Modernization Political Work

Writing Papers on the Training Ground: A Certain Center of the Information Support Force Guides Scientific Research Personnel to Conduct Research for War

把论文写在演兵场，信息支援部队某中心引导科研人员为战而研

PLA Daily (解放军报) 18 May 2026

Summary

A center of the PLA Information Support Force, identified only by type, has restructured its scientific research evaluation system to weight applied research by performance in troop exercises rather than by publications, after its Party committee diagnosed a persistent disconnect between certified technical results and field utility. The article documents a known institutional problem in PLA defense research—the 'two separate skins' gap between laboratory outputs and operational requirements—and records one unit's attempt to close it through tiered evaluation criteria and mandatory field embeds for research personnel. The specific mention of a classified evaluation system with a protected 'silent cultivation period' for basic research raises the question of how the Information Support Force is balancing long-horizon capability development against near-term combat readiness pressure.

Translation

A Certain Center of the Information Support Force Guides Scientific Research Personnel to Conduct Research for War——

Papers Written on the Training Ground, Results Serving Combat Effectiveness

■ Ma Jing, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Zhang Qinlin

On the training ground, a certain type of main combat equipment emits a tremendous roar as multiple sergeants fix their eyes on the equipment's operational data. In a tent not far away, scientific research personnel from a certain center of the Information Support Force rapidly revise technical plans against the parameters just collected. This is a welcome change brought about by the center's Party committee establishing the orientation of conducting research for war.

For a period of time, the center faced the predicament of scientific research and actual combat being "two separate skins" (两张皮): results certified as "technically advanced" proved to be "ill-suited to local conditions" when brought to exercise and training grounds; paper models were ingeniously designed yet failed to resolve the urgent, difficult, and pressing concerns of the troops. "The roots of military scientific research lie on the battlefield; research divorced from actual combat is a castle in the air." These words from the center's leadership caused scientific research personnel who had fallen into error to suddenly awaken.

Breaking the deadlock began from the depths of thought. The center's Party committee leadership went separately down to the grassroots, guiding Party organizations at all levels to turn organizational life sessions (组织生活会) into "sessions for exposing shortcomings" (揭短会), unifying thinking and understanding together with officers and soldiers through reflection and analysis. Senior Engineer Shi Feng took the lead in self-examination: "Can the information systems we develop truly withstand the test of the future battlefield?" This pointed rhetorical question provoked deep reflection among all: Does the selection of research topics conform to battlefield requirements? Does the research process closely follow actual combat? Do scientific research results help enhance combat effectiveness?

With ideological confusion cleared away, reform followed immediately. The center's Party committee broke the traditional evaluation model of "emphasizing papers, slighting actual combat" and established a classified and tiered scientific research evaluation system: for basic research with long cycles and slow results, a "silent cultivation period" (静默培育期) was scientifically established to relieve pressure and loosen constraints on research personnel devoted to their work; for applied research closely aligned with actual combat, the actual effectiveness in troop exercises and training was used as the key evaluation indicator, ensuring that research topics precisely interface with the difficulties troops face in preparing for and fighting wars.

The reform of the system activated a "pool of spring water" (一池春水) of scientific research and innovation. A certain research team from the center proactively went down to the training frontline to find research topics, and through collecting and analyzing first-hand data, precisely identified design defects in a certain type of equipment and formulated targeted process improvement plans, effectively reducing the failure rate.

Today, the center's scientific research personnel consciously write their papers on the training ground and have successively achieved a number of scientific research results originating from the troops and focused on winning. "We must further establish the clear orientation of conducting research for war, so that every unit of investment and every output of military scientific research can serve the combat effectiveness of the troops," said the center's leadership.

Original Chinese

信息支援部队某中心引导科研人员为战而研—— 论文写在演兵场成果服务战斗力 ■马璟解放军报特约记者张勤琳训练场上，某型主战装备发出巨大的轰鸣声，多名军士正紧盯装备运行数据。不远处的帐篷里，信息支援部队某中心科研人员对照刚采集到的参数，快速修改技术方案。这是该中心党委树立为战而研导向带来的可喜变化。过去一段时间，该中心面临科研与实战“两张皮”的困境：成果鉴定标注“技术先进”，拿到演训场上却“水土不服”；论文模型设计精巧，却解决不了部队的急难愁盼。“军事科研的根在战场，脱离实战的研究就是空中楼阁。”该中心领导的一番话，让一度陷入误区的科研人员幡然醒悟。破局，从思想深处开始。该中心党委领导分头深入基层，引导各级党组织把组织生活会开成“揭短会”，和官兵一起在反思辨析中统一思想认识。高级工程师师峰率先自我剖析：“我们研发的信息系统，真的能通过未来战场检验吗？”一句直击要害的反问，引发大家深刻反思：课题立项是否符合战场需求？研究过程是否紧贴实战？科研成果是否有助于提升战斗力？廓清思想迷雾，变革紧随其后。该中心党委打破“重论文、轻实战”的传统评价模式，建立分类分层的科研评价体系：对周期长、见效慢的基础研究，科学设立“静默培育期”，给潜心钻研的科研人员减压松绑；对紧贴实战的应用研究，以部队演训实效作为关键评价指标，确保课题研究精准对接部队备战打仗难题。制度的变革，激活科研创新“一池春水”。该中心某科研团队主动沉到训练一线找课题，通过采集分析一手数据，精准定位某型装备设计缺陷，并针对性制订工艺改进方案，有效降低了故障率。如今，该中心科研人员自觉把论文写在演兵场上，先后取得一批源自部队、聚焦打赢的科研成果。“我们要进一步立起为战而研鲜明导向，让军事科研的每一分投入、每一项产出，都能服务部队战斗力。”该中心领导说。