Recently, the China Military Online (www.chinamil.com.cn) visitors asked many questions on military training. The PLA Daily reporters have thus interviewed several high-ranking military commanders attending the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) with questions raised by our web visitors.

　　A web visitor asked: "Is military exercise somewhat akin to play-acting?"

　　NPC Deputy Gao Shouwei, commander of the Air Force of the Guangzhou Military Area Command answered this question by citing an example: On January 1, 2007, a comprehensive exercise involving multi-arms and multi-type airplanes under unknown conditions kicked off all of a sudden. In this exercise, we did not have any preplans, thus commanders involved in the exercise had to make decisions then and there in light of the situations and they did not have the slightest chance for " play-acting". A few seconds later, the bombers, fighter planes and transport planes successfully took off according to their organic organizations and arrived at the air battle space on time. Deputy Gao said that our army would not be able to win future war unless we put our troops through strict and tough training under war conditions.

　　A web visitor asked: "What's the difference between the training means the PLA adopts now and the ones it used before?"

　　NPC Deputy Li Qisheng, commander of a Second Artillery Force base replied this question in a graphic manner: "I would say, the current training method is more like electronic games." He then noted that the first-line combatants of the Second Artillery Force needed only to input various data into the simulated missile-launching platform, and press the buttons, then the "missiles" would be launched into the air. It is as simple as that. Today the simulated training and network training have enjoyed steady increase in hi-tech contents of training means. As a result, the mature period of combatants have been shortened.

　　Another web visitor asked: "In the confrontation exercise between the "red army" and the "blue army", which side wins more?"

　　NPC Deputy Li Qisheng said: "The related data gathered from the game would decide who wins." In the past, the "red army" mostly won the games. However, the "exercise assessment system" has now become the principal referee in the exercise. Whether the "red army" or the "blue army" wins the game no longer depends upon the subjective conjecture. The computer system would closely track the missile's orbit from the time it leaves the launching pad to the time it hits the target, every movement and flying route of fighter aircraft in the melee, and each engagement of a tank group with the "enemy", and on this basis, the computer would give out accurate scores. Therefore, the fighting power of the troops can be scientifically evaluated nowadays.

　　By Tan Jie and Gao Fei

　　(Mar. 15, PLA Daily)