From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chapter 517 The Show Begins
Although the professionalized adversary blue team model has only emerged in recent years, the actual red-blue confrontation exercise model has existed for more than a decade.

This clear-cut confrontation model was something that Deputy Commander Qian, as the head of the Wufengshan training base, had long been ingrained in his very being.

The sudden loss of the "red and blue teams" moniker did make him feel quite uncomfortable.

"Can't we conduct an exercise without referring to them as Red and Blue teams? Do you not know how to conduct an exercise?"

Team Leader Tan's retort left Deputy Commander Qian with no choice but to force a smile before continuing, "The content of the exercise has changed; it has increased from two units to three."

The content has changed, so the situation has changed too. The child is already in school, are you still going to let him wear open-crotch pants?

"Yes Yes Yes."

Deputy Commander Qian nodded repeatedly and said, "Judging from this Red and Blue Army plan, it is not much different from the original one. The Steel Seventh Brigade that came in later will basically not participate in the confrontation between the two sides in the first phase."

"Oh? Not participating in the confrontation, but sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight?" Team Leader Tan asked curiously.

"According to the plan submitted by the 7th Steel Brigade, the first phase mainly involves observing the overall situation of the exercise, reconnoitering the terrain and enemy situation of the site, and only entering the field when the red and blue armies are in a stalemate," said Deputy Commander-in-Chief Qian.

"Where does the exercise begin?" Team Leader Tan asked.

"Starting from the defense of Hill 1130, the Blue Army launched a vertical attack and captured Hill 1130. The Red Army counterattacked and recaptured Hill 1130. Then we entered the second phase, in which the Blue Army launched a major offensive, and the Red Army actively responded," Deputy Commander-in-Chief Qian explained.

"Okay, let's do it this way." Team Leader Tan nodded in approval.

"Well then, Team Leader Tan, Chief of Staff Shen, I'm going back to make preparations now." After saying that, Deputy Commander Qian got up and strode out of the room.

Team Leader Tan and Chief of Staff Shen got up to see him off, and after he left, they sat down to continue their conversation.

"This is a message sent by Chen Jun."

Team Leader Tan took out his phone from his pocket, opened one of the text messages, and handed it to Chief of Staff Shen.

"A text message Chen Jun sent you?"

Chief of Staff Shen, somewhat puzzled but also amazed by Chen Jun's influence, managed to get Group Leader Tan's phone number. He stood up, took the phone, and looked at it.

“His idea is very bold, and he has already reported it to me.”

Chief of Staff Shen handed over the phone and said seriously, "But I haven't dared to agree yet."

"Are you worried they won't handle it well? Are you worried they'll mess up the exercise and cause a negative reaction?" Team Leader Tan asked with a smile, guessing.

"After all, this isn't in our own theater of operations; it's a live-fire exercise that crosses theaters and services," Chief of Staff Shen said in a deep voice.

"I think we can let them give it a try."

Team Leader Tan was even more confident, and cited an example: "During dinner tonight, the experts specifically talked to me about their ideas for this exercise."

They all wanted to see the level of senior commanders and the operational command organization.

The sudden disruption by the Seventh Steel Brigade, in particular, shocked and excited them, as if a new world had opened up for them. They all wanted to stay and watch, and even gave me many good suggestions.

The experts' reactions may sound exaggerated, but they are the most accurate reflection of our times.

The experts are all engaged in military tactics research. Research requires a large amount of data for simulation and calculation so that they can develop more useful results.

However, the traditional red-blue force confrontation mode was a completely old-fashioned routine. No matter which unit or unit participated in the exercise, the template and style of the exercise were the same.

Watching it the first and second time is certainly useful, but after watching it ten or twenty times, this kind of exercise becomes meaningless to them.

Seeing a different exercise model now is like opening the door to a new world for them.

He'd rather go in and take a look; he won't be able to rest in peace even after he dies.

"My main concern is what Deputy Commander Qian thinks about this exercise..."

"you do not need to worry."

Team Leader Tan decisively interrupted Chief of Staff Shen's concerns, saying firmly, "Organizing exercises is ostensibly a test of the troops, but it is also a test of us organizers."

Bringing three opposing forces from different branches of the military to a single battlefield to fight each other is not just a sudden whim of mine.

The UN peacekeeping forces we send are stationed in countries and regions in conflict, where political, religious, and military factions are complex and intertwined.

War and conflict are intertwined with the interests of various religious factions and economic and political groups.

Our officers and soldiers, stationed in foreign lands, are not facing one-on-one opponents and enemies, but often in open and covert struggles between three or four countries or multiple tribal armed groups, where unexpected situations can occur at any time.

Most of the frontline commanders we send out are officers at the battalion or regimental level, and they have never received this lesson in their domestic training.

Therefore, I would like to incorporate this element into some exercises and training to address this shortcoming.

Team Leader Tan spoke at length, demonstrating the importance he placed on this matter.

"So you dragged the Seventh Steel Brigade over here too, and started this Three Kingdoms-like situation?" Chief of Staff Shen suddenly realized and couldn't help but laugh.

"Since ancient times, military strategy has valued the art of disrupting alliances. Ancient military strategists understood the art of disrupting alliances. When facing multiple forces, one must not only know how to fight, but also how to unite and communicate. Sun Tzu's Art of War says that the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, and the next best is to disrupt their alliances. This is the meaning of the saying."

Team Leader Tan paused here, took a sip of water, and then continued, "In terms of strength, the three Blue Army units should be evenly matched."

Whoever has the most open-minded thinking and the richest imagination will gain the upper hand on the battlefield.

A notable characteristic of modern warfare is its sensitivity. Although the scale may be small, the level of sensitivity is extremely high; it can be described as fighting on the acupoints of the human body's meridians.

"By pressing the acupoint, the whole body spasms."

Team Leader Tan emphasized his words at the end and clenched his right fist tightly.

"The leaders of the JW working group, do you have any objections?" Chief of Staff Shen asked cautiously.

"no comment."

Team Leader Tan shook his head and said, "We are only required to communicate with the expert group beforehand."

"That's good."

Chief of Staff Shen breathed a long sigh of relief, and his last worries vanished.

"I think……"

Team Leader Tan said seriously, in an angry tone, "It's not that our contemporary Chinese soldiers don't know how to fight, but that they have too few opportunities for battlefield practice."

In particular, their understanding of future warfare is mostly still limited to analyzing the existing combat capabilities of foreign armies, unable to break free from the traditional thinking of "when soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it."

I believe we should train our commanders to boldly imagine based on battlefield analysis of foreign militaries. They must have the courage to dominate the battlefield and conceive of battles and campaigns in which they are primarily in control. Otherwise, winning future wars will remain just empty talk.

Team Leader Tan's idea is entirely correct and is exactly what is needed right now.

However, Team Leader Tan is still just a researcher, merely talking about it, while Chen Jun, as a person from the future, has already begun to take action.

Just like the training ground layout of the 7th Steel Brigade, it completely simulates the street blocks of a certain island.

When that day comes, the Steel Seventh Brigade, having undergone years of simulated combat, will definitely be able to thrive there and unleash its powerful combat capabilities.

Chief of Staff Shen highly regards Chen Jun because he sees what he wants in Chen Jun.

Seeing the same surreal vision in Team Leader Tan made Chief of Staff Shen feel even better.

As a commander at the theater command level, he already possessed considerable power.

However, compared to Team Leader Tan, Chief of Staff Shen has much less influence and say. With Team Leader Tan holding the reins, the reform can be promoted more effectively, making the development of the Seventh Steel Brigade smoother.

When people don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much.

Chief of Staff Shen and Team Leader Tan reached a common understanding and basically agreed on their ideas. They had a lot to talk about and didn't finish until late at night.

This in-depth communication also enhanced each other's understanding of modern warfare.

……

Early the next morning.

The leaders and experts of the J Committee working group, along with specially invited guests and journalists, reunited on the viewing platform where they watched the exercise yesterday.

Although it was still being watched from the same location, the layout of the field had changed significantly.

First, in addition to the television screen, there was a map of Wufeng Mountain hanging on a frame in front of the viewing platform, which was clearly visible.

The narrator in charge of explaining this exercise was not the same one as yesterday, but Ai Jia from the 7th Steel Brigade.

Furthermore, in the seating area below, several familiar faces from the 7th Steel Brigade could be clearly seen, pretending to be guests.

After several months of training in the special operations company, Ai Jia had long since shed the naivety of a college student and gained the composure of a veteran.

Standing on the stage facing so many leaders, and carrying certain special orders, he remained calm and composed, without showing the slightest bit of fear.

All the guests had arrived, except for a few insiders who were not present.

Ai Jia walked to the front of the stage with a smile and said to the group of leaders, "Good morning, leaders. Due to the last-minute change in the exercise plan, I have been assigned by the higher authorities to take charge of the support work for this observation group."

My name is Ai Jia, and I will be accompanying you leaders to observe the next phase of the exercise. The first subject of our exercise today is basically the same as yesterday's.

The difference is that today's exercise involves three units, not two.

This newly added unit is quite extraordinary; it is a digitized combined arms brigade from the Capital Theater Command, and also the first specialized combined arms unit and the second specialized opposing force brigade in the People's Liberation Army—the Steel Seventh Brigade.

Ai Jia rattled off so many titles in one breath, including first and second place, leaving the assembled leaders stunned and their expectations soaring.

The reason they decided to stay was to witness the ultimate showdown between the elite units.

The more intense and exciting the fight, the more enjoyable it will be for them to watch.

Ai Jia raised the leaders' expectations to the highest level. Seeing that the leaders couldn't help but start whispering among themselves, the corners of her mouth turned up even higher than before.

Continuing on the topic, he said, "Yesterday, our exercise was stopped midway because the 7th Steel Brigade launched a surprise attack on both the Red and Blue armies at the same time."

This led to complete chaos among the commanders of both the Red and Blue armies, and even the entire exercise command system.

This was actually a deliberate arrangement by the exercise commander-in-chief, in order to make our exercise more realistic. We hope everyone can understand.

In the subsequent exercises, with the addition of the 7th Steel Brigade, we stopped referring to the Red Army and the Blue Army as we used to, and instead used their unit numbers directly.

The troops participating in today's exercise are the Tsunami Assault Brigade from the Marine Corps, the Mountain Eagle Brigade from the Air Force Airborne Forces, and the Steel 7th Brigade from the Capital Theater Army.

The exercise content has been explained. The exercise will begin shortly. Please wait a moment, leaders.

After Ai Jia finished speaking, she walked down and stood on the left side of the viewing platform.

"That's right, that's how exercises should be conducted, otherwise they won't be worth watching."

"The idea of ​​fighting with land, sea, and air forces together sounds intriguing."

"Is this a real-life version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms? I've never seen an exercise like this before. All three units are quite strong. It's really something to look forward to seeing who wins."

……

As Ai Jia finished her introduction and left, the people who were already discussing could no longer hold back and started talking, filling the seats with their voices.

The senior colonel and expert who stirred up trouble yesterday did not participate in the discussion at this time.

Instead, he called out from several people, "Lieutenant Aijia, is today's exercise order the same as yesterday's, or will it be changed?"

"The beginning is basically the same, there are no changes. Please look at the exercise field."

Ai Jia calmly explained and gestured.

Following his gesture, everyone looked down the mountain in the distance, and the deployment on the exercise field was indeed the same as yesterday.

First, the Tsunami Assault Brigade, which originally represented the Red Army, rushed to position 1130 and took control of it.

This is a situation that everyone can see, a setup already laid out in front of them.

If the exercise were to proceed in the same order as yesterday, the next scene would be the Blue Team's Mountain Eagle Brigade launching a fierce bombardment of the position.

The members of the observation group were all waiting for this scene to unfold after Ai Jia told them that the exercise would remain unchanged.

At this moment, the Tsunami Assault Brigade's command post had a completely different combat deployment than yesterday, clearly indicating that they had no intention of following yesterday's script.

Chief of Staff Gui stood in front of the sand table and reported to Brigade Commander Wang beside him: "Brigade Commander, a small unit of my First Motorized Infantry Battalion made a rapid maneuver towards Xiaojinhu Airport at six o'clock this morning and has achieved the effect of a feint attack."

According to our aerial and satellite reconnaissance, the two airborne battalions of the Mountain Eagle Brigade have already boarded their aircraft and are expected to take off in ten minutes.

According to the Mountain Eagle Brigade's intercepted operational plan, when my small unit passed through the No. 3 division, six transport planes carrying two airborne battalions of the Mountain Eagle Brigade would fly over the No. 3 division.

Two airborne battalions, along with their paratroopers, tanks, and assault vehicles, will simultaneously descend from the sky and encircle and annihilate my 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion in Sector 3.

(End of this chapter)