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Core Military Capability of Chinas Air Force
Posted on 06 June 2010
June.05 (released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Guo Hongbo) The Chinese Air Force has demonstrated continued improvements in military capabilities in many crucial operations, military and non-military, including field combat drills. Sino-Russian military exercises, security maintenance for the Beijing Olympics and relief work for the Sichuan earthquake. The Air Force has achieved significant improvements in air offense, long-range precision strikes, air-defense and anti-missile capabilities, strategic air delivery, airborne operations, rapid response, joint operations, command and comprehensive support.
Air Offense
Scene One: On the night of Feb. 25, 2006, a dozen fighters flashed through the dark, heavily overcast sky in east China. They were conducting a beyond-visual-range (BVR) offense and defense drill in complicated weather conditions.
Thickening clouds and bursts of electromagnetic interference brought challenges and danger. The pilots were in intensive combat. They would fly until the last missile was fired and return to battle the moment tanks were refilled and weapons reloaded.
All the fighters landed smoothly without lights as the four-hour exercise ended at 11:30 p.m.
Scene Two: In late July 2008. more than 10 Air Force regiments and brigades, including air defense and electronic counter-measure forces, gathered in northwest China. The countrys largest comprehensive exercise was launched over tens of thousands of square kilometers to test airborne early warning, air defense and interception and counter-measure capabilities. New-generation fighters, surface-to-air missiles, information transmitters and field command shelters all converged from across China to form a comprehensive joint combat system that attacked and defended against an enemy force under intense electromagnetic interference.
Scene Three: In a military exercise in the South China Sea on June 15. 2009. the air force simulated offensive and defensive operations on the high seas under intense and complicated electromagnetic interference. Fighters, bombers and refueling aircraft took part. Behind them was a network of land and ship command centers ensuring command, communication and full group radar coverage.
The missions of combat air patrol, full-scale confrontation, redeployment and airdrops included more than 100 aircraft from around China.
Analysis: The Air Force has engaged in tactical exercises in complicated conditions, from single dimension to systematic and comprehensive, from single factor to intense electromagnetic environments, from short sea offensive drills to high seas patrols, focusing on the coordination of various branches and aircraft. The air force has been strengthening the role of simulation and networks in training. A new modern air force system has taken shape on the basis of third-generation fighters, bombers, early-warning, refueling and scout aircraft. The Air Forces offensive capability has made a great advance to an information-oriented, all weather, all-terrain, extended-range, and comprehensive combat system.
Precision strikes
Scene One: On June 19, 2008, two fighter squads, based hundreds of kilometers apart, took off for a long-range precision strike exercise without prior notice. They were to gather at a designated rendezvous and destroy mobile ground targets hidden in the mountains. As magnetic interference disrupted communications, the pilots had to identify and attack multiple random targets by sight. They reported all targets destroyed within minutes.
Scene Two: In late August 2008, a regiment of bombers flew straight to a target area at sea from thousands of miles away, crossing three military area commands and landing at two unfamiliar airports en route. The pilots prepared for the strike before reaching the area. The enemy ships were instantly destroyed in a missile attack.
Analysis: Long-range precision strike is a core combat capability of a modern air force. It is a combination of air refueling, stealth technology and precision-guided munitions. Chinas Air Force has been improving its long-range precision strike capability by developing new equipment and improving training to guarantee advantage in local wars in the information era.
Air Defense and Anti-missile Capabilities
Scene One: In late autumn of 2000, a piercing alarm broke the peace of Bohai Bay. It announced the beginning of a joint exercise of the surface-to-air missile force and the air force. At 2:53 p.m., the enemy took the first move. Two flying objects flashed above the sea. The intruding targets were immediately destroyed. Then missiles brought down all the enemy aircraft.
Scene Two: In midsummer 2006, in the Gobi Desert, a military exercise under complicated electromagnetic conditions was underway. An anti-aircraft artillery regiment had just arrived from thousands of miles away. As they deployed, a missile several meters above the ground flashed toward them at hundreds of meters per second. The missile came into range and was immediately detonated in a hail of artillery fire.
Scene Three: In August 2006, a surface-to-air missile regiment moved day and night to the Bohai Sea for live-fire target practice. Under intense electromagnetic interference, they hit five moving targets simultaneously with eight missiles.
Analysis: The Air Force has many achievements: the first hit with a surface-to-air missile; the bringing down of a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft; and launching a high-altitude unmanned jet aircraft. However, the advances in air offense keep challenging our antiaircraft defense capabilities. The Air Force has striven to meet the challenges: from anti-aircraft to anti-missile and even space defense. Todays Air Force is striding toward long-range air attack, all-dimension defense and multifunctional anti-missile and space defense.
Strategic Air Delivery
Scene One: In the summer of 2007, the Chinese-Russian military exercise, Peace Mission 2007, was set to go in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
At 8:30 a.m. on July 31, the first IL-76 took off from an airport in central Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, marking the launch of Chinas air deployment. The exercise was the first large-scale, multi-force, long-range, cross-border operation of Chinas air force. In four hours, after detouring around the Far East, the first echelon of Chinas air force reached the exercise area.
Scene Two: At 2:15 p.m. on May 14 last year, 12 large transport aircraft took off from Nanyuan Airport in Beijing and airbases in Hubei and Shaanxi Province. They carried 50 medical teams of 1,500 doctors and 100 tonnes of goods.
The previous day, 32 transports had carried 6,800 personnel and 74 tonnes of goods to quake-stricken Sichuan Province in extremely bad weather, setting a China record for the number of aircraft mobilized in difficult conditions and time in the air.
During the relief work. 60 transport aircraft and helicopters from 16 aviation units, delivered 15,000 people and 3,000 tonnes of goods.
Analysis: Strategic delivery is a core capability of a modern air force. The Chinese Air Force is able to rapidly transport personnel, goods and combat units long distances and over large areas. The mobilization of tens of thousands of people from all corners of the country showed the Air Forces delivery capability had taken shape with considerable scale and well-designed structure.
Airborne Operations
Scene One: From October 2003 till August 2004, Chinas airborne troops completed 57 consecutive high-strength combat training programs in the harshest areas of 20 counties of three provinces in central, south and northeast China.
Scene Two: Deep in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, military officers from dozens of countries watched North Sword 2005. After fighters opened a landing area in a sustained offense, large transport aircraft dropped items by parachutes in various colors and sizes, some large for heavy equipment, some with propulsion equipment. The troops landed successfully though the wind speed was 7 meters a second on the ground and 8.9 meters a second in the air. After landing, the soldiers immediately gathered with the vehicle direction search systems and formed deep strike, comprehensive strike and fire assault teams. With the support of special forces, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and comprehensive support groups, the three teams started their operations.
Scene Three: On May 14, 2008, Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, was cut off from the outside world by the earthquake two days before. With no land support, weather information or landmark guidance, 15 airborne soldiers parachuted from 4,999 meters up through gaps in the clouds. They landed unharmed and sent out information about the area, helping to bring support and care.
Analysis: Airborne forces boast many distinctive advantages. They are multifunctional and unrestrained by geography. As security concerns have multiplied, the Air Force has adopted the development strategy of building mechanized airborne troops and modularized force systems in which airborne troops are a key assault force to be used at crucial and decisive moments. The airborne troops are growing into a strategically decisive force that can effectively contain crises and turn the tide in battle with rapid response, extended range and vertical attack capabilities.
Rapid Response
Scene One: On June 2000, an ultra-light aircraft illegally flew into Chinas air space. The Air Force sent two fighters to intercept it. The intruder tried to flee using his advantages of low speed and extremely low altitude in a mountainous area. However, the fighter pilots showed outstanding flying skills and forced the aircraft to land by a fish pond.
Scene Two: Immediately after the May 12 earthquake of 2008, the Chinese Air Force adopted an emergency response mechanism. The first IL-76 transport plane took off one hour and 26 minutes after the quake, 46 minutes after receiving the order. Just two hours and 25 minutes after the quake. Premier Wen Jiabao took off in his special aircraft from Beijing. At 8 p.m., two large transports loaded with relief goods roared into the sky. Meanwhile, transporters, helicopters, scout and survey aircraft based across China headed to the quake zone. The first airborne troops landed 19 hours after the quake.
Analysis: Emergencies and air incidents are the tests of quick response capability in peacetime. I still recall ultra-light planes landing in Red Square in Moscow and flying over the White House. However, in China, the intruding ultra-light aircraft was immediately identified and forced to land. It was convincing evidence of the rapid response capability of the Air Force, which also performed outstandingly in natural disasters. Its rapid response capability has been proved by its prompt actions in emergency rescues and superb performance in military training.
Joint Operations
Scene One: In early 2000, a division of the Air Force took the lead in breaking barriers between different branches of Chinas armed forces. It worked with the army and navy to build a cooperative tactical training area that integrated armored vehicles, anti-aircraft artillery, combat vessels, radar systems, missiles and air forces, paving way for an unprecedented joint combat exercise.
Scene Two: In October 2005, an army-air force joint exercise with modern information support was launched on a field training base. Fully loaded combat vehicles and personnel entered the assault area with helicopters hovering above. Ground-fire assault groups, equipped with remote information management systems, showered targets with fire as the joint assault was in full swing.
Scene Three: In February 2006, an army-air force joint exercise began deep in a mountain forest.
An Air Force command center, with authorization from the joint command base, took command of air and army forces to strike enemy anti-craft missile teams that were blocking the landing area.
Guided by army reconnaissance troops, fighters bombarded enemy targets and surface-to-air missile units opened fire. Army anti-aircraft artillery units struck the invading aircraft. Army and Air Force commanders gave coordinated orders from a single command base. Radar troops and air reconnaissance aircraft became the eyes of tank groups on land, and scouts guided bombers.
Covered by fighters, more than 10 transport helicopters brought airborne troops to the temporary landing spot. Command, light off-road, fire assault and anti-tank vehicles were deployed and heavily armed mechanized troops slid down ropes from the helicopters.
Analysis: It is widely accepted in the field of military research that joint operations will be essential in future warfare. The Air Force will become a partner of the Army and Navy and play an equally important role in the battlefield.
Decision-Making and Command
Scene One: When the catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008, Chinas Air Force carried out its duties. In Chengdu Military Area Commands air force command base, two giant screens carried information of all airports and aircraft in the area. More than 420 officers huddled in the command base, aviation management centers and airports, giving orders to rescuers.
On the day of the quake, more than 200 military and civil transport aircraft and helicopters gathered in the stricken area. Civil flights were cut from 500 to 200 with more than 100 flights diverted for quake relief. Within four days, military aircraft had flown 605 rescue and relief missions, 400 sorties a day at the peak. It was an unprecedented challenge with so many aircraft and complicated geological and meteorological conditions. The relief headquarters coordinated command, and opened all airports and military airspace, creating four special lines for relief work.
Scene Two: In August 2008, guarding the airspace over northeast, north, east, and south China was a vital part of security for the Olympic Games. The zone covered more than 1 million square kilometers and about 100 Olympic venues. It was Chinas largest air security patrol to date.
To ensure the safety of the Olympic Games, the Air Force streamlined its command structure so that all forces from the military area command level to basic fire units were all under direct command of the special headquarters. The Air Force began intensive continuous air patrols in the 42 hours before and after the opening ceremony. During the games, more than 100,000 Air Force personnel remained on high alert.
Analysis: Decision-making and command is vital to military operations. The modern military organization is a complicated system. Commanders need technological, human and theoretical support. The decision-making and command capabilities of Chinese Air Force commanders and staff officers have made rapid progress. Great achievements have been made in the information construction of the air force, which facilitates smooth command and control.
Comprehensive Support
Scene One: The Chinese Air Force has accelerated the building of comprehensive support bases for aircraft. An exercise was held to test the comprehensive support capability for multiple types of aircraft in combat. It tested support functions, airport repair, refueling, transport of heavy
equipment and logistics communications and command.
Scene Two: In late autumn 2007, the Air Force conducted an exercise of urgent military support in a simulated air attack, focusing on airport repair and building field fuel depots.
At 11:10 a.m., enemy aircraft bombarded the airbase. Emergency evacuation. The command center sent orders to the computer terminals of emergency teams. Vehicles and personnel took cover in the shelters. Unable to identify a valid target, the enemy aircraft fired on a fake target set up by a camouflage team.
Immediate repair for the damaged runway. With the order was an image of a 2-meter-deep crater 8 meters wide on the visual system in the command center. An excavator, loader, roller and engineering vehicles rushed to the site, removing the debris and refilled the hole with a dense mixture of rocks, cement and concrete.
A fuel depot exploded and the pipeline was broken. A field fuel tank vehicle headed for a shelter and laid a 100-meter-long pipeline in four minutes.
At the same time, a field fuel depot with temporary tanks was being built. A transport vehicle carrying a cube-shaped container was laying fuel pipes and within three minutes it completed a 1,000-meter-long pipeline.
Fixed aircraft arrest system destroyed, deploy mobile aircraft arrest system, the command center ordered. Two mobile systems, carried on two trucks, were rushed to the end of the runway and the five nets were installed in under 50 minutes.
Analysis: It is said that amateurs talk about strategy, but experts talk about logistics. High-technology logistics for the Air Force mean much more than the daily support of its personnel. It is a comprehensive support capability that integrates logistics, technology and intelligence. From the performance of the Air Force in complicated exercises, we can tell that it has gradually developed a comprehensive support capability that adapts to the needs of all-terrain mobilization, new weapon development and combat and training missions.
Posted on 06 June 2010
June.05 (released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Guo Hongbo) The Chinese Air Force has demonstrated continued improvements in military capabilities in many crucial operations, military and non-military, including field combat drills. Sino-Russian military exercises, security maintenance for the Beijing Olympics and relief work for the Sichuan earthquake. The Air Force has achieved significant improvements in air offense, long-range precision strikes, air-defense and anti-missile capabilities, strategic air delivery, airborne operations, rapid response, joint operations, command and comprehensive support.
Air Offense
Scene One: On the night of Feb. 25, 2006, a dozen fighters flashed through the dark, heavily overcast sky in east China. They were conducting a beyond-visual-range (BVR) offense and defense drill in complicated weather conditions.
Thickening clouds and bursts of electromagnetic interference brought challenges and danger. The pilots were in intensive combat. They would fly until the last missile was fired and return to battle the moment tanks were refilled and weapons reloaded.
All the fighters landed smoothly without lights as the four-hour exercise ended at 11:30 p.m.
Scene Two: In late July 2008. more than 10 Air Force regiments and brigades, including air defense and electronic counter-measure forces, gathered in northwest China. The countrys largest comprehensive exercise was launched over tens of thousands of square kilometers to test airborne early warning, air defense and interception and counter-measure capabilities. New-generation fighters, surface-to-air missiles, information transmitters and field command shelters all converged from across China to form a comprehensive joint combat system that attacked and defended against an enemy force under intense electromagnetic interference.
Scene Three: In a military exercise in the South China Sea on June 15. 2009. the air force simulated offensive and defensive operations on the high seas under intense and complicated electromagnetic interference. Fighters, bombers and refueling aircraft took part. Behind them was a network of land and ship command centers ensuring command, communication and full group radar coverage.
The missions of combat air patrol, full-scale confrontation, redeployment and airdrops included more than 100 aircraft from around China.
Analysis: The Air Force has engaged in tactical exercises in complicated conditions, from single dimension to systematic and comprehensive, from single factor to intense electromagnetic environments, from short sea offensive drills to high seas patrols, focusing on the coordination of various branches and aircraft. The air force has been strengthening the role of simulation and networks in training. A new modern air force system has taken shape on the basis of third-generation fighters, bombers, early-warning, refueling and scout aircraft. The Air Forces offensive capability has made a great advance to an information-oriented, all weather, all-terrain, extended-range, and comprehensive combat system.
Precision strikes
Scene One: On June 19, 2008, two fighter squads, based hundreds of kilometers apart, took off for a long-range precision strike exercise without prior notice. They were to gather at a designated rendezvous and destroy mobile ground targets hidden in the mountains. As magnetic interference disrupted communications, the pilots had to identify and attack multiple random targets by sight. They reported all targets destroyed within minutes.
Scene Two: In late August 2008, a regiment of bombers flew straight to a target area at sea from thousands of miles away, crossing three military area commands and landing at two unfamiliar airports en route. The pilots prepared for the strike before reaching the area. The enemy ships were instantly destroyed in a missile attack.
Analysis: Long-range precision strike is a core combat capability of a modern air force. It is a combination of air refueling, stealth technology and precision-guided munitions. Chinas Air Force has been improving its long-range precision strike capability by developing new equipment and improving training to guarantee advantage in local wars in the information era.
Air Defense and Anti-missile Capabilities
Scene One: In late autumn of 2000, a piercing alarm broke the peace of Bohai Bay. It announced the beginning of a joint exercise of the surface-to-air missile force and the air force. At 2:53 p.m., the enemy took the first move. Two flying objects flashed above the sea. The intruding targets were immediately destroyed. Then missiles brought down all the enemy aircraft.
Scene Two: In midsummer 2006, in the Gobi Desert, a military exercise under complicated electromagnetic conditions was underway. An anti-aircraft artillery regiment had just arrived from thousands of miles away. As they deployed, a missile several meters above the ground flashed toward them at hundreds of meters per second. The missile came into range and was immediately detonated in a hail of artillery fire.
Scene Three: In August 2006, a surface-to-air missile regiment moved day and night to the Bohai Sea for live-fire target practice. Under intense electromagnetic interference, they hit five moving targets simultaneously with eight missiles.
Analysis: The Air Force has many achievements: the first hit with a surface-to-air missile; the bringing down of a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft; and launching a high-altitude unmanned jet aircraft. However, the advances in air offense keep challenging our antiaircraft defense capabilities. The Air Force has striven to meet the challenges: from anti-aircraft to anti-missile and even space defense. Todays Air Force is striding toward long-range air attack, all-dimension defense and multifunctional anti-missile and space defense.
Strategic Air Delivery
Scene One: In the summer of 2007, the Chinese-Russian military exercise, Peace Mission 2007, was set to go in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
At 8:30 a.m. on July 31, the first IL-76 took off from an airport in central Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, marking the launch of Chinas air deployment. The exercise was the first large-scale, multi-force, long-range, cross-border operation of Chinas air force. In four hours, after detouring around the Far East, the first echelon of Chinas air force reached the exercise area.
Scene Two: At 2:15 p.m. on May 14 last year, 12 large transport aircraft took off from Nanyuan Airport in Beijing and airbases in Hubei and Shaanxi Province. They carried 50 medical teams of 1,500 doctors and 100 tonnes of goods.
The previous day, 32 transports had carried 6,800 personnel and 74 tonnes of goods to quake-stricken Sichuan Province in extremely bad weather, setting a China record for the number of aircraft mobilized in difficult conditions and time in the air.
During the relief work. 60 transport aircraft and helicopters from 16 aviation units, delivered 15,000 people and 3,000 tonnes of goods.
Analysis: Strategic delivery is a core capability of a modern air force. The Chinese Air Force is able to rapidly transport personnel, goods and combat units long distances and over large areas. The mobilization of tens of thousands of people from all corners of the country showed the Air Forces delivery capability had taken shape with considerable scale and well-designed structure.
Airborne Operations
Scene One: From October 2003 till August 2004, Chinas airborne troops completed 57 consecutive high-strength combat training programs in the harshest areas of 20 counties of three provinces in central, south and northeast China.
Scene Two: Deep in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, military officers from dozens of countries watched North Sword 2005. After fighters opened a landing area in a sustained offense, large transport aircraft dropped items by parachutes in various colors and sizes, some large for heavy equipment, some with propulsion equipment. The troops landed successfully though the wind speed was 7 meters a second on the ground and 8.9 meters a second in the air. After landing, the soldiers immediately gathered with the vehicle direction search systems and formed deep strike, comprehensive strike and fire assault teams. With the support of special forces, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and comprehensive support groups, the three teams started their operations.
Scene Three: On May 14, 2008, Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, was cut off from the outside world by the earthquake two days before. With no land support, weather information or landmark guidance, 15 airborne soldiers parachuted from 4,999 meters up through gaps in the clouds. They landed unharmed and sent out information about the area, helping to bring support and care.
Analysis: Airborne forces boast many distinctive advantages. They are multifunctional and unrestrained by geography. As security concerns have multiplied, the Air Force has adopted the development strategy of building mechanized airborne troops and modularized force systems in which airborne troops are a key assault force to be used at crucial and decisive moments. The airborne troops are growing into a strategically decisive force that can effectively contain crises and turn the tide in battle with rapid response, extended range and vertical attack capabilities.
Rapid Response
Scene One: On June 2000, an ultra-light aircraft illegally flew into Chinas air space. The Air Force sent two fighters to intercept it. The intruder tried to flee using his advantages of low speed and extremely low altitude in a mountainous area. However, the fighter pilots showed outstanding flying skills and forced the aircraft to land by a fish pond.
Scene Two: Immediately after the May 12 earthquake of 2008, the Chinese Air Force adopted an emergency response mechanism. The first IL-76 transport plane took off one hour and 26 minutes after the quake, 46 minutes after receiving the order. Just two hours and 25 minutes after the quake. Premier Wen Jiabao took off in his special aircraft from Beijing. At 8 p.m., two large transports loaded with relief goods roared into the sky. Meanwhile, transporters, helicopters, scout and survey aircraft based across China headed to the quake zone. The first airborne troops landed 19 hours after the quake.
Analysis: Emergencies and air incidents are the tests of quick response capability in peacetime. I still recall ultra-light planes landing in Red Square in Moscow and flying over the White House. However, in China, the intruding ultra-light aircraft was immediately identified and forced to land. It was convincing evidence of the rapid response capability of the Air Force, which also performed outstandingly in natural disasters. Its rapid response capability has been proved by its prompt actions in emergency rescues and superb performance in military training.
Joint Operations
Scene One: In early 2000, a division of the Air Force took the lead in breaking barriers between different branches of Chinas armed forces. It worked with the army and navy to build a cooperative tactical training area that integrated armored vehicles, anti-aircraft artillery, combat vessels, radar systems, missiles and air forces, paving way for an unprecedented joint combat exercise.
Scene Two: In October 2005, an army-air force joint exercise with modern information support was launched on a field training base. Fully loaded combat vehicles and personnel entered the assault area with helicopters hovering above. Ground-fire assault groups, equipped with remote information management systems, showered targets with fire as the joint assault was in full swing.
Scene Three: In February 2006, an army-air force joint exercise began deep in a mountain forest.
An Air Force command center, with authorization from the joint command base, took command of air and army forces to strike enemy anti-craft missile teams that were blocking the landing area.
Guided by army reconnaissance troops, fighters bombarded enemy targets and surface-to-air missile units opened fire. Army anti-aircraft artillery units struck the invading aircraft. Army and Air Force commanders gave coordinated orders from a single command base. Radar troops and air reconnaissance aircraft became the eyes of tank groups on land, and scouts guided bombers.
Covered by fighters, more than 10 transport helicopters brought airborne troops to the temporary landing spot. Command, light off-road, fire assault and anti-tank vehicles were deployed and heavily armed mechanized troops slid down ropes from the helicopters.
Analysis: It is widely accepted in the field of military research that joint operations will be essential in future warfare. The Air Force will become a partner of the Army and Navy and play an equally important role in the battlefield.
Decision-Making and Command
Scene One: When the catastrophic earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008, Chinas Air Force carried out its duties. In Chengdu Military Area Commands air force command base, two giant screens carried information of all airports and aircraft in the area. More than 420 officers huddled in the command base, aviation management centers and airports, giving orders to rescuers.
On the day of the quake, more than 200 military and civil transport aircraft and helicopters gathered in the stricken area. Civil flights were cut from 500 to 200 with more than 100 flights diverted for quake relief. Within four days, military aircraft had flown 605 rescue and relief missions, 400 sorties a day at the peak. It was an unprecedented challenge with so many aircraft and complicated geological and meteorological conditions. The relief headquarters coordinated command, and opened all airports and military airspace, creating four special lines for relief work.
Scene Two: In August 2008, guarding the airspace over northeast, north, east, and south China was a vital part of security for the Olympic Games. The zone covered more than 1 million square kilometers and about 100 Olympic venues. It was Chinas largest air security patrol to date.
To ensure the safety of the Olympic Games, the Air Force streamlined its command structure so that all forces from the military area command level to basic fire units were all under direct command of the special headquarters. The Air Force began intensive continuous air patrols in the 42 hours before and after the opening ceremony. During the games, more than 100,000 Air Force personnel remained on high alert.
Analysis: Decision-making and command is vital to military operations. The modern military organization is a complicated system. Commanders need technological, human and theoretical support. The decision-making and command capabilities of Chinese Air Force commanders and staff officers have made rapid progress. Great achievements have been made in the information construction of the air force, which facilitates smooth command and control.
Comprehensive Support
Scene One: The Chinese Air Force has accelerated the building of comprehensive support bases for aircraft. An exercise was held to test the comprehensive support capability for multiple types of aircraft in combat. It tested support functions, airport repair, refueling, transport of heavy
equipment and logistics communications and command.
Scene Two: In late autumn 2007, the Air Force conducted an exercise of urgent military support in a simulated air attack, focusing on airport repair and building field fuel depots.
At 11:10 a.m., enemy aircraft bombarded the airbase. Emergency evacuation. The command center sent orders to the computer terminals of emergency teams. Vehicles and personnel took cover in the shelters. Unable to identify a valid target, the enemy aircraft fired on a fake target set up by a camouflage team.
Immediate repair for the damaged runway. With the order was an image of a 2-meter-deep crater 8 meters wide on the visual system in the command center. An excavator, loader, roller and engineering vehicles rushed to the site, removing the debris and refilled the hole with a dense mixture of rocks, cement and concrete.
A fuel depot exploded and the pipeline was broken. A field fuel tank vehicle headed for a shelter and laid a 100-meter-long pipeline in four minutes.
At the same time, a field fuel depot with temporary tanks was being built. A transport vehicle carrying a cube-shaped container was laying fuel pipes and within three minutes it completed a 1,000-meter-long pipeline.
Fixed aircraft arrest system destroyed, deploy mobile aircraft arrest system, the command center ordered. Two mobile systems, carried on two trucks, were rushed to the end of the runway and the five nets were installed in under 50 minutes.
Analysis: It is said that amateurs talk about strategy, but experts talk about logistics. High-technology logistics for the Air Force mean much more than the daily support of its personnel. It is a comprehensive support capability that integrates logistics, technology and intelligence. From the performance of the Air Force in complicated exercises, we can tell that it has gradually developed a comprehensive support capability that adapts to the needs of all-terrain mobilization, new weapon development and combat and training missions.
