From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chapter 504 Warrior Operation: Tri-Service Confrontation Exercise!
Chen Jun introduced the overall structure of the combined arms brigade, the advantages of the combined tactics system on future large-scale battlefields, and the enhancements it can bring to our army.

Hong Yi added details to the breakdown, emphasizing that the sub-branches of urban warfare and special operations can now play a very good role.

The two men's statements complemented each other, fully demonstrating the forward-thinking nature of the 7th Steel Brigade.

Team Leader Tan was familiar with information technology reform, but the new model of the Seventh Steel Brigade was truly refreshing for him, as if he had entered a completely new world.

He couldn't help but praise, "Your thinking is very advanced; you truly deserve to be a unit at the forefront of integrated warfare."

"Actually, if we look at it on a global scale, we're not that advanced anymore; in fact, we're even a little behind," Hong Yi said earnestly.

"How so?" Team Leader Tan asked curiously.

"Since April 1990, when our army first sent five military observers to the Middle East to carry out ceasefire monitoring work, completing the transformation from non-participation to limited participation, and then to proactive and constructive participation in LH peacekeeping operations, our army has been sending more and more peacekeeping troops."

Hong Yi first explained the source, then paused for two seconds to allow everyone to digest it.

He then continued, "Given the special nature and highly political nature of peacekeeping missions, and the fact that the troops are far from their homeland, it is essential for our combat troops to receive specialized training in this area."

Having troops receive some acclimatization training in China before going abroad for missions is only beneficial and has no drawbacks.

Although we haven't received any specific tasks yet, preparing in advance will ensure we're prepared for any eventuality.

Hong Yi has indeed put a lot of effort into special operations, and his research in all aspects is quite in-depth and thorough. He has also made very accurate predictions about future needs.

Chen Jun doesn't need to add anything in this regard, but he still wants to emphasize the value of combined arms units.

He then added, "The specialized adversary mode is very different from the red-blue mutual mode. We must make the opponent feel like they are there, otherwise we lose the meaning of a specialized adversary force."

In short, whatever battle the troops fight tomorrow, we will play the role of tomorrow's enemy today; the needs of the troops are the mission of our 7th Steel Brigade.

Chen Jun's summary was concise and to the point, easy to understand, and greatly inspired Team Leader Tan.

He couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, we always talk about getting closer to real combat, but we've never really put in the real effort to explore that."

Because they weren't pursuing real combat, everyone ended up putting on an act to make the commander happy.

Although exercises are largely staged, it is this kind of realistic simulation training that can achieve the desired effect of a combat exercise.

Team Leader Tan's interest had been completely piqued by Chen Jun and Hong Yi's words.

The principle is that hearing is unreliable, and seeing is believing.

He decided to stop sitting there and just listen and went to observe the training on site immediately. So he stood up and said, "After listening to so much from you, I can't wait to go to the training ground and see for myself."

"Okay, sir."

Chen Jun stood up cooperatively and said, "Then I'll take you there now."

After saying that, he didn't forget to tell Hong Yi, "Hong Yi, hurry up and go outside to prepare the car. Come with me later and accompany the commander to the training grounds of various troops."

"Yes!"

Hong Yi saluted and quickly walked out.

Chief of Staff Shen then accompanied Team Leader Tan out of the tent and into a military vehicle, watching Chen Jun lead Team Leader Tan to the training ground.

Chief of Staff Shen, along with Wang Qingrui, Gao Cheng, Tian Baoguo, and others, returned to the conference room to continue their conversation.

They also have work to do.

The 7th Steel Brigade's field training this time was mainly to cultivate the troops' adaptability and emergency response capabilities. Although it could not demonstrate its urban warfare combat capabilities, it did not affect the demonstration of the 7th Steel Brigade's strength.

Accompanied by Chen Jun, they arrived at the training ground and watched the training session from company to company.

Team Leader Tan was still deeply shocked.

Whether it's the electronic warfare unit's powerful information warfare capabilities, its ability to win battles from afar on a battlefield without gunfire, or its formidable control over the enemy's every move.

The special forces soldiers of the special operations company, who leap and bound on cliffs, move with the agility of monkeys in the jungle, and lurk underwater like ghosts, employing various special tactics that challenge the limits of the human body yet are extremely valuable.

Whether it's the army aviation battalion, armored battalion, mechanized infantry battalion, or other units, the skillful coordination between them, the highly efficient command transmission, or the impressive combined tactics, it all makes a striking impression.

All of this deeply shocked Team Leader Tan.

Team Leader Tan, who is over fifty years old, is a veteran who has seen all kinds of situations, big and small. He has personally experienced all the reforms of the army from motorized infantry to semi-mechanized to fully mechanized, and has absolute authority to speak on this matter.

However, the training methods and tactics of the Seventh Steel Brigade were still an unprecedented experience for him.

This gave him an unsettling feeling that new things and technologies were developing so fast that he had been left behind by the times.

It was the shock of seeing it with his own eyes that gave Team Leader Tan a completely new understanding of the Seventh Steel Brigade.

The entire visit took more than two hours, but he felt no fatigue whatsoever, only a thoroughly satisfying feeling.

After Team Leader Tang returned from his training visit, he sat down with Chief of Staff Shen and the others again.

This means the real meeting is only just beginning.

"Oh, Chen Jun, I just went to see Brigade Commander Wang to get your urban combat training manual. It is indeed very practical. I was really surprised that you could write it so well."

As soon as everyone sat down at the conference table, Chief of Staff Shen couldn't help but praise Chen Jun.

"The training methods are truly ingenious, and I have many thoughts after seeing them," Team Leader Tan also praised.

"Team Leader Tan, now that you're here at the Seventh Steel Brigade, please give him your instructions and requests directly," Chief of Staff Shen said, making a convenient connection.

"Recently..."

Team Leader Tan leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on the table with his fingertips interlaced, and said with a serious expression: "The J Committee working group is preparing to include the confrontation content of the reformed specialized combat brigade in the annual cross-theater confrontation exercise."

An airborne brigade, the Mountain Eagle Brigade, and a marine brigade, the Tsunami Assault Brigade, have been arranged to conduct a live-fire mountain warfare exercise codenamed Operation Warrior.

They have been training for over a month now, and the two sides have had several matches, with the overall results being quite good.

But then someone suggested adding more scenes, feeling that only the navy and air force were lacking. Now the trouble lies with you, Chief of Staff Shen.

As Team Leader Tan spoke, he looked at Chief of Staff Shen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Two months ago."

Chief of Staff Shen smiled and replied, "At the All-Army Training Work Conference, I reported on the training situation of the 7th Steel Brigade, and the leaders of the Army General Staff and the J Committee attached great importance to it."

A few days ago, we were suddenly given instructions to participate in Operation Warrior, without any contingency plans or preparation time. Even our roles – whether we were on the blue or red lines – were not determined. Team Leader Tan, the overall commander of Operation Warrior, was perplexed by these requirements, which is why he came here specifically to discuss it with you.

Understanding the situation of the 7th Steel Brigade is secondary; my main interest is in hearing your thoughts and requests.

Both Chief of Staff Shen and Group Leader Tan mentioned Operation Warrior, and the participating troops were all newly reformed combat brigades, proving that this exercise was a training operation and must have been a major operation that received the attention of the J Committee.

Chen Jun and his group, who were initially quite puzzled, perked up immediately after hearing these words.

In peacetime, when there is no war, military exercises aimed at actual combat are the best way for various units to win honors.

Although Chen Jun doesn't have much of an obsession with honors, after all, he has already received too many honors.

He is practically a Grand Slam champion.

However, Chen Jun still didn't want to miss any opportunity to win honors, for the Seventh Steel Brigade to make greater progress, and for the brigade to showcase itself to the outside world.

If someone as accomplished as Chen Jun is like this, then it goes without saying that Wang Qingrui, Gao Cheng, and others are even more so.

At this moment, everyone's interest was piqued, and they were all very enthusiastic.

"If we were to join in, wouldn't that mean we'd have the army, navy, and air force all together? We haven't even fought the navy and air force yet. This is going to be a real show!" Chen Jun exclaimed excitedly.

"Is the show about to begin?"

Hong Yi, being straightforward, didn't understand and looked at Chen Jun with a puzzled expression.

"The Air Force's Mountain Eagle Brigade, the Navy's Tsunami Assault Brigade, plus our Army's Steel Seventh Brigade, isn't this just like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Isn't this drama exciting?" Chen Jun laughed.

"The leaders who came to observe this exercise are definitely top military experts in the country. They are probably not here to watch the show, but to learn the ropes. This show may not be so easy to put on," Gao Cheng said worriedly.

"Whether it's the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or the Three Armies Romance, your Steel Seventh Brigade is required to participate. The basic information of the participating troops has already been reported. The difficulty now lies in..."

Team Leader Tan spoke with a thoughtful expression, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone present.

He continued, "What can the 7th Steel Brigade do there? What will they perform? What will they showcase? How will they explain the purpose and content of this exercise to the expert group?"

However, one thing is certain: the Warrior Operation exercise involves land, sea, and air forces, so it's sure to be a spectacular and exciting event. I'm really looking forward to it.

The fact that the army, navy, and air force are all conducting exercises in mountainous terrain proves that the navy and air force are definitely the marines.

Marines who are selected by the Navy and Air Force to participate in Operation Warrior are undoubtedly highly capable, likely representing the pinnacle of their respective branches of service.

It is equivalent to the status of the 7th Steel Brigade in the Army.

The gathering of the strongest ground forces from these three branches of the armed forces for a military exercise reminiscent of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is unprecedented in China.

This is the first time such an exercise has been conducted since the informatization reform began.

It would be hard for it not to be amazing.

"It is certain that the 7th Steel Brigade will participate in the exercise. Given their current training status, although they have not yet passed the assessment, there are basically no major problems."

Chief of Staff Shen first affirmed the Seventh Steel Brigade, then changed the subject and said, "But how to participate in the exercise is really hard to say; we'll have to wait and see."

Seeing that Chief of Staff Shen had already directly stated that the 7th Steel Brigade would participate in the Warrior Operation exercise, Brigade Commander Wang Qingrui asked the core question: "When will we depart?"

"Leave as soon as possible, at the latest the day after tomorrow," Team Leader Tan said with a hint of urgency.

"So fast? Our spring training is less than halfway done. If we go to participate in the exercises, won't we have to end it early?" Chen Jun asked.

"Yes, the tri-service confrontation exercise is more important, and the large-scale training exercise has to be ended ahead of schedule." Chief of Staff Shen nodded affirmatively.

Upon hearing this reply, Chen Jun and Regiment Commander Wang felt a little regretful, as it would have been better if the training had been completed, as this exercise was also very important for the Steel Seventh Brigade.

However, the Warrior Action Confrontation Exercise was a training exercise organized by a special expert group dispatched by the J Committee, and it far surpassed the large-scale spring military training in both level and scale.

No matter how helpless Chen Jun and Wang Qingrui felt, they had no choice but to accept the arrangements made by their superiors.

“They already have a plan for the red and blue teams’ exercises. We’re neither the red nor the blue team, and we don’t even know who we’re going to fight or not. We can only fight blindly. Wouldn’t we just be a troublemaker if we went there?” Hong Yi asked, half-laughing and half-crying.

"Yes, you guys are just here to cause trouble, haha." Team Leader Tan laughed heartily.

Chief of Staff Shen also laughed.

His smile was filled with anticipation.

This exercise is directly overseen by the J Commission, with the army, navy, and air force all participating. If this exercise goes well, it will bring glory to the Capital Theater Command.

In addition, the instructions from higher authorities that the 7th Steel Brigade would participate in this exercise without any pre-planning or preparation time, including what role we would play, whether we were blue or red, made it even more difficult for Chief of Staff Shen not to look forward to it.

It is precisely these unplanned drills that are the most anticipated.

Because nobody knows what will happen next, nobody knows what tricks the Seventh Steel Brigade will pull, and nobody knows who the final winner will be.

Compared to conventional emergency drills.

This is much closer to real combat.

Since the expert group leader Tan from the J Committee and Chief of Staff Shen have already made the decision, the 7th Steel Brigade will depart for the exercise site before the day after tomorrow.

Chen Jun, Wang Qingrui, and the others had no choice but to obey their superiors' orders.

Ever since.

The moment Team Leader Tan left after the meeting, new orders were sent out like snowflakes, reaching the battalion commanders of each battalion below.

The battalion commanders who were organizing training outside were all filled with questions when they received the notice to suddenly stop training, bring everyone back, and end their training.

The well-planned large-scale training exercise was only halfway through when it abruptly ended, something no one expected.

However, soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders.

Even if the battalion commanders had doubts or questions, they could only obey the brigade headquarters' orders and immediately bring their troops back.

After all the battalions and companies were brought back, Brigade Commander Wang Qingduan convened a meeting of the battalion commanders at the brigade command post to announce the orders.

He relayed what Team Leader Tan had said verbatim to the battalion commanders, who then relayed it to their troops, confirming that they would depart after lunch the next day.

(End of this chapter)