Just as millions have sat the University Entrance Examination, so too others have recently graduated. For some Nanjing students wearing camouflage, this has entailed real-life, live-fire exercises with some of the country’s most sophisticated weaponry.
They’re called the Red Arrows. Not the famous acrobatic display team of the UK’s Royal Air Force, but rather the Chinese anti-tank missile weapon system. In practice, they go by the nickname, “Tank Killer”.
With a strong ability to strike ground and low altitude targets, the graduating students got to grips with the Tank Killers as part of their transition to professional soldiers armed with the latest technology.
Once assembled in Nanjing, manoeuvres were the first order of the day, to the firing range off the coast of the Yellow Sea.
The students were quickly presented with another challenge; the weather. With visibility over the sea drastically reduced, so the difficulty level of the live firing increased sharply.
An instructor assembled the would-be troops to explain the assessment process and requirements in detail for what was their first live-fire exercise. Next time for these graduates, it might be the real thing.
On account of the high speed of the missiles, a video feed from the front of each was transmitted back to the shooter several kilometres away.
During the exercise, the students recorded direct hits on the target which was floating in the sea. Army enthusiasts will find interest in a video report on the exercise published by The Paper.
Based in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, the PLA Army Academy of Artillery and Air Defence was founded in 2017. The Academy undertakes the training of artillery and air defence command officers, as well as rotation training for current cadres and the training of soldiers recommended for admission. In addition to the Nanjing campus, another is maintained in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province.
