An Air Force Unit Breaks Inertial Thinking to Innovate Combat Mode
An Air Force Unit Breaks Inertial Thinking to Innovate Combat Mode—— From "Primary-Reserve Distinction" to "First to Arrive, First to Strike"
■ Li Yixuan, PLA Daily Reporter Li Youzhi, Special Correspondent Xu Qiushi
Unit officers and soldiers move rapidly during training. Photo by Zhong Jiacheng
In early summer, deep in the southern interior, a full-element simulated confrontation exercise unfolded under cover of darkness. On the ground, several launch vehicles from an Air Force unit conducted concealed movement toward designated areas; in the air, a "enemy" aircraft formation played by a neighboring unit flew in formation.
"Disperse and maneuver, seize the pre-designated positions!" The moment the order was issued, the "Number One" primary group and the "Number Two" reserve group deployed simultaneously. Using the cover of darkness, the "Number Two" group successfully evaded "enemy" reconnaissance and arrived at the operational area 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The "Number Two" group then transitioned from "reserve" to "primary," rapidly completed equipment setup and communications linkage, and prepared for fire strike.
"Whichever group arrives first, that group strikes first—this is the new combat mode we are implementing." The unit's leadership told reporters that in the past, influenced by the traditional combat mode of "Number One leads the attack, Number Two fills in," some reserve group officers and soldiers developed a "reserve mentality" (备份思维), which weakened their training motivation and left them with insufficient drive to forge real combat skills. To break the officers' and soldiers' habitual thinking of "primary-reserve distinction" (主备有别), the unit regularly conducts realistic confrontation training together with neighboring units, assigns completely identical missions to both the "Number One" and "Number Two" groups, and sets up multiple types of complex special situations on an ad hoc basis, guiding officers and soldiers to comprehensively strengthen the combatant mindset (战斗员思想) and real-combat skills.
As daylight grew, multiple waves of "enemy" aircraft bore down on a key defensive position. Several kilometers from the "Number Two" group's launch position, radar operator Gao Teng fixed his eyes on the screen, providing target information to the command-and-control shelter. Suddenly, the "enemy" released intense electromagnetic jamming, cutting off the unit's own air situation picture. The commander immediately ordered: "Bring in the neighboring unit's air situation!" Gao Teng and his comrades, drawing on experience accumulated through daily training, skillfully connected to the pre-established coordination network and synchronized real-time data shared by higher-echelon early warning networks and neighboring units to the unit's own information terminals.
Inside the command-and-control shelter, the commander comprehensively compared the launch conditions and readiness states of each combat element, then issued the launch order to the "Number Two" group, which had completed combat preparations first. Group members acted on the order, rapidly launched a strike, and the "enemy" aircraft were precisely intercepted.
From "primary-reserve distinction" to "first to arrive, first to strike"—this flexible and efficient combat mode enabled the unit's officers and soldiers to calmly seize a fleeting launch window even under the predicament of their own radar failure and loss of the air situation picture.
"Air-ground confrontation is a race against every second. Only by making each combat element a flexible node capable of independent operations can we truly achieve adaptability and preemptive action (先发制人)." The unit's leadership told reporters that in recent years they have broken the traditional air defense combat thinking mode of "relying on organic assets to acquire the air situation and waiting for overall deployment before launching," and have built a combat network with full-domain coverage and multi-source linkage. At the same time, the unit has conducted quantitative assessments of the core capabilities of each combat element, formulated supplementary training plans targeting weak points and shortfalls, and ensured that each element possesses the combat capability to "enter the network and fight immediately, arrive and be ready to strike" (入网即战、到位能打).
In a recent joint-service live-force exercise, multiple launch vehicles from the unit's participating detachment were dispersed across different areas; officers and soldiers rapidly deployed and conducted echeloned interception in accordance with the principle of "first in position, first to strike; first to lock on, first to intercept," successfully "destroying" multiple waves of targets.
"In recent years, we have continuously driven the force's transformation from 'fixed-position defense' to 'mobile networked strike' (机动组网打), effectively improving officers' and soldiers' emergency response and combat readiness capabilities." The unit's leadership introduced that they will keep their eyes fixed on real-combat requirements, continue to explore new tactics and methods (新战法) suited to joint operations, and further forge the force's all-time, all-domain system-of-systems combat capability (全时全域体系作战能力).
There Are No Absolute Reserves on the Battlefield
■ Yang Yue
On the competitive fields of football, basketball, and other sports, the starting players on the field are the undisputed core, but the role of substitutes on the bench must not be overlooked. There are countless examples of substitute players scoring decisive goals at critical moments. What is true on the playing field is equally true on the battlefield. As long as one's skills are solid and one is adept at seizing the opportunity for battle, any combat force can deliver a decisive blow on the battlefield.
Modern warfare has entered the "counting seconds" era; the combat mode of "share upon detection, destroy upon discovery" (侦获即共享、发现即摧毁) continues to develop, demanding that every officer and soldier hone their professional skills and reaction speed to the utmost, so that no single link delays the overall coordination. Whoever arrives at the position first gains the right to open fire. The "first to arrive, first to strike" combat mode proposed by this Air Force unit not only changes the past clear-cut division between primary and reserve roles, but also enables officers and soldiers to break out of their mental constraints and deeply recognize that every combat element is an important node in the system.
There are no absolute reserves on the battlefield. This report on the Air Force unit enlightens us that in peacetime training, whether primary or reserve, all must actively integrate into the system chain (体系链条), strengthen the combatant mindset, and forge the skills of the combat team, making full preparations to win future wars under complex conditions.
"Reserve Forces" Can Also Fight "Brilliant Battles"
■ Staff Sergeant Second Class, an Air Force Unit, Du Wentao
I remember when I first joined the "Number Two" group, comrades generally believed that the "Number One" group was the "main force" ready to charge, while the "Number Two" group was the "reserve force" on standby at all times. As a result, our main task in daily training was to practice basic operations and ensure we played the role of "reserve players" well during exercises.
In recent years, as realistic combat training has been deepened across the force, during one live-force confrontation exercise, a sudden exercise control directive came from higher command: the "Number One" group had been entirely "killed in action"—the "Number Two" group was to take over and strike! Thrown into action without preparation, I—having trained for a long time with a "reserve mentality"—was momentarily flustered. As a result, we failed to effectively counter the "enemy" jamming and even lost the target signal. This defeat made me deeply realize: clinging to a supporting-role mentality will absolutely make it impossible to achieve victory on a rapidly changing battlefield.
After the unit implemented the "first to arrive, first to strike" combat mode, we trained alongside the "Number One" group in the same venue and studied the same problems, jointly exploring operational techniques. Some comrades asked me whether shedding the reserve label and forging real-combat skills had taken a great deal of effort. I smiled and nodded. Making up for past deficiencies requires day-after-day grinding. On the training ground, our group repeatedly rehearsed combat procedures, striving to strengthen and refine every link—position setup, communications linkage, and more.
Effort pays off for those who persevere. In a recent live-force confrontation exercise, facing a multi-wave "enemy" aircraft assault, my group comrades and I conducted concealed movement, arrived at the pre-designated position ahead of the "Number One" group, completed launch preparations first, and precisely intercepted the targets.
"Reserve forces" can also fight "brilliant battles." As we efficiently completed mission after mission, my comrades and I became firmly convinced: on the battlefield, no one is born a "main force," and no one is forever a "reserve force." Situated within the grand chess game of system-of-systems operations (体系作战), we can only become qualified combatants—ensuring we are ready to fight at any time and that when we are called upon, we will certainly win—by abandoning the "reserve mentality" and proactively building our strength.
(Compiled by Ren Jie)