Tempering the Sword Above the Clouds! A Naval Aviation Unit Conducts Around-the-Clock Coordinated Training
"Take off!" At the commander's order, combat aircraft lifted off in succession and headed directly for the designated training airspace, as a day-and-night coordinated training exercise commenced. It is understood that the training incorporated combat-realistic subjects including early warning reconnaissance and alert patrol, aimed at testing personnel's battlefield monitoring and system-of-systems operational capabilities.
Upon reaching the target airspace, the airborne early warning aircraft crew immediately shifted to a combat-ready state and successively conducted training subjects including early warning reconnaissance and command-and-guidance; the fighter aircraft formation deployed in echelon and occupied positions along separate axes, establishing a three-dimensional offensive and defensive operational posture.
"Under heavy electromagnetic suppression!" Above the clouds, the command post transmitted an exercise special situation: the aircraft datalinks were severed in succession, and the airborne early warning aircraft crew immediately lost situational awareness information.
"Switch to anti-jamming mode." Confronting the special situation, the airborne early warning aircraft commander decisively issued the order, directing the crew to activate the anti-jamming contingency plan. With close coordination across all stations, the crew rapidly reestablished the datalink and restored communications with the ground command post and the airborne fighter formation, sharing battlefield situational awareness in real time.
"This training was conducted against a close-to-combat background, with on-the-spot exercise control throughout." The unit's leadership stated that they set complex jamming conditions during training to test the coordinated operational capabilities of multiple aircraft types including airborne early warning aircraft and fighters. Moreover, the exercise control group issued multiple categories of sudden "enemy situation" in real time based on the airborne situation, compelling personnel to break out of standard contingency plans and fixed thinking patterns, and to hone emergency response and tactical coordination capabilities in unfamiliar airspace and under complex conditions; multiple tactical methods and approaches were put to the test.
As night fell, the previous sortie of training aircraft had just returned to base when the next sortie lifted off in succession, and personnel transitioned into the nighttime training phase. The airborne early warning aircraft crew relied on onboard radar equipment to continuously conduct target search and reconnaissance, pushing battlefield information to the fighter formation in real time to ensure smooth aerial information channels.
Forward alert, flank cover… In the darkness, the fighter formation continuously adjusted flight positions based on the latest situational data provided by the airborne early warning aircraft and was first to detect targets.
"Target locked!" The fighters seized the optimal attack window and decisively conducted simulated strikes, successfully completing the established training objectives.
"On the modern maritime and air battlefield, what is contested is speed of reaction, what is compared is victory through system-of-systems superiority, and the key is to achieve detecting the enemy first, deciding first, and striking first (先敌发现、先敌决策、先敌打击)." The unit's leadership stated that in recent years they have anchored on the objective of "combat readiness at all times, capable of fighting at any moment (全时待战、随时能战)," continuously deepening combat-realistic training and joint combat training, and through such measures as refining aircraft sortie procedures and conducting complex special-situation response training, have forged personnel's rapid-reaction and coordinated operational capabilities, with the unit's level of combat preparedness steadily improving.