Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

83-style 152 mm self-propelled howitzers opened fire in the night attack
wearing AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device for night shooting of U.S. soldiers.

Hong Kong, “Asia-Pacific Defense” magazine, reported in February, with the era of information warfare, the PLA is proud night fighting edge facing the gradual loss of the danger. However, some analysts believe that China has a long night fighting tradition of the military, night vision equipment as the maturity of the domestic, the PLA is fully regain “control the night right,” the technical and tactical foundation.

night training our military face a new challenge

“Asia-Pacific defense,” said, night and the melee was the People’s Liberation Army to defeat the enemy’s magic in long-term practice, night fighting the PLA has accumulated rich experience and night training. But in the last 30 years, with the rapid proliferation of night vision equipment, coupled with Western countries attach importance to strengthening the military night training in general, the PLA’s new operational advantages of the night has not been established, it tends to lose the traditional advantage.

article said, “Liberation Army Daily” and other official media attention to the long-term training of front-line troops of the night. In the majority of officers and men to be sure the results achieved at the same time, the reported improvement between the lines also reveals some of the urgent problems. First of all, some people and outline the implementation of training in accordance with the fatwas were not enthusiastic; Secondly, some men think that their low level of equipment, affect the training initiative; Third, the lack of organizational modernization Yezhan trained personnel, this may be the biggest “software” barriers; Finally, for fear of accidents in peacetime, the training of individual units of the organization’s attitude the night is still relatively conservative.

weapon and not easily lost

However, the “Asia-Pacific defense,” then went on to stress: People’s Liberation Army has a long night fighting tradition and diversity Yezhan tactics. In the Korean War, the Chinese People’s Volunteers, known as a “the night when the day of” the armed forces, “United Nations” during the day just to occupy the position, the volunteers will split up after dark, through the tunnel to recover. Participated in the Vietnam War many American veterans also reflected, although the U.S. military was already equipped with night vision equipment, but still often played at night by Vietcong guerrillas by surprise, largely under the tutelage of the Vietnamese in China.

scholars have studied the history of war the PLA that the Chinese military night fighting tradition early in the Sino-Japanese War had been formed in the liberation war to flourish. For the average poor quality equipment in terms of the PLA, night is a “equalizer”, contribute much to make the enemy’s long-range firepower, you can use the cover of darkness itself rapidly to meet the enemy. Some say that tactics in today’s popular night-vision equipment is difficult to play a role, however, the formation of an army in the history of the tradition is very difficult to lose in a short time, as China attaches importance to the Army, especially infantry, like, night is always is one of the PLA’s specialty.

“Asia-Pacific defense,” this analysis says, “It’s hard to imagine night fighting tradition of the PLA will suddenly disappear. Central Television reported several times in recent years, the results of military night training. Which is not only the army, also often Air Force fighters flying at night, high-intensity reported in the emphasis on air superiority of the modern battlefield, such training is most necessary. “

-made night vision equipment levels are not low

in the 2003 Iraq war, national military clearly see the modern night vision equipment for Yezhan huge impact. Equipped with advanced low light, thermal imaging night vision night U.S. time and time again into the daylight, forming a huge asymmetric advantage, the night of the traditional tactics of force in terms of a serious challenge. For example, thermal imaging sight of U.S. tanks can lock the 2000 meters at night outside the Iraqi tanks, while old-fashioned night-sight equipment which can barely see 800 meters away, apparently only beaten. The situation is similar to the infantry, U.S. troops have night vision was issued to the class, a set of special forces is manpower, in the same period of the Iraqi army had to rely on visual and flashlight.

article points out, in the Falklands war in 1982, the British special forces teams have been using night vision equipment, clean and neatly behind the raid on the Argentine airport. The wars to the PLA’s touch is rather high, began to promote its multi-seeking advanced night vision technology. In the mid-1980s, the southern border “between two mountains round war” process, the PLA has begun to use night vision; Chinese military departments have worked hard, despite the tight blockade of the West related to technology, but after years of study, many domestic business has been able to mass production of new night vision and infrared imaging, the equipment heavier than imported goods, power consumption some, but not the rest of the quality gap between the performance indicators, and therefore frequently occur in a variety of military fairs. There is no doubt that with the increase in military spending, these advanced night vision equipment, the popularity of the ministries in the People’s Liberation Army is a matter of time. (Newspaper freelance writer Wei Jing)