to fuse into the combat chain. Sustainment forces must be incorporated into combat groupings, with supply, medical, and repair modules maneuvering with the unit and providing sustainment in step with operations, transforming static garrison into dynamic accompanying support, and driving the command chain, action chain, and sustainment chain to operate as an integrated whole.

Emphasize the integration of data resources. All units should seize the opportunity of concentrated garrison training to unify data collection standards for training, open up shared channels for intelligence, command, and training data, and feed their own training data and battlefield data into a common platform. Through joint after-action reviews and data analysis, they should pinpoint coordination bottlenecks, use data to empower system-of-systems training, and make the results of integration quantifiable, assessable, and iterable.

Integration brings concentrated power; unity brings victory. Embedding "integration" throughout field garrison training appears on the surface to be an adjustment to the training organization method, but in substance it is an upgrade of the philosophy of training soldiers. All units should break out of the habitual thinking of "fighting alone," firmly establish system-of-systems thinking and joint awareness (联合意识), seize garrison training as an opportunity to deeply study joint operations and joint training (联战联训), and genuinely transform the "golden period" of field garrison training into a "leap-forward period" for combat effectiveness.

Original Chinese

近段时间，在一野外驻训场上，某部主动协调不同兵种同在一片阵地、共研一套战法。他们的练兵实践启示我们：唯有紧贴未来作战样式，将“融”字嵌入野外驻训全程，才能更好地锤炼部队全域机动、多域协同、体系制胜的硬核能力。现代战争是体系与体系的对抗、系统与系统的较量。任何作战行动，都离不开整个作战体系的支撑。这就要求各部队在野外驻训期间也要千方百计锤炼“融”的本领、“联”的能力，提高体系作战硬功。以往“一家单位、一地驻训、单项专攻”的组训模式，暴露出体系融合不深、战场环境单一、协同力度不够等问题，难以适应未来战场全域应急、跨域攻防的作战需求。野外驻训是贴近实战的训练，作战要素集中、联合力量聚拢，正是推进体系作战的天然平台。各部队只有主动拆壁垒、破藩篱，将“融”的理念贯穿筹划、实施、保障各环节，才能把多种作战力量、作战单元、作战要素融为有机整体，推动练兵备战从单域精训向多域联训转型，真正聚合体系优势、释放协同效能。注重作战力量相融。驻训筹划阶段就要把配属、支援力量纳入统一指挥体系，统一通联协议、共享情报资源、规范协同时序。各部队在野外驻训中，应常态化开展跨单位联演联训，优化各单位协同流程，锤炼联合行动能力，在兵力协同、火力衔接、频谱管控中磨合机制、补齐短板，推动各作战单元从简单叠加走向深度耦合，真正攥紧体系制胜的铁拳。注重建设要素相融。野外驻训条件艰苦、节奏紧凑，容不得政训脱节、训保分离。要把政治工作嵌入驻训全程，利用训练间隙开展战地动员、谈心疏导、立功创模，让生命线融入战斗链；要把保障力量编入战斗编组，补给、卫勤、抢修模块随队机动、随战保障，变静态驻守为动态伴随支撑，推动指挥链、行动链、保障链一体联动。注重数据资源相融。各部队应借助集中驻训契机，统一训练数据采集标准，打通情报、指挥、训练数据共享通道，把本单位的训练数据、战场数据汇入同一平台，通过联合复盘、数据研判找准协同堵点，用数据赋能体系练兵，让融合成效可量化、可评估、可迭代。融则聚能，合则制胜。将“融”字嵌入野外驻训全程，表面是组训方式的调整，实质是练兵理念的升级。各部队应跳出“单打独斗”的惯性思维，树牢体系思维、联合意识，以驻训为契机深研联战联训，切实把野外驻训的“黄金期”转化为战斗力的“跃升期”。