The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force is strengthening the intensity and difficulty of its combat exercises to improve its capabilities. In those well-orchestrated exercises Chinese pilots will train not only air to air combat, but they will also practice air to ground attacks and other type of missions.

Chinese  Air Force Headquarters organizes four large exercises each year for different units. They are: the Red Sword advanced aerial combat exercise, Blue Shield aircraft and missile defense exercise, Golden Helmet freestyle fighting exercise and Golden Dart land attack exercise.

Also taking an example from the USAF Top Gun exercises, PLAAF established an adversary brigade in 2015 to help improve the combat training of its units. The brigade has fighter jets, helicopters, electronic warfare aircraft and drones, and all of its aircraft are domestically developed models. This brigade provides a realistic simulation of air combat to military pilots – just like its American predecessor.

Author: Daniel Kasprzycki

Photo: PLA Air Force Shenyang J-11 multirole aircraft, making a low-altitude precision strike during an military exercise (China Daily).
Source: China Daily