From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chapter 404 What? You can't even recognize people and you're already starting a confrontation?
The exchange activities planned by Brigade Commander Wang and Gao Cheng greatly enhanced communication between the various companies, making the atmosphere of the entire brigade more harmonious than before.

Not to mention that the soldiers below all knew each other, at least the battalion and company commanders were basically familiar with each other.

When someone mentions a company commander or battalion commander, almost everyone knows who they are.

For a newly formed unit, achieving this level is more than enough and meets the basic requirements for the second phase of training.

And with two days left in the one-month period, Chen Jun finally "came out of quarantine" successfully.

The brigade-level combined tactics system has finally been completed.

At this time, all personnel, equipment and facilities of the battalions and companies under the Seventh Steel Brigade were in place and had been assigned unit numbers.

Armored Assault Battalion 1 and 2:

Each combat company has three armored assault companies, each equipped with nine main battle tanks, and each also has a logistics company, mainly responsible for maintenance, fuel, and ammunition supply.

The company numbers are arranged independently by battalion, with each battalion starting from the first company and proceeding downwards.

3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion:
The combat company consists of three mechanized armored infantry companies, each equipped with nine infantry fighting vehicles, plus a logistics company with various logistics vehicles.

Special Operations 4th Battalion:

As the company with the most unique and complex functions, it is undoubtedly the ace combat unit of the 7th Steel Brigade.

Special operations companies are responsible for various high-difficulty missions such as infiltration behind enemy lines, decapitation strikes, and reconnaissance, while reconnaissance companies are responsible for ground reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance deployments.

There is also a high-tech drone unit, which is temporarily composed mainly of large drones, and all of them are now in place.

The upgraded small drones are still under research and development and production.

Needless to say, the electronic company, which was reorganized from the original information company, was the firewall of the 7th Steel Brigade, plus listening devices and interceptors, etc.

Whether or not the electronic warfare unit can overwhelm the enemy in communications during combat depends on its performance.

They also assigned a logistics company.

Fifth Artillery Battalion:

As the mainstay of ground firepower in the 9th Steel Brigade, it has two self-propelled howitzer companies, each equipped with nine 150mm self-propelled howitzers, all of which are now in place.

The two box-type rocket launchers and 18 rocket launchers lined up neatly looked particularly spectacular.

The logistics company is organized into four platoons to enhance its support capabilities.

Sixth Anti-Missile and Air Defense Battalion:

Anti-missile battery (close-range air defense, equipped with 9 air defense combat vehicles)

Air defense missile unit (medium- to long-range air defense)
Anti-aircraft artillery company (close-range air defense, equipped with 9 anti-aircraft artillery vehicles)

One logistics company.

7th Army Aviation Battalion:

As a comprehensive air combat unit, it must meet the two major operational requirements of the 7th Steel Brigade.

First, there is the transportation capacity. We need to equip ourselves with reinforced transport companies, which are required to be able to simultaneously deploy a company of infantry to coordinate with air raids behind enemy lines.

Secondly, it must possess strong combat capabilities, with reinforced armed helicopter attack companies capable of directly defeating tank battalions without air defenses.

The final support battalion, the Eighth Battalion, was a logistics reinforcement battalion.

Combat Support Battalion (1500 personnel)
Engineer Company (mine clearing, mine laying, road clearing)
Chemical Defense Company (responding to biological/chemical/radiation weapons)

Police and Communications Company (Guarding the Brigade Command Post, Setting Up Communications)

Combat Supplies Company (Fuel and Ammunition Supply, 12th Platoon Reinforced Company)

Supply Company (responsible for the unified procurement of living and combat supplies for the entire brigade)

Medical Support Company (Medical Logistics for the Entire Brigade)

The eight battalions, totaling more than 6800 personnel, are all in place. The brigade command post, the core unit, and its six functional centers are also all in place.

Operations Command Center (headed by Brigade Commander Wang Qingrui)

Intelligence Fusion Center (headed by Chief of Staff Chen Jun)

Firepower Coordination Center (responsible for Firepower Staff)
Electronic Countermeasures Center (responsible for electronic countermeasures staff)
Rear Equipment Support Center (headed by Deputy Brigade Commander Gao Cheng)

Political Work Center (headed by Political Commissar Tian Baoguo)

As a mobile command platform, three modular command vehicles have been deployed according to Chen Jun's requirements, all of which possess strong resistance to electromagnetic interference and high mobility.

With these three mobile command vehicles, the 7th Steel Brigade now has the capability to command and control operations while on the move.

Flexibility and security have been greatly improved!

All personnel needed for the 7th Steel Brigade were in place, all necessary equipment and supplies were allocated, and the training system and lesson plans were successfully completed.

Everything is ready.

After just two days, once the preparation period ends, we can immediately move on to the second phase.

With the thought that the 7th Steel Brigade would soon begin training and a true heavy-armored combined arms brigade was about to set sail, all the officers and soldiers in the brigade became excited.

Their enthusiasm for training is soaring, and they can't wait to get to the training field and give it their all.

So in these last two days, the entire brigade began to enter the debugging and adjustment phase, getting all the tanks and equipment in order.

We will be in top equipment and mental condition to prepare for the upcoming second phase of training.

Chen Jun checked the lesson plan again overnight, and after confirming that there were no problems, he distributed it to Brigade Sergeant Major Shi Jin, instructing him to connect with the battalion sergeant majors below.

The training and daily life of the soldiers are handled by the sergeant major's team.

However, just when everyone was ready and waiting for the order to begin, the second phase of training could commence.

But things took an unexpected turn, giving everyone a rude awakening.

You can never guess what your superiors are thinking.

……

December 2001, 1.

morning.

Chief of Staff Shen Fei of the Military Region, carrying orders from the theater command, personally went down to the base of the 7th Steel Brigade and convened a meeting with all officers above the battalion level under the pretext of reading out the orders.

Before reading out the orders from his superiors, Chief of Staff Shen first gave a detailed presentation to everyone present.

First, let's talk about the necessity of combined arms brigades!
With the deepening of information-based military reforms, and as an important measure to accelerate the modernization of the Chinese Army, the People's Liberation Army Capital Theater Command needs to establish a professional digitalized combined arms brigade as a bold exploration of new army training reforms.

Abroad, combined arms forces have matured and are ahead of us. We must acknowledge that we are not as good as them, and we must do our best to catch up and surpass them.

As the first digitalized combined arms brigade in our army, what exactly should the 7th Steel Brigade look like? We can only proceed cautiously, feeling our way forward.

...Your unit is a Chinese combined arms force, which is different from foreign combined arms forces. Don't focus on resemblance; it's more important to have your own unique characteristics.

We must put in a great deal of effort to understand the enemy, emulate the enemy, surpass the enemy, and defeat the enemy, and strive to build a whetstone force with strong integrated combat capabilities in the shortest possible time.

The theater command has given clear instructions: if the 7th Steel Brigade performs as scheduled and passes the final inspection, the brigade will be reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, allowing it to be officially established as a brigade.
……

Chief of Staff Shen spoke at length, and although his words sounded like grand pronouncements, each sentence actually contained rich meaning.

That represents the importance that the military region, and even the theater command, attaches to the new Steel Seventh Brigade.

After making some opening remarks, Chief of Staff Shen got to the point—the 7th Steel Brigade would kick off its training with a combat exercise.

According to the instructions from the war zone...

I just wanted to take a look at the architecture's strength.

In layman's terms, the commanders of the theater command wanted to use this exercise to gain a detailed understanding of the fundamental structure of Chen Jun's organizational system.

Unaffected by any contractual tactical training, let's look purely at the combat effectiveness of this organizational structure itself.

After all, China is still figuring out how to build combined arms brigades, and nobody knows which organizational structure is the most reasonable, let alone how to equip a heavy combined arms brigade.

Even the First Blue Army Brigade in Zhurihe was still figuring things out as they went.

So how can we verify whether Chen Jun's organizational structure truly has greater advantages and strength compared to traditional combat divisions or traditional heavy brigades?

The answer is simple!
That is to bring out a traditional force and have the Seventh Steel Brigade face off against him.

Assuming that Chen Jun's heavy combined arms brigade configuration is truly a state-of-the-art, digitally-driven brigade, then this is the most suitable configuration in terms of proportions.

Therefore, with the same size and strength, it is definitely much stronger than traditional troops.

Even if the troops have just been formed and have not been trained, and there is no combat coordination between the battalions and companies, they can make up for it by leveraging the advantages of their organizational structure, and at least fight to a draw with the enemy.

If they can't even defeat traditional forces, then the theater of operations may need to reconsider its strategy.

While training hasn't started yet and there's still time to readjust the organizational structure of the troops, there might actually be a major overhaul.

of course.

As a loosely assembled force, even if they lose this confrontation, they might adjust their organization and come up with a more reasonable plan.

There will be no punitive measures taken against the relevant commanders in the war zone.

The second phase of training will proceed as scheduled.

Although Chief of Staff Shen made it sound very casual, essentially saying that this exercise was just a routine test and that everyone shouldn't feel too much pressure,

However, as the author of this system and its compilation, Chen Jun felt immense pressure.

The personnel of the 7th Steel Brigade have just been put in place, and the battalions and companies have only just become acquainted with each other. In fact, most of the soldiers do not even know how many companies the 7th Steel Brigade has.

To lead such a completely uncoordinated force to fight against a traditional, veteran unit.

It would be strange if there were no pressure.

However, if this confrontation exercise is lost, although there will be no punishment, the change in organization and branch of service would be the most severe punishment for Chen Jun.

Chen Jun has always been the most authoritative figure in the development of combined arms forces.

In the hearts of the soldiers, he was an omnipotent god.

If Chen Jun's design is overturned, his authority will be completely destroyed, greatly diminishing his influence in the Seventh Steel Brigade.

Therefore, Chen Jun absolutely could not accept that the Steel Seventh Brigade had started with a defeat so soon after its establishment.

Absolutely not allowed!

So when Chief of Staff Shen finished reading the order and walked out of the meeting room to get into his car and leave, Chen Jun gave Commander Wang and Gao Cheng a signal, preparing to chase after them to sound them out.

At least knowing who our opponent is and what their strength is will allow us to make better preparations.

Wang Qingrui had known Chen Jun for so long that he understood Chen Jun's meaning with just a glance. On the way to see Chief of Staff Shen off, he casually asked, "Commander, we haven't even had a chance to train yet, and they've already picked an opponent for us. They're really making things difficult for us."

Since our superiors have given this instruction, we must do our utmost to complete the mission. But I have one question: who are our opponents this time?

Takashiro, Tada, and the others were also anxious and pricked up their ears to listen.

Chief of Staff Shen was a straightforward person. He knew that it would be very difficult for the Steel Seventh Brigade to fight a confrontation so soon after its formation, so he spoke up without hesitation.

"Your Steel Seventh Brigade's first battle was against the 708th Brigade of the V Group Army."

Upon hearing Chief of Staff Shen mention this unit, Chen Jun and Gao Cheng, who had been working at combined arms battalions for years and knew little about traditional troops from the outside world, didn't have much of an impression. However, Wang Qingrui and Tian Baoguo both frowned.

"Huh? Fighting the 708th Brigade?" Tian Baoguo frowned.

"The 708th Brigade is a famous tiger in North China. As one of the first units to be converted from a division to a brigade in the military reform, they have been very successful in the reform. In recent years, they have defeated many strong enemies in combat and have become the ace brigade of the V Group Army."

Wang Qingrui had spent a long time in the military and clearly understood the strength of this unit better; he explained the enemy's strength in just a few words.

"We've only just gotten together and haven't even trained yet, and now they're sending us to fight against an elite brigade? Isn't that just messing around and deliberately making things difficult for us?"

Gao Cheng really dares to speak his mind; no one else would dare to criticize like that.

Chief of Staff Shen and Gao Cheng's father were old friends, and he was already quite familiar with Gao Cheng in private, so naturally he wouldn't have any opinions about Gao Cheng.

He smiled slightly and said, "There is no joking in the military. This is an order from your superiors, and you must take it seriously. I have given you three days to prepare."

"Three days to prepare??" Wang Qingrui's eyes widened in disbelief.

He originally thought that facing such an elite brigade would require giving them at least half a month or even a month to prepare, so that they would have a chance to train intensively.

If he could train for even half a month, Wang Qingrui's confidence would increase by at least 50%.

But what if there are only three days...

What's the point of scolding them then!

Gao Cheng, Tian Baoguo, and a group of officers from the Seventh Steel Brigade felt immense pressure upon hearing that they only had three days to prepare, and they all felt that things were going to be difficult.

Even Chen Jun, who has always been very confident, couldn't help but furrow his brows at this moment.

"Only three days, and I had to fight for that."

Chief of Staff Shen's smile faded, and he said seriously, "In the first phase of the Theater Army's Decisive Battle 2001 live-fire confrontation exercise, your brigade will be responsible for defending the Wolf Forward Base, the 535th defense line. The Blue Army will be the 708th Army Brigade, and the attack will be launched in three days."

If you hold the 535 line, it's a victory for you; if you lose it, it's a victory for the Red Army.

Hearing that they were playing on the defensive side, everyone relaxed a little.

Offensive operations put greater emphasis on the overall coordination of the troops. As a newly formed and loosely organized force, there was no coordination whatsoever, and the battalions were simply unable to coordinate their attacks.

If the defending side simply defends its own position, it can avoid this fatal weakness.

(End of this chapter)