Exercises Modernization Doctrine

Breaking Aircraft-Type Boundaries to Train Across Multiple Positions, an Air Force Unit Innovates in Cultivating Composite Aviation Maintenance Personnel

打破机型界限多岗位练兵，空军某部创新培养复合型机务人才

PLA Daily (解放军报) 4 August 2026

Summary

An unidentified PLA Air Force unit stationed in the Gobi Desert has institutionalized a cross-aircraft-type cross-training mechanism (多机型通保) for aviation maintenance personnel, producing a cohort capable of servicing two or more combat aircraft types and transferring more than one hundred maintenance personnel and over ten pilots to sister units. The program documents a concrete PLA response to the operational problem of sustaining dispersed multi-aircraft-type deployments across two or more locations with degraded crews — a scenario the unit's leadership treats as a baseline planning assumption, not an edge case. The extension of the same model to pilots under a 多机型通飞 framework raises the question of how broadly this cross-qualification approach is being adopted across PLAAF aviation brigades, which the article does not establish.

Translation

In the scorching midsummer Gobi, with heat waves rolling across the landscape, a combat-readiness training exercise was about to get underway at an Air Force unit. Inside the hangar, power vehicles and air-conditioning vehicles were parked beneath the wings of a certain type of combat aircraft, as mechanic Tang Tao led maintenance personnel through final pre-takeoff checks. "The hangar has come under 'enemy' fire attack — aircraft 'damaged,' maintenance personnel 'casualties'!" At that moment, a special situation arose without warning. Upon receiving the order, Tang Tao quickly contacted other crews and drew in maintenance soldiers to fill the gaps. The personnel then worked in coordination to complete the response tasks and ensure the aircraft launched successfully. What the author did not expect was that the maintenance soldiers who rushed in as emergency replacements were, under normal circumstances, responsible for servicing an entirely different type of aircraft.

"Multi-aircraft-type unified support (多机型通保) is not only about completing flight support missions well — it is also preparation for responding to unexpected battlefield situations." The unit's leadership told the author that in recent years, multiple types of combat aircraft conducting dispersed training at two, three, or even more locations has become increasingly routine, placing very high demands on maintenance support capabilities. To address this, the unit broke down aircraft-type boundaries and explored the implementation of a cross-aircraft-type cross-training mechanism, cultivating personnel's comprehensive support capabilities through multi-position training (多岗位练兵).

When the mechanism was first introduced, some personnel held the view: "Aviation maintenance is meticulous work — mastering one aircraft type is already no easy feat." Others harbored doubts: "Will cross-aircraft-type support lead to knowing a little about everything but being proficient in nothing?" Faced with these differing voices, the unit's Party committee was resolute: "When it comes to matters of combat effectiveness, there is no room for delay or waiting."

The unit broke from its original training organization model, selecting high-capability, technically proficient backbone personnel to take part in cross-aircraft-type training first; compiled instruction manuals tailored to different aircraft types, with experienced mechanics providing one-on-one mentorship to help maintenance soldiers accelerate their capability upgrades; regularly organized cross-aircraft-type skills assessments for maintenance soldiers, with those who passed advancing to the independent-duty support (放单) phase and those who did not continuing cross-training; established a professional skills "Dragon and Tiger Rankings" (龙虎榜) to foster a strong atmosphere of competitive learning and striving to surpass… After this combination of measures, the number of maintenance soldiers in the unit capable of supporting multiple aircraft types grew steadily.

Fan Qi, one of the first mechanics to participate in cross-aircraft-type intensive training, was originally a seasoned backbone member supporting a certain type of aircraft. When he was first assigned to an intensive training rotation with a certain fighter squadron, he was genuinely uncertain of himself. In order to keep pace with the training tempo and upgrade his capabilities as quickly as possible, Fan Qi spent his days riveted to the crew, practicing operational techniques alongside his mentoring mechanic, and spent his nights putting in extra hours studying mechanical theory. After six months, he had filled two thick notebooks with training notes and had essentially mastered the maintenance and support skills for that type of fighter aircraft.

"The deeper you study, the more you find that certain fundamental theories are shared across types — the differences show up more in the details. Once you truly immerse yourself, you can draw inferences from one case to another (触类旁通)." Today, after being tempered across multiple positions, Fan Qi is capable of carrying out maintenance and support tasks for three types of combat aircraft.

Cross-aircraft-type intensive training has expanded the individual capability boundaries of maintenance soldiers and deepened their understanding of the support procedures for other aircraft types, making coordination among support personnel from different crews smoother. As cross-aircraft-type missions have grown more frequent, Fan Qi regularly carries out support tasks alongside maintenance soldiers from different crews. "Cross-aircraft-type intensive training lets me know what the other side needs and where the support difficulties lie — one gesture, one reminder, and we're on the same wavelength (对上信号)," he said with confidence.

It is understood that the unit has now cultivated a large cohort of cross-aircraft-type, cross-specialty aviation maintenance personnel, with multiple crews possessing the capability to maintain and support two or more types of combat aircraft. Building on this foundation, the unit has extended this innovative cultivation model to pilot development, driving the pilot corps toward "multi-aircraft-type universal flight (多机型通飞)." In recent years, the unit has successively transferred more than one hundred maintenance personnel and more than ten pilot backbone members to sister units.

Original Chinese

盛夏戈壁，热浪翻涌，空军某部一场战备训练即将展开。机棚内，电源车、空调车停靠在某型战机机翼下方，机械师唐涛正带领机务人员进行起飞前的最后检查。 “机库遭‘敌’火力打击，战机‘受损’，有机务人员‘受伤’！”就在此时，特情突至。接到指令后，唐涛迅速联系其他机组，抽调机务兵补位。随后，官兵协同完成处置作业，保障战机顺利升空。令笔者没想到的是，紧急补位的机务兵，平时负责维护的是另一型战机。 “多机型通保，不仅是为了完成好飞行保障任务，更是为应对战场突发情况做准备。”该部领导告诉笔者，近年来，多型战机两地、三地甚至辗转多地驻训渐成常态，对机务保障能力提出很高要求。为此，他们打破机型界限，探索推行跨机型交叉互训机制，通过多岗位练兵培养官兵综合保障能力。机制推行之初，有的官兵认为：“机务保障是门细致活，掌握一个机型已属不易。”还有的官兵心存疑虑：“跨机型保障会不会导致‘样样通、样样松’？”面对不同声音，该部党委态度坚决：“关乎战斗力的事，拖不得、等不得。” 该部打破原有组训模式，遴选能力强、业务精的骨干，率先参加各机型交叉培训；根据不同机型编撰带教手册，由经验丰富的机械师提供“一对一”帮带，帮助机务兵加速实现能力升级；定期组织机务兵跨机型业务考核，考核通过进入“放单”保障环节，考核不通过继续参加交叉培训；设立专业技能“龙虎榜”，营造比学赶超浓厚氛围……一套“组合拳”下来，该部掌握多机型保障能力的机务兵越来越多。首批参加跨机型强训的机械师范琦，原是保障某型战机的成熟骨干。第一次被安排到某型歼击机中队强训，他心里着实没底。为跟上训练节奏、尽快实现能力升级，范琦白天铆在机组，跟着带教机械师练习操作技巧，晚上加班加点学习机械原理知识。半年后，训练笔记记了满满两大本，他基本掌握了该型歼击机的维护保障技能。 “越深入学习越发现，一些基本理论是相通的，差别更多体现在细节上。真正钻进去，就能触类旁通。”如今，经过多岗位历练，范琦已能担负起3型战机的维护保障任务。跨机型强训拓展了机务兵的个人能力边界，增强了他们对其他机型保障流程的了解，不同机组保障人员间的协同作业更加顺畅。随着跨机型任务越来越多，范琦经常与来自不同机组的机务兵一起执行保障任务。“跨机型强训，让我知道对方想要什么、保障难点在哪，我们一个手势、一句提醒就能‘对上信号’。”他自信地说。据了解，该部已培养出一大批跨机型跨专业机务人才，多个机组具备两型以上战机维护保障能力。在此基础上，他们将这套创新培养模式延伸到飞行员培养工作，推动飞行员队伍向“多机型通飞”迈进。近年来，该部先后为兄弟单位输送百余名机务人才、十余名飞行骨干。