Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Upon closer examination, however, there is no hint of slackening in these words. The phrase "Let's see if our understanding of the new organization, new system, and new training methods is adequate and if we are implementing them effectively" is far from a simple discussion to solicit opinions.

This was clearly an on-the-spot assessment and test of the cadres' qualities, a public evaluation of whether this acting battalion commander, as a pilot, had the vision and ability to shoulder the reform tasks.

Gao Shijun nodded without saying anything, clearly agreeing with the political commissar's opinion.

The head of the group army's training department then stood up. This senior colonel, holding a summary document, spoke directly, "Reporting to the political commissar, army commander, and standing committee members, according to the report, the specific situation is as follows."

The pilot preparation work for the heavy combined arms battalion of the T Division is progressing in an orderly and effective manner. The pilot program, the camp site renovation plan, the equipment application and coordination plan, and the personnel organization framework have all passed the preliminary review by the group army headquarters.

All preparatory work was carried out thoroughly and steadily, laying a solid foundation for the official launch and regular operation of the pilot program.

At present, the overall situation is in a stable window of opportunity for the initial stage, with no major problems such as delays, omissions in the plan, or lack of preparation.

The next core focus will shift from preliminary planning and paperwork to practical implementation, system integration, tactical refinement, and addressing weaknesses.

This requires the newly appointed battalion-level leadership to deepen their understanding of modular integrated operations and the first-generation digital warfare system, refine practical measures, identify key areas for improvement, overcome bottlenecks in development, and steadily promote the pilot program to a deeper and more practical level.

After a brief, concise, and watertight report, the director of the training department bowed and slowly sat down, and the entire conference room fell silent instantly.

Sitting in the main seat, Army Commander Gao Shijun, who is also the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Group Army, listened to the report and lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. The crisp sound was particularly clear in the quiet conference room.

His gaze shifted, passing over the group of generals and colonels, and finally landed precisely on Zhang Anbang, who was sitting at the very end of the meeting. His eyes were sharp and clear, filled with scrutiny, expectation, and a test.

He then said, "The Party Committee and various departments of the division have done a very solid job in the early planning, schemes and preparations, and have laid a solid foundation."

However good a plan may be on paper, it is ultimately just talk. The real key to its implementation, practical application, and system formation lies in the thinking, responsibility, and execution of the frontline leaders.

Zhang Anbang.

As the army commander called out names in public, the eyes of all the attendees instantly focused on him.

Major General, Senior Colonel, Colonel—all eyes, whether scrutinizing, observing, curious, or watching, were fixed on Zhang Anbang, who sat at the end carrying two mao yi on his shoulder.

Facing the gazes of a hall full of officers and soldiers, Zhang Anbang showed no sign of panic or stage fright. The moment Gao Shijun's voice fell, he straightened his back and stood up straight.

Standing with impeccable posture, shoulders level, gaze focused, and a loud, steady voice, he announced, "Present!"

Looking at Zhang Anbang, who stood tall and straight like a pine tree, Gao Shijun went straight to the point, saying, "You are the core drafter of this digitalized combined arms battalion plan, and also the first acting battalion commander of our group army's heavy combined arms battalion pilot project."

In terms of understanding, research, and practical approach, you are more familiar with this system and its structure than many of you here.

Today, let's set no frameworks, avoid empty talk, and limit our thinking. Let's talk about the core advantages of our pilot combined arms battalion compared to traditional mechanized battalions.

Given our existing equipment, systems, and technological capabilities, what is our biggest weakness and pain point?

"Go forward, how do you plan to break through, how do you build, and how do you envision it taking shape? Tell me honestly about your thoughts, your predictions, and your plans."

This series of questions placed all the pressure and focus of the entire meeting on Zhang Anbang alone.

Is the pressure immense? Of course it is. This is a pilot program, and nobody knows what the future holds.

However, it wasn't all pressure and crisis; this also provided Zhang Anbang with a huge stage.

Keep in mind that this was done in front of all the top officers of the entire army group. Zhang Anbang fired this shot, which made him even more important in the minds of the top officers of the entire army group.

Sitting in front of Zhang Anbang, Division Commander Chen Shi and Political Commissar Liu Gang, though their expressions remained calm upon hearing these questions, revealed tension, and of course, expectation, in their eyes.

As the division commander and political commissar, they were well aware of the significance of this assessment. This was not a simple work speech, but the group army party committee's ultimate assessment of Zhang Anbang's personal capabilities.

It is also a comprehensive test of the pilot construction level and talent reserve strength of T Division. A calm and thorough answer and a forward-looking and practical approach will make T Division stand out and new talents emerge.

If the answer is empty and perfunctory, shows a lack of understanding and a lack of perspective, not only will the individual's future be hindered, but the reputation of the entire T-teacher pilot program and its annual performance evaluation will also be directly affected.

As a key member of the younger generation, Chen Shi had experienced similar situations countless times back then. Zhang Anbang, as one of the twin stars of T Division and a talent in both the library and the warehouse, had always received much attention in T Division.

He does his daily work very well and exceptionally well, but this is the first time he has encountered such a big stage.

Those were eight or nine major generals. Many people who have served in the military for several years have never seen such high-ranking officers, let alone so many at once. There were also senior colonels and colonels.

Everyone assumed that Zhang Anbang would follow the usual military procedure, first expressing his obedience to the organization's arrangements, thanking the leaders for their trust, and promising to do his best to fulfill his duties and live up to the trust placed in him.

This is the safest, most reliable, and most flawless set of official jargon, and also the most stable way to deal with such situations.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Anbang stood up and stood firmly, saying with a calm expression, "Reporting to the commanders, foreign militaries began exploring the construction of modular combined arms battalions as early as the 1990s."

Leveraging information superiority to break down barriers between military units, thus better adapting to the fast-paced modern battlefield.

In my personal opinion, the Army will inevitably adopt a flat, combined arms organization in the future, gradually achieving digital networking, precision strikes, and system-wide collaboration, making the combined arms battalion the core basic combat unit of the Army.

Our army has long relied on traditional single-service battalions, which are independent of each service, have complicated coordination, and are slow to respond, making them difficult to adapt to the needs of future combat.

This pilot project of a heavy-armored combined arms battalion is a key attempt by our military to catch up and transform, and to leap from mechanization to informatization. Through modular organization of multiple branches of service, it enables battalion-level autonomous reconnaissance, strike, support and reinforcement.

However, based on existing equipment, communication architecture, and command system, the current first-generation digital pilot battalion is essentially just a traditional mechanized force with a simple information technology shell on top of it.

While we can see that they do have vehicle-mounted terminals, situational displays, and digital labeling systems, which meet the standards in form and are advanced in appearance, they are not true digital combat units at all.

In real combat environments and complex electromagnetic warfare environments, the overall improvement in combat capability is extremely limited. In fact, insufficient system adaptation and lack of integration may even create new operational weaknesses and battlefield vulnerabilities.