Top-level design
Joint live exercises are viewed as the most sophisticated of military drills because of the high level of organization and coordination required. In March 2014, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) established a command team for joint exercises across all services. The team is in charge of all PLA joint training, and has created greater cohesion in terms of strategies, combat and tactics. It also addressed operational problems that had previously hindered joint exercises.
In January this year, the PLA headquarters issued two provisional regulations regarding joint combat exercises and lower-level joint training. The regulations, aimed at standardizing the organization and operations of joint exercises in all fields and at all levels, promoted the healthy development of joint exercises and raised the combat level of military training.
This year’s joint exercises were led by a joint command set up by the major battle corps, and conducted under a joint combat system that was comprehensive in terms of command, participation of troops, and display of combat elements. More than 170 strategic and technical support forces in areas of aerospace reconnaissance, communications, electromagnetics, meteorology and mapping, psychology, logistics and equipment, as well as military academies and scientific research institutes, were involved in the joint combat system and joint live-fire exercises.
