Original title: From “close-quarters combat method” to high-tech strong army
The past and present of a certain battalion of the Air Force ground guidance in the Central Theater Command
The site of the missile launch exercise.
Officers and soldiers carried out hoisting operations in the vast Gobi desert.
Return with honor.
The chariots lined up, the motors roared.
Quickly rush to the battlefield.
Officers and soldiers rushed to the battlefield in the sunset.
The battle is raging on the screen. I saw the officers and soldiers in various battle positions in the cabin skillfully operate their weapons, and the screens flickered, constantly updating the pictures and data. This is not a movie, it is the content of the daily training of a certain ground guidance unit.
Over the past 60 years since the establishment of the battalion, the battalion has been upgraded and transformed countless times with the development of the times: from the “Xiaobai” who studied hard from scratch, to the world‘s first shot down of enemy planes with surface-to-air missiles, and then developed into a “Xiaobai” adapted to the information age. tall and strong”.
Beijing News reporter Tao Ran correspondent Zhang Lei Liu Chuan Gao Sifeng Zhou Xuefeng photo report
High-altitude interception of “enemy aircraft”
On the eve of August 1st, in the training ground of a certain battalion of the Air Force Ground Guide in the Central Theater Command, the ground-to-air missile soldiers are ready to go, looking forward to a “high-altitude battle” that belongs to them.
The training ground received a notification from the superior command post: “enemy planes” attacked our air defense key points in multiple batches, and ordered to capture the target in time and simulate the launch.
The alarm sounded. Battalion commander Wen Xiaoliang bowed and got into the weapons bay, and the instruments and instruments filled the battle space.
The officers and soldiers in various battle positions in the cabin stared at the electronic screen. The platoon leader, Ai Ming, was staring at the screen on the operating platform. The signals flickered alternately, constantly updating the screen and data. Every time the signal flickers, there are complex battle information hidden.
The surface-to-air missile soldiers calmly followed the changes in the battle situation, waited for instructions, switched knobs and buttons in their hands, and moved smoothly and firmly.
“Target found!” The report did not land, the “mouse” of the surface-to-air missile soldier moved quickly, and all the targets were locked one by one.
“Launch!” After receiving the quick and accurate operation and password, Sergeant Xu Dong pressed the launch button.
Information feedback on the display: The “enemy aircraft” was successfully eliminated.
“Ground-guided troops rarely use guns in battle, but use keyboards, switches and buttons.” Xu Dong introduced that his role is like pulling the trigger when using a firearm, aiming and other links require the cooperation of comrades in each battle position.
The composition of the ground-guided weapon system is complex, and it requires repeated running-in to use the weapons and equipment like an arm and a finger. Xu Dong pursued the continuous running-in of ground-guided weapons and himself.
Innovative tactics have repeatedly made extraordinary achievements
“In order to commend those who have made significant contributions to our country’s scientific and technological work, this certificate of merit is hereby issued to encourage encouragement. National Science Conference, 1978.” In the honor room of the battalion, this yellowed certificate of honor bears witness to the supreme honor.
A certain battalion of air force ground guidance in the Central Theater Command was established on December 26, 1958. At that time, the Soviet-made Sam-2 surface-to-air missiles were equipped with sophisticated technology and difficult to master. Officers and soldiers from the Air Force’s anti-aircraft artillery, radar, searchlight, aviation and other units have studied and practiced diligently without having ever been in contact with a missile. It only took 3 months to skillfully control the “Shenlong” missile.
On October 7, 1959, the battalion shot down an American-made RB-57D high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft of the Taiwan Nationalist Air Force. It was the first time in the world that an enemy plane was shot down with a surface-to-air missile.
In the early 1960s, the Taiwan authorities used the more advanced U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft provided by the United States to carry out a new round of strategic reconnaissance in the deep areas of the mainland. In 1962, the battalion moved to the north and south of the Yangtze River, which opened the prelude to the “pulling missiles to fight guerrillas” by the surface-to-air missile troops, and successfully shot down several U-2 aircraft since then.
After our country shot down the U-2 reconnaissance plane for the first time, the enemy installed a warning device on the plane. In the face of the upgrade of the enemy’s equipment, the officers and soldiers devoted themselves to tackling key problems and innovated the “close-and-quick warfare method” of surface-to-air missiles, making great contributions to shooting down the U-2.
In those years of homeland air defense, officers and soldiers launched “guerrilla warfare” on a long journey of hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Five times they went to the south of the Yangtze River and six times to the northwest. They fought in dozens of positions, squatted in the valleys, walked in the Gobi, and slept in the wind.
“In the past, the release of the ‘near-quick warfare method’ was the crystallization of military democracy. Innovation is not only a matter of technical backbones, but ordinary officers and soldiers are also promising.” Wen Xiaoliang said.
The sword is unsheathed, and the “enemy aircraft” falls
With the development of the times, the ground-guided force faces many challenges in the transformation and upgrading. In the past, it was “guerrilla fighting for thousands of miles” to “mobilize” equipment; now it is “a network of systems” to “connect” troops.
When the troops are transported by railway, how to quickly locate the equipment and weapons on the train plate has always been a difficult problem faced by the surface-to-air missile force. Engineer Gao Wenjing took the lead in developing the “railway loading and unloading auxiliary positioning device”. With this device, the driver can quickly and accurately locate the vehicle based on distance and angle information.
Last year, the battalion went to perform missions thousands of miles away. Facing a brand-new and difficult combat task and an unfamiliar and complex combat environment, the battalion went through thousands of simulated trainings and combat operations from the command team to the trumpet operator.
On the day of the exercise, under the guidance of the director’s department, the battalion made an emergency decision on the final launch method before the launch. The trumpet operator quickly responded with his excellent training level and successfully completed the missile launch and hit the target.
“The battlefield environment is changing rapidly, but we have the confidence to remain in chaos in the face of danger.” Wen Xiaoliang introduced that during the pre-battle preparation training process, in order to improve the efficiency of wartime coordination, the war service class created its own “pressure training method”. Add a three-kilometer run before training, and after raising your heart rate, you can operate immediately after boarding. Wear weight-bearing wristbands for weight-bearing training to improve operational stability, and form muscle memory and conditioned reflex through repeated training.
After a short rest, the “enemy plane” attacked again. Only the sound of manipulating weapons and clear passwords could be heard in the cabin. “Stable tracking!”…”Launch!”