A Brigade of the 76th Group Army Conducts Confrontation Training Together with Neighboring Multi-Branch Forces
In the height of summer, smoke and fire filled a comprehensive training ground on the plateau as a brigade of the 76th Group Army, together with an Air Force unit and an Army Aviation unit, launched a land-air confrontation training exercise under realistic combat conditions.
Inside the command post, electronic display screens updated air situation and fire element information in real time, with the ground air-defense fire group, air assault group, and electronic countermeasures group all dynamically and clearly displayed.
Brigade leadership introduced that, for this training exercise, they broke from the previous fixed model in which each combat unit was commanded independently, bringing together commanders and staff officers from each branch of service to operate in an integrated, coordinated manner—deliberating and assessing together at the same table and collaboratively planning operational contingency plans through a unified command link.
"'Enemy aircraft' are releasing electromagnetic interference and conducting low-altitude covert penetration from the northeast!" The Red Force ground radar station was the first to detect the Blue Force's movements, and Air Force staff officer Wang Pengfei rapidly plotted the "enemy aircraft" penetration route. The air-defense group commander, after comprehensive assessment of the returned situational picture, decisively issued the order: "First-line radars provide real-time early warning; missile subunits deploy in echelon according to the contingency plan."
At the command, several fighter aircraft ignited their afterburners and scrambled to seize air superiority positions; multiple armed helicopters formed a formation and, using terrain for cover, swept forward at low altitude; on the air-defense positions, radar antennas spun at high speed and missile launchers stood arrayed at the ready, and a land-air integrated air-defense "sky net" (天网) was quickly woven into place.
Above the clouds, the "enemy aircraft" continuously varied their flight profiles. Inside the shelter vehicle, radar technician Tan Xin fixed his eyes on the screen, continuously tracking and locking onto the target, waiting for the optimal moment to counter. The instant the target entered the effective engagement range, the Red Force commander decisively issued the strike order. In an instant, missile exhaust flames sliced through the sky and struck the "enemy aircraft" with precision.
No sooner had the first wave of threats been neutralized than a succession of special situations (特情) arose. Blue Force helicopters used cloud cover to close rapidly on Red Force targets.
By the time the Red Force detected the anomalous air situation, the "enemy aircraft" had already closed to the edge of the missile defense perimeter. Inside the "central command tent" (中军帐), commanders from each branch urgently conferred and assessed the situation, fixing their combat decision. An electronic countermeasures subunit covertly deployed on the flank activated its anti-jamming equipment and continuously emitted jamming waves, slowing the "enemy's" offensive tempo and buying time for radar to lock onto the target. Once the target was locked, each air-defense fire echelon opened fire in succession, shooting down the incoming "enemy aircraft" and successfully resolving the crisis.
Brigade leadership introduced that throughout this training exercise, they operated in full integrated coordination with neighboring combat forces, conducting consecutive training subjects including full-airspace reconnaissance and early warning, multi-means penetration and strike, and multi-unit coordinated complementary operations, with electromagnetic interference, communications disruption, and other special situations randomly introduced, comprehensively tempering the force's joint air-defense combat capabilities.
After two rounds of defensive engagements concluded, the Red Force missile subunit moved positions on order. A reconnaissance subunit used the cover of the mountain terrain to conduct concealed reconnaissance, when a dense cluster of light spots suddenly appeared on the night-vision screen, indicating that a Blue Force drone swarm was quietly closing in.
The situation was urgent. Red Force aircraft rapidly descended in altitude to conduct a search, confirming the bearing of the "enemy" drone swarm. The anti-aircraft artillery subunit corrected its firing parameters based on the returned data and quickly locked onto the targets. As the fire command was issued, multiple drones were successfully intercepted, with only two that had flown beyond the engagement envelope continuing to close in. At the critical moment, aircraft already airborne filled the coverage gap in time, missiles screamed out, and the two drones were shot down.
After the confrontation concluded, each combat unit rapidly recovered its equipment—the war eagles returned to roost and the radars were withdrawn. In the after-action review room, participants from different branches of service each offered their views, analyzing one by one the problems exposed during the training, and identifying the direction for improvement in the next phase of joint training.