In a photo released by eastday.com, at least five CH-4 drones lined up during the training, which the report said indicated that a quite large number of the drones had been deployed in the brigade.Photo: eastday.com

After a busy year of intensive exercises in 2022, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has kicked off annual training in 2023 with highlights in combat forces of new qualities and integrated combat capacity, which experts said are vital capacities for the PLA to win warfare in the future, facing the security challenges represented by military provocations by Western countries led by the US, the Taiwan question, and potential instability in the southwestern border.

According to a video released by the China Central Television (CCTV) Military Report on Tuesday, combat forces of new qualities are a highlight of the PLA Army's training in the New Year. Along with deployment of new equipment represented by Z-20 helicopters, the battleground of the PLA Army in the new era has grown from the flat ground to three dimensions, the video said.

Besides the Z-20 utility helicopter, the PLA Army's unmanned combat aerial vehicles and the Z-10 attack helicopter appeared in the video. 

According to another report from eastday.com, China's domestically developed CH-4 unmanned aerial vehicle attended the first training of a brigade under the Army of the PLA Eastern Theater Command. 

In a photo released by eastday.com, at least five CH-4 drones lined up during the training, which the report said indicated that a quite large number of the drones had been deployed in the brigade.

The CH-4 has a wingspan of 18 meters. It is a large drone that can fly at a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour for more than 40 hours. It can perform battlefield reconnaissance missions, collect enemy combat information, conduct over-the-horizon early warning and conduct missile attacks on enemy targets. The aircraft is equipped with a reconnaissance system under the nose, and there are two weapon mounts under the wings on both sides, on which missiles or precision-guided bombs can be mounted, according to the eastday.com report.

The Nanchang, the PLA Navy's first Type 055 large destroyer, and the Anhui, the PLA Navy's third Type 075 amphibious assault ship, can be seen attending in the Navy's first training in 2023, according to the CCTV Military Report. Z-8 transport helicopters boarded on the Anhui conducted flight training, and shipborne aviation forces conducted full-process training, according to the report.

The Type 075 amphibious assault ship is widely believed to be a vital instrument of the PLA Navy in safeguarding China's national sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and its development interests over the Taiwan question as well as the South China Sea issue. The Anhui, the PLA Navy's third ship of this type, was reported to have completed a realistic combat-oriented training in November 2022, indicating that the vessel had entered active service with the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

The PLA Air Force and Rocket Force also conducted their first training exercises in 2023, with the appearance of advanced weapons such as J-10C fighters and ballistic missiles. 

With the development of new weapons and equipment in new domains and of new qualities, as well as the enhancement of joint combat capabilities as a system through realistic combat-oriented exercises, the PLA will become increasingly capable of safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests amid future uncertainties, observers noted.

Observers view the reports of the PLA's busy New Year training as a continuation of a busy year of missions and development in 2022, following several concurrent major military exercises at the end of 2022, including the China-Russia joint naval drill, far sea training of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group, and the cross-service joint exercises around the island of Taiwan.

According to media based in Taiwan island, in 2022, the PLA sent 1,727 aircraft into the island's air space, nearly double that of 2021.

Entering 2023, experts expect the PLA to continue to enhance integrated combat and rapid reaction capacity considering the security challenges facing China. 

The traditional security threats facing China mainly come from the Taiwan Straits and the surrounding water areas of Taiwan island, and the southwestern border, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Song also warned of military provocations brought by Western countries led by the US over the abovementioned issues. 

In order to deal with these threats, the PLA needs to strengthen its joint combat and rapid response capability as well as cross-sea combat capability, Song noted. 

The PLA has to obtain the capacities to win control of the air, sea, space and the electromagnetic net in order to win the hybrid warfare of the future, according to Song.