Exercises Modernization

An Air Force Brigade Uses Scientific and Technological Means to Solve Training Problems

空军某旅运用科技手段破解训练难题

PLA Daily (解放军报) 28 May 2026

Summary

An unidentified Air Force brigade at an East China airfield developed and fielded an 'Aircraft Landing Glide Path Monitoring System,' built by information support staff officers Xu Qi and Xiao Jinchi, that embeds real-time glide path tracking and voice warnings into the brigade's existing air combat integrated training system to address low-visibility landing risk. The article documents a recurring PLA Air Force problem — inadequate instrument landing infrastructure at unit level forcing reliance on controller judgment under degraded conditions — and records how one brigade resolved it through internal development rather than top-down procurement. The broader 'digital-intelligent matrix' framing, encompassing 10 systems across 6 categories, extends a documented pattern of PLAAF tactical units building bespoke C2 and training support tools organically, raising the question of how widely such locally developed capabilities are standardized across the force.

Translation

An Air Force Brigade Uses Scientific and Technological Means to Solve Training Problems——

"Data Eyes" Watch Over the Combat Eagles' Safe Return to Roost

■ Yan Haoyu, PLA Daily Reporter Li Jianwen

In early summer, rain and fog blanketed an airfield in East China. After completing a training mission, a fighter aircraft from an Air Force brigade returned to the airfield and began an instrument landing approach. Descending glide, flare, touchdown, drag chute deployment… On the integrated display screen in the tower command hall, a light point representing the aircraft moved steadily along a green trajectory, with all flight parameters updating in real time. The instant the aircraft touched down, the integrated display screen immediately switched to the airfield surveillance feed, showing the aircraft's taxi position in real time.

The tower controller told the reporter that, thanks to the "Aircraft Landing Glide Path Monitoring System" independently developed by the brigade's officers and soldiers, aircraft landings have become safer and more efficient. "This system features high positioning accuracy and fast data transmission, and can significantly improve the safety margin for aircraft landing under low-visibility conditions," the controller said, adding that the idea for developing the system originated from a harrowing experience.

During a flight training exercise the previous year, heavy fog reduced visibility near the airfield to an extremely low level. As a fighter aircraft returned to the field, the light point representing it on the tower's approach radar screen drifted erratically. The controller was unable to assess the aircraft's glide state, and everyone's heart leapt to their throats in an instant. Although the aircraft ultimately landed safely, the officers and soldiers began to ponder a question: under low-visibility conditions, how can landing control be made precise and reliable?

At the after-action review seminar, Xu Qi and Xiao Jinchi, staff officers of the brigade's information support section, proposed: "Could we give the existing air combat integrated training system a pair of 'eyes'?" The two further explained to those present that the air combat integrated training system is primarily used for air combat confrontation assessment; if its data collection and processing capabilities were extended to landing guidance, it could precisely monitor the blind-landing process and improve landing efficiency under complex conditions.

"Anything that benefits combat capability building must be actively attempted and boldly explored." The proposal put forward by Xu Qi and Xiao Jinchi received strong support from the brigade's Party committee.

They got to work immediately. Xu Qi and Xiao Jinchi started from the most fundamental data links and worked to overcome two major technical challenges: first, how to compute the aircraft's precise position in real time from large volumes of data; and second, how to ensure that the warning model neither missed genuine hazards nor generated false alarms.

To ensure the accuracy of the safety thresholds, Xu Qi and Xiao Jinchi collected large amounts of aircraft landing data and analyzed and modeled each case individually. "At night lying in bed, I would close my eyes and still see the aircraft's glide curves in my mind," Xu Qi said, noting that during that period he and Xiao Jinchi were practically riveted to the computer room and the tower every day.

After more than a month of intensive effort, the "Aircraft Landing Glide Path Monitoring System" was successfully embedded into the air combat integrated training system. When an aircraft descends on approach, the system monitors flight data against preset curves and safety thresholds and issues timely voice warnings; its playback function also provides strong support for post-flight debriefs.

"Before, low-visibility landings relied mainly on feel and experience; now, with precise data guidance, we have much greater confidence," said the commander of a flight battalion in the brigade. The system has not only become standard equipment during their home-field training but has also attracted many sister units to come and learn from the experience.

"Data eyes" watching over the combat eagles' safe return to roost is a microcosm of the brigade's use of scientific and technological means to improve training quality and effectiveness. The reporter observed at the outer-field entrance hall of the brigade's airfield that the "Smart Tower" (智慧塔台) integrated display screen presented the day's flight plan, real-time meteorological data, training progress, and other information at a glance. According to those present, the "Smart Tower" integrates command, monitoring, instruction, and support functions into a single system, fundamentally transforming the traditional tower's operating mode of "shouting over the phone, urging over the radio, recording with pen and paper."

"The significance of 'digital-intelligent empowerment' (数智赋能) lies not in the technology itself, but in whether it can drive a leap in combat capability," the brigade's leadership told the reporter. In recent years, through independent development or the introduction of innovations, they have formed a "digital-intelligent matrix" (数智矩阵) comprising 10 systems across 6 major categories. The deep embedding of digital-intelligent technology has driven the improvement of warfighting capability onto an accelerated track.

Original Chinese

空军某旅运用科技手段破解训练难题—— “数据眼”看护战鹰安全归巢 ■严浩誉解放军报记者李建文初夏，华东某机场雨雾弥漫。空军某旅一架战机完成训练后返回机场，开始进行盲降。下滑、拉平、接地、放出减速伞……塔台指挥大厅内的一体化显示屏上，一个代表这架战机的光点沿着绿色轨迹平稳移动，各项飞行参数实时更新。战机触地瞬间，一体化显示屏立即切换至机场监控画面，实时显示战机滑行位置。塔台指挥员告诉记者，得益于该旅官兵自主研发的“飞机着陆下滑轨迹监控系统”，战机着陆更加安全高效。“这套系统具有定位精度高、数据传输快等特点，能够大幅提升战机在低能见度条件下降落的安全系数。”这位指挥员说，研发这套系统的想法，源于一次惊心动魄的经历。去年的一次飞行训练中，大雾天气导致机场附近能见度极低，一架战机返场时，塔台的进场雷达屏幕上，代表战机的光点轨迹飘忽不定。指挥员难以判断战机下滑状态，大家的心瞬间提到嗓子眼。虽然战机最终安全着陆，但官兵开始思考一个问题：低能见度条件下，如何确保着陆指挥精准可靠？复盘研讨会上，该旅信息保障科参谋徐琪和肖锦驰提出：“能不能给现有的空战综合训练系统装上一双‘眼睛’？”他俩向与会人员进一步解释说，空战综合训练系统主要用于空战对抗评估，如果将其数据采集与处理能力延伸至着陆引导，就能精准监控战机盲降过程，提升战机复杂情况下的着陆效率。 “凡是有利于战斗力建设的事，都要主动尝试、大胆探索。”徐琪和肖锦驰提出的设想得到该旅党委大力支持。说干就干。徐琪和肖锦驰从最基础的数据链路开始“啃”，努力攻克两大技术难题：一是如何通过大量数据实时解算战机的准确位置；二是如何确保告警模型既不漏报险情，也不虚报险情。为确保安全阈值的准确性，徐琪和肖锦驰搜集了战机大量着陆数据，逐一分析、建模。“晚上躺在床上，我闭上眼睛脑子里都是战机的下滑曲线。”徐琪说，那段时间他和肖锦驰几乎天天“铆”在机房和塔台。经过一个多月鏖战，“飞机着陆下滑轨迹监控系统”成功嵌入空战综合训练系统。当战机降落下滑时，该系统能基于预设曲线与安全阈值监控战机飞行数据，并及时进行语音告警，其回放功能还能为飞行讲评提供有力支撑。 “以前低能见度着陆主要凭感觉、靠经验，现在有了精准数据引导，我们的底气更足了。”该旅某飞行大队大队长说，这套系统不仅成为他们在本场训练时的“标配”，还吸引了许多兄弟部队前来取经借鉴。 “数据眼”看护战鹰安全归巢，是该旅运用科技手段提升训练质效的一个缩影。记者在该旅机场外场门厅看到，“智慧塔台”综合显示屏上，当日飞行计划、实时气象、训练进度等信息一目了然。据介绍，“智慧塔台”将指挥、监控、教学、保障等功能融为一体，彻底改变了传统塔台“电话喊、对讲机催、纸笔记”的运行模式。 “‘数智赋能’的意义不在于技术本身，而在于能否推动战斗力跃升。”该旅领导对记者说，近年来，他们通过自主研发或引进创新，形成了包括6大类10个系统的“数智矩阵”，数智技术的深度嵌入，推动打赢能力提升驶入快车道。