On August 9, the "2026 China AI Gala" was broadcast on China Media Group's integrated channel. At the gala, an independent musician remarked while discussing his creative process: "With AI, I alone am a team!" As AI is applied ever more broadly, similar situations have emerged not only in the field of music creation but also in the military domain. At present, the form of modern warfare is undergoing profound change, with the trends toward smaller, leaner, and more composite (复合化) combat units growing increasingly pronounced. Complex tasks that once required the coordination of multiple services, branches, and specialties can now be accomplished independently by smaller combat units, supported by intelligentized (智能化) systems. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to reexamine the value positioning, capability boundaries, and functional mechanisms of the individual, so as to continuously drive improvements in the quality and efficiency of combat power generation.
The composite restructuring of individual capabilities is an inevitable requirement of the evolution of modern warfare's form. Every leap in the form of warfare has been accompanied by a profound adjustment in the capability structure of combat units. The cold-weapons era prized proficiency with bow and horse; the early days of firearms pursued marksmanship; the age of mechanized warfare emphasized professional specialization. Now, entering the era of informatized and intelligentized (信息化智能化) warfare, the battlefield space has expanded across multiple dimensions, the tempo of operations has accelerated sharply, and the confrontation situation changes in an instant—placing unprecedented composite demands on the capability and quality of individual combatants. The individual's capability structure must shift from "single-domain specialization" to "multi-domain composite" in order to meet the operational requirements of modern warfare. Driving the composite restructuring of individual capabilities can build a capability-cultivation system of "one specialty with multiple competencies, multiple specialties integrated as one" (一专多能、多专一体). On one hand, operational tasks must serve as the driver to redefine individual capability standards, incorporating cross-domain and cross-specialty capability requirements into training syllabi, and propelling individuals to transform from masters of a single skill into integrators of multi-domain capabilities. On the other hand, capability assessment mechanisms must be improved by establishing quantitative standards and evaluation systems for composite capabilities—using assessment to drive development and examination to drive training—guiding officers and soldiers to consciously expand their capability boundaries and achieve a comprehensive elevation of individual capability and quality.
The enhancement of individual decision-making autonomy is a key variable in releasing the operational effectiveness of system-of-systems warfare (体系作战). System-of-systems warfare is the dominant operational form at present and for some time to come; it pursues a high degree of information sharing and the organic integration of forces to achieve an overall multiplication of operational effectiveness. It should be noted that, although "system of systems" emphasizes wholeness and coordination, it is an organic whole composed of countless specific individual combatants and combat units. The individual, as the terminal node of the system, directly determines the release of system-of-systems operational effectiveness through the level of his autonomy and initiative. Individuals capable of making sound and effective autonomous decisions can respond flexibly under complex situations, keeping the system in a state of efficient operation at all times. In this sense, enhancing individual decision-making autonomy is not a weakening of the system but a strengthening of it; not a departure from the system but an amplification of operational effectiveness. To enhance individual decision-making autonomy, frontline individuals can be granted greater decision-making authority and freedom of action, enabling them to handle all manner of situations flexibly based on battlefield realities within the framework of overall intent. At the same time, complex and variable tactical scenarios should be set to temper individuals' capacity for independent judgment and autonomous action, realizing an operational pattern of "planning at the top, deciding at the terminal node" (谋在顶层、断在末端).
The deep coupling of the individual and the system is an important pathway for combat power generation. "One person is a team" does not mean the individual can exist apart from the team, nor does it mean replacing the team with the individual. Rather, it emphasizes that the individual, as a "miniature version" of the system, should carry the team's functions, possess the team's capabilities, and fulfill the team's role. This concept stresses that the relationship between the individual and the system is not a simple relationship of subordination, but a dialectical unity of mutual empowerment and resonance at the same frequency (双向赋能、同频共振). In the ideal state, when the individual is strong, the system is strong; when the system excels, the individual excels. Therefore, only by achieving deep coupling between the individual and the system can the overall effectiveness of "1+1>2" be truly realized, driving the mode of combat power generation to transform from the stacking of elements to the fusion of systems. To drive deep coupling between the individual and the system, the system's capability requirements can be decomposed and refined into individual capability standards, ensuring that individual capability development is always benchmarked against system requirements and serves system development, avoiding a disconnect or misalignment between individual capabilities and system requirements. At the same time, the interface mechanisms between the individual and the system should be improved by establishing standardized capability interfaces and interaction norms, truly making every individual combatant a strong node of system combat power, and making the entire operational system stronger because each individual within it is stronger.