The J-10 multirole fighter can mount laser-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles and land attack missiles.
“In view of the issue of air combat support, they organized special training for command, reconnaissance and special operations officers and soldiers of the services and arms, compiled training materials, arranged specialized forces such as flight instructors and aviation engineers to give lectures, carried out inspection and training based on tactical live fire, and improved the joint quality of officers and soldiers in one move.”
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force recognizes strikes close to maneuver units are difficult and is taking steps to improve their efficacy. The accompanying excerpt from a recent PLA Daily article discusses a new development to improve PLA combat effectiveness by training Army officers from reconnaissance units to provide guidance for air-to-ground strikes. The PLA Air Force defines “close air fire support” as air strikes in support of the Army or Navy against enemy forward and shallow targets, usually according to a predetermined plan. Strike targets are those that directly affect the maneuver unit. Key enemy targets for air strikes include tactical missiles, artillery, armor groupings, landing ships, fire support ships, command posts, communications facilities, and ammunition and oil depots. Target guidance groups identify the target, time, and other requirements, coordinating with Army maneuver and fire support units in the area. The target guidance group designates the target via radio communication using landmarks, smoke, and other means.
The PLA Air Force has sent these target guidance groups from bomber and air assault units to the Army and Navy to coordinate and guide air strikes against surface targets. The team leader is usually flight personnel with staff that includes combat pilot and communications personnel. They guide the aircraft to the target, providing parameters such as time and distance, as well as observe the strike effect and correct for subsequent strikes.
However, the PLA Air Force has too few target guidance groups to provide to the Army or Navy and is working to remedy this problem. The article describes a base in the Western Theater Command Air Force that is training Army officers from reconnaissance units to provide guidance for air-to-ground strikes. Reportedly hundreds of guidance personnel from different military branches including command, reconnaissance, and special operations officers and troops have been trained. In one training event, a guide designated a camouflaged enemy command post that an aircraft struck with precision munitions. At the same time, the article states that problems remained between the services in the integration of data standards, terminology, and tactical understanding. An example was a failed training event where aircraft could not strike the intended target due to poor communications signals and a misunderstanding in terminology despite advanced planning. Training of Army personnel to provide target guidance removes the burden from the Air Force and likely will increase the ability of ground maneuver units to call in close air support against targets that artillery cannot address. The article also states that this development will increase jointness across the PLA.
Source:
“A Base of the Western Theater Air Force Improves the Terminal Execution Capability of the Joint Operations System of Systems – Army Guides are Active at the Air Force Drill Grounds (西部战区空军某基地提升联合作战体系末端执行力 — 陆军引导员活跃在空军演兵场)” People’s Liberation Army Daily, May 20, 2021, February 10, 2020. http://www.81.cn/jfjbmap/content/2022-02/10/content_309058.htm
Taking combat training and jointness as a guideline, we must implement the concept of joint training to all levels of strategy, campaign and tactics, and solve the problems existing in the training field to a certain extent, such as joint immobility, joint incompatibility and joint disjointedness and other problems. In particular, we should solve the chronic disease of “form and spirit are not connected” at the end of combat effectiveness, so as to lay a good foundation and gather strength for the gradual development of higher-stage joint training. A base of the air force in the Western Theater has promoted the front-line officers and soldiers of the services and arms to improve their joint literacy and joint combat skills, which is worthy of recognition.
Image Information:
Image: The J-10 multirole fighter can mount laser-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles and land attack missiles
Source: https://tinyurl.com/yc3p7atc
Attribution: Wiki Commons