Videos of PLA's live-fire drills along China-Myanmar border released; troop's rapid mobility, precise targeting honed
China has released videos of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command's live-fire drills on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border. The drill aims to test the rapid mobility, precise targeting, comprehensive blockade, and joint strike capabilities of Chinese forces.
According to a video released by China Central Television, as the exercise officially began, the Air Force aviation, Army aviation, armored infantry, artillery, air defense forces and others rapidly mobilized to the designated exercise area to conduct joint live-fire exercises in different zones and at different times.
Under unified command, the participating forces are organized according to combat formations, launching systematic and coordinated operations, meticulously planning and organizing joint armed patrols, joint reconnaissance and early warning, joint air defense control, and joint firepower strikes in a realistic exercise.
At the same time, multiple firepower strike groups quickly entered predetermined positions to conduct precise joint strikes on targets indicated in real time and from multiple directions.
A ground firepower strike group composed of remote multiple rocket launchers, vehicle-mounted self-propelled howitzers, and mortars quickly occupied launch positions. Various types of weapons alternate to unleash firepower in rounds from multiple directions, carrying out precise fire coverage on firepower points hidden in mountainous jungles.
After multiple rounds of sustained fire, a vehicle-mounted self-propelled howitzer team immediately moved to a new designated area, quickly organized the layout of the position, completed ammunition loading, and carried out intense firepower suppression on the target indicated by the on-site instructions. Many shells whistled toward the target location, and after multiple rounds of heavy firepower, the target was fully destroyed.
This drill is designed to be practical, with multiple scenarios coordinated in advance, real troops and equipment mobilized, long-distance rapid maneuvering, and continuous implementation over multiple days. The key focus is to test the force operations and rapid maneuvering, precise targeting, three-dimensional control, and joint strikes of theater forces, demonstrating the determination, will, and ability of the PLA to resolutely defend national sovereignty, border stability, and the safety of people's lives and property.
The PLA Southern Theater Command deployed army and air forces to conduct live-fire drills on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border starting from Tuesday, Tian Junli, a spokesperson at the PLA Southern Theater Command, said in a statement on Tuesday, stressing that the command has been prepared at all times to respond to various emergencies and is committed to safeguarding national sovereignty and border stability.
In an article published on the PLA Daily on Thursday, it said that this drill aims to test the combat capabilities of the troop in rapid maneuver, precise destruction, three-dimensional blockade, joint strikes and other abilities, in order to be prepared to respond to various unexpected situations at any time.
In recent times, conflicts in northern Myanmar have resurfaced, intensifying the tense situation due to various reasons. China and Myanmar are connected. The conflict in northern Myanmar threatens the security and stability of the border areas between the two countries, as well as the lives and property of both sides' border residents. As a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, China pays close attention to the current situation in northern Myanmar and urges all parties involved to immediately cease fire and strive to achieve a de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible.
This exercise is part of an annual training plan, indicating that frontline troops have been maintaining normalized combat readiness training for a range of missions. The exercise involves coordinated participation of army and air forces, focusing on testing the troops' maneuverability, precision and strike capabilities, which is in line with operational requirements for responding to current security situations, Zhuo Hua, an international affairs expert at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
Zhuo said that China and Myanmar share a long border, and their cooperation is comprehensive and wide-ranging, especially in steadily advancing cooperation projects of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. Therefore, the security and stability of Myanmar directly affects the interests of the two peoples.