The shining track-experience the Sino-Russian "Maritime Joint-2021" exercise and the first joint maritime cruise
On October 18, local time, during the first Sino-Russian joint maritime cruise operation, a mixed formation of Chinese and Russian ships crossed the Tsugaru Strait.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
Cross the Tsushima Strait and perform the Sea of Japan together; cross the Tsugaru Strait and cruise the western Pacific Ocean; the Dasumi Strait, fortify the East China Sea...
In early and mid-October, the Chinese navy fleet consisting of the Nanchang, Kunming, Binzhou, Liuzhou, and Dongpinghu ships set sail for the open ocean.
From October 14th to 17th, the formation and Russian ships successfully completed the Sino-Russian "Sea Joint-2021" exercise in Peter the Great Bay; from October 17th to 23rd, 10 ships and 6 ships of the Chinese and Russian navies Helicopters on board formed a joint formation and successfully organized and implemented the first joint maritime cruise in the Sea of Japan, Western Pacific, and East China Sea.
4,000 nautical miles to fight the wind and waves, the navies of the two countries have exchanged navigation and training all the way, and used pragmatic measures to further develop the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Russia in the new era.
In the two tough battles of joint exercises and joint cruises, the Chinese naval fleet has gained experience, continued friendship, opened history, and left a series of shining trails.
one
This voyage started with an autumn rain.
On the morning of October 10, in the drizzle of drizzle, the bus we took drove into a certain military port in Qingdao.
The bus slowed down, turned, turned again, and rounded the top of the mountain, and the towering masts of ships came into view.
What amazed me was not the main mast of the ship island of the Liaoning ship, but the integrated masts of multiple 055-ton destroyers.
"Wow! This is too tyrant! There are so many tons of large-scale drive!" "Nanchang ship, Lhasa ship, but a proper Internet celebrity!" Get off the car, the accompanying military reporters are all in front of you. The scene" was amazed.
"These Type 055 destroyers are only part of the main battleships of our detachment. Because the berths are limited, the rest of the ships can only be parked at other piers." Colonel Zhang Yong, political commissar of a destroyer detachment of the Northern Theater Navy, came to greet us. The words of "Versailles" are introduced enthusiastically to everyone.
Zhang Yong is one of the commanders of the Chinese formation of the Sino-Russian "Joint Maritime-2021" exercise, and the other commander is his partner-Colonel Li Lie, the leader of the detachment.
The flagship of the formation is the Nanchang ship, the first ship of the Type 055 destroyer.
On October 18, local time, during the first Sino-Russian joint maritime cruise operation, a mixed formation of Chinese and Russian ships crossed the Tsugaru Strait.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
"When our military academy graduated and assigned to this detachment more than 20 years ago, the largest and most advanced main battleship was only 3,000 tons, and the others were more than 1,000 tons. Nowadays, the 055 and 052D destroyers have become the main force of the detachment. It's so big that I didn't even dream of it back then." Li Lie couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion while looking down at the naval harbor lined with sails.
In the past 20 years, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the equipment of this detachment has undergone a qualitative change.
The upgrading of a detachment’s main battleship reflects the historic achievements and historical changes that have taken place in the transformation and construction of the People’s Navy.
That night, the Nanchang ship anchored in the rain as planned.
The night sailing of the 10,000-ton giant ship is a relatively dangerous operation, but the author saw in the cockpit that through the ship’s highly integrated information system and accurate positioning system "blessing", the sailors only need to stare at the large screens. Can grasp the ship's maneuvering status in real time, obtain various data, and accurately control the warship.
In a short while, the Nanchang ship turned the bow and accelerated towards the black ocean.
The Nanchang ship entered the list in January 2020 and successfully completed a number of major training tasks in less than two years. Especially since March this year, it has broken through the island chain three times in six months and went to the South China Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Bering Sea. And the western Pacific Ocean, drawn a magnificent track in the ocean.
And this mission was the fourth time they went to the ocean this year.
Before the Nanchang ship pulled out its anchor, the Kunming, Binzhou, Liuzhou, and Dongpinghu ships participating in the naval exercises in various theaters had set sail from their respective military ports.
These ships are all new ships that have been listed after 2010.
The dispatch of a fleet of "post-ten" ships to participate in the China-Russia joint naval exercise demonstrated the confidence and openness of the Chinese Navy, and demonstrated the unbreakable traditional friendship and strategic mutual trust between the two militaries of China and Russia.
To the east, to the east.
Facing the rustling waves, the Nanchang ship flickered red, right and green side lights on the left and right, breaking the waves all the way on the dark sea, opening the curtain for the Type 055 destroyer to go abroad to participate in the joint military exercise for the first time.
two
There is a small chart room behind the Nanchang navigator's cab. This is the busiest place on the ship during the naval voyage.
The position of Lieutenant Jiang Yaxin, deputy chief of navigator, is here. She has to work in the chart room for more than 8 hours every day, day and night.
In the early morning of October 12, the ships belonging to the formation entered the Tsushima Strait one after another.
The Tsushima Strait is a strait between Japan's Tsushima Island and Kyushu Island. It is an international waterway through which military ships and aircrafts of various countries can pass freely.
Jiang Yaxin pointed to the chart and said that the narrowest part of the Tsushima Strait is only 28 nautical miles, which is the main passage for the East China Sea to enter and exit the Sea of Japan.
Looking around the Nanchang ship, there are endless streams of merchant ships, transporting most of the economic materials needed by cities in western Japan.
In the early morning, the sea surface was misty, and a level 7 wind rolled up a 3-meter-high wave and hit the battleship with loud bangs.
As the ship's bow split the waves, the glass portholes of the driver's cab were tightly covered by large splashes of water.
Corporal Song Jialong, the pilot of the Nanchang ship, held the rudder steadily and moved forward at high speed along the predetermined course.
The picture shows the anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the Japanese Self-Defense Force conducting reconnaissance of the Sino-Russian naval formation during the joint crossing of the Western Pacific Ocean on October 18.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
The huge fleet of ships composed of the Nanchang, Kunming, Binzhou, Liuzhou, and Dongpinghu ships quickly attracted the attention of countries around the strait.
From the early hours of the morning, the Japanese frigate "Shentong" and the support ship "Amakusa" have been following the formation far away.
"It's a bit abnormal today. The'Queen Photographer' who cares about us the most hasn't appeared yet?" At breakfast, the Nanchang Ship Political Commissar Chen Weigong said jokingly.
He has led ships through the Tsushima Strait on many occasions and is very familiar with the tracking and monitoring of our ships by neighboring countries.
Everyone analyzes that in the morning, the sea area is foggy and visibility is low, which is not conducive to aircraft flying. "It will definitely come when the weather improves."
Sure enough, the weather gradually improved around 10 o'clock and the visibility exceeded 5 nautical miles. The "Queen Photographer" arrived late.
This is a P-1 anti-submarine patrol aircraft, circling the Nanchang ship at low altitude at a distance of 2 kilometers, about 100 meters above the sea surface. From the scene, it is almost flying close to the sea.
Of course, in accordance with relevant international laws and international maritime collision avoidance rules, it proactively informs the purpose and route in English and declares that it will not interfere with our normal navigation.
The "Queen Photographer" flew 3 times around the Nanchang ship. It is estimated that the photo was almost taken, and then flew to the remaining 4 ships in the formation, using exactly the same routines, hovering and shooting at low altitude.
As usual, the next day the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's Integrated Staff and Supervision Department will release pictures of the Chinese naval fleet passing through the Tsushima Strait.
Facing the follow-up and surveillance of foreign warships and aircraft, the officers and soldiers appeared to be very calm, performing their duties, all work was carried out according to deployment, and all battle positions were functioning in an orderly manner.
Sergeant Lu Ruipeng, the commander of the pilot flight, had made more than 20 voyages, and he calmly said: "We have become accustomed to it." His speech and behavior revealed the confidence and calmness of a great power sailor.
three
In the early morning of October 14, the Chinese naval fleet entered the territorial waters of Russia's Peter the Great Bay, merged with a guided missile boat from the Russian Pacific Fleet, and sailed to the anchorage under its guidance.
On the banks of Peter the Great's Bay, the morning sun was faintly dew, and seagulls soared.
On the dark green sea, the participating ships of the Chinese and Russian navies lined up one after another in the anchorage, standing side by side like close comrades in arms.
In the sea breeze, the Chinese and Russian national flags hung on the main mast of the Nanchang ship fluttered in the wind.
Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the two sides of the joint performance did not set up a joint director's department or command post on the shore. Although the commanders of the two sides did not meet or contact, the Sino-Russian friendship can be transmitted across space and wirelessly.
"I announce that the Sino-Russian'Maritime Joint-2021' military exercise will now begin!" At about 14:00 local time on the 14th, the opening ceremony of the exercise was held on the Nanchang ship and the Russian Navy's "Resonant" frigate.
Major General Kabantsov, Commander of the Coastal Mixed Zone Fleet of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet, and Major General Bai Yaoping, Deputy Commander of the Navy in the Northern Theater of the People’s Liberation Army, acted as exercise directors. Act the big scene.
Naval press spokesperson Colonel Liu Wensheng said that the "joint maritime" series of exercises is the largest maritime exercise within the Sino-Russian bilateral framework, and has been held 9 consecutive times since 2012.
After years of running-in joint exercises at sea, the two sides have gradually formed a more mature and standardized implementation method of joint exercises on the basis of high mutual trust and in-depth cooperation. Sino-Russian joint exercises at sea have become a way to enhance the level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries and the two militaries and enhance the navy. The traditional friendship between the two countries, the stable cooperation platform and communication channels for training and improving the ability of joint maritime operations have attracted more and more attention from both international and domestic countries, and have formed a strong "brand" effect.
This is a reunion of old friends.
Among the ships participating in the exercise, the Liuzhou ship, Dongping Lake ship of the Chinese Navy, and the large-scale anti-submarine ship of the Russian Navy have participated in the "China-Russia Sea Joint" series of exercises. Years of exchanges and cooperation have allowed the officers and soldiers to form a profound relationship with each other. friendship.
"I have several old friends in the Russian Pacific Fleet!" Li Lie, the commander of the Chinese formation, said happily.
Since 2012, he has participated in the Sino-Russian maritime joint exercises 6 times. In 2018, he also led the Huangshi ship to Russia to participate in the "International Military Competition" and won the "Cup of the Seas" event champion.
"Look, that is the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleev, and that is the frigate Loud..." Tang Yanzhi, the signal squad leader of the Dongping Lake ship and the fourth-level sergeant chief who participated in the fourth exercise, spoke to the anchor. The Russian warships are like many treasures, introducing the performance of the ships to the recruits one by one.
Joint exercises are not only the mutual learning and advancement of warfare and training methods, but also the sublimation and warming of emotional friendship.
After nearly 10 years of running-in, the Chinese and Russian navies have become more and more tacit, gradually moving from the initial "you are you, I am me" to a new stage of "you are in you and you are in me".
On October 18, local time, during the first Sino-Russian joint maritime cruise operation, a mixed formation of Chinese and Russian ships crossed the Tsugaru Strait.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
Four
At 7:30 local time, the Chinese and Russian fleets set off from the anchorage.
Since this day, the joint exercise has entered the stage of actual military exercises.
On the same day, subjects such as formation communication, passing through the mine threat zone, formation air defense, formation maneuvering, firing of main artillery against the sea, and anchorage defense will be completed.
“From the morning to the anchor at night, we have to complete so many exercises in one day. The challenge is indeed quite big.” said Zhang Yong, the commander of the Chinese formation. The implementation plan requires on-site guidance and ad hoc decision-making, which is a big test for the commander and the officers and soldiers participating in the exercise.
After completing the brief communications exercise, the Chinese and Russian ships formed a single column in a single column and proceeded to the exercise area.
The Russian minesweeper, as the pioneer of the entire fleet, quickly moved forward to clear away the threat of simulated mines.
Colonel Zhou Minghui, the captain of the Nanchang warship, said that although mines are an old-fashioned weapon, the threat should not be underestimated and should not be handled carelessly.
"Floating thunder appeared ahead." The Russian command ship sent a command.
After a while, the Russian ship and the Chinese Dongping Lake ship successively used naval guns to attack the nearby simulated mines and successfully opened a safe channel.
As soon as the threat of mines was lifted, the formation air defense course was launched.
Many Russian fighters acted as the Blue Army, approaching Chinese ships quickly from different directions and different heights.
Because the Chinese ships did not know the timing, location, and route of the Blue Army fighters' surprise attack before the exercise, this "back-to-back" air defense confrontation is the most direct actual combat test of the daily combat readiness training level of the Chinese ships.
In the face of the "menacing" warplanes, the Chinese and Russian naval fleet quickly formed an air defense formation, weaved a tight air defense net, and successfully fought against many batches of air targets.
"With the close cooperation of neighboring ships, the Nanchang ship performed well in the air defense course," said Captain Zhou Huaqing, the deputy air combat commander of the Nanchang ship.
At 16:30, the exercise ushered in the most interesting lesson-the main gun firing at the sea.
The Chinese and Russian warships changed their formations and moved forward in a single column.
Each ship uses its main artillery to strike at sea targets in turn.
For a time, there was a rumble of cannons on the sea, and flames burst out in all directions.
As the newest destroyer of the People's Navy, the firing of the main guns of the Nanchang ship is the focus of everyone's attention.
Looking through the binoculars, the target 8,000 meters away is like a jumping ping-pong ball, looming and floating up and down, can it be hit?
Many people sweated for the gunner.
In the main gun control room of the Nanchang ship, Shi Xiaojun, the commander squad leader and second-level sergeant commander, is full of confidence. He has served in the main gun battle position for 20 years and has rich experience in manipulating many types of naval guns.
He worked closely with his comrades, and used advanced fire control computers to quickly calculate the shooting elements based on the target ship's position information provided by the radar department.
"Aiming point is correct, loaded, put!" The moment he pressed the launch button, the main gun made a loud noise, the gun popped out of the chamber, and the first shot hit the target accurately.
"In the course of shooting against the sea that just ended, our ship hit the target after the test shot, and the subsequent shots hit the target one after another, and achieved a good start to the actual use of weapons in the Sino-Russian joint exercise, which fully reflects the results of our solid training and unity in the early stage." As soon as the firing of the 20 shells ended, Chen Weigong, the political commissar of the Nanchang ship, announced the results through the ship broadcast, and the officers and soldiers on the ship were greatly encouraged.
"Achieving such a good result is not only due to the advanced performance of our main guns and the qualitative leap in strike accuracy, but also due to the solid training foundation of officers and soldiers, and the high integration of humans and weapons." Shi Xiaojun introduced, when he joined the army. , The dual 130mm main guns in charge require more than a dozen people to operate, and the aiming takes a long time and the accuracy is not high. However, the Nanchang ship’s main guns can be operated by only two or three people. The calculation of Zhuyuan has been fully automated, which is perfectly verified. Technology is combat effectiveness".
five
From the morning of October 16th to the 17th, the Sino-Russian joint exercise entered the stage of cross-day and night joint anti-submarine.
Anti-submarine warfare is a worldwide problem in naval warfare, and it is also the "big picture" of the Sino-Russian "Sea Joint-2021" joint exercise. The two navies dispatched shore-based anti-submarine patrol aircraft to cooperate with ship formations and carrier helicopters to carry out three-dimensional joint anti-submarine operations. Compared with previous years, the antagonism and actual combat of the subjects have been greatly improved, which also reflects the high degree of strategic mutual trust between China and Russia.
Stepping into the Chinese command post located on the Nanchang ship, several huge electronic screens come into view.
The Chinese and Russian naval fleets are anti-submarine at the same time in different sea areas, and the display consoles are flashing electric lights, and the red, green and green icons are slowly moving on the situation map.
The officers and soldiers hurriedly walked and looked solemn, and the atmosphere seemed extremely tense.
A Chinese anti-submarine patrol aircraft took off from an airport in China, and it flew into the target sea area of the exercise via Russian airspace for the first time for anti-submarine search; each carrier-borne helicopter took off in turn; surface ships such as Nanchang and Kunming deployed towed sonar... a series of combinations Punch out, let the three-dimensional anti-submarine drill climax one after another.
When talking about the role of anti-submarine patrol aircraft, carrier helicopters, and surface ships in the joint anti-submarine mission, Li Lie, the commander of the Chinese formation, made an easy-to-understand analogy: "This is like a doctor examining a patient and an anti-submarine patrol aircraft. Like CT (computed tomography) and nuclear magnetic resonance, it can locate and search for the suspected target sea area; the shipborne helicopter will perform'endoscopy' operation and'minimally invasive surgery' on the anti-submarine patrol aircraft as needed to locate the sea area for further verification or confirmation. Eliminate underwater targets; surface ships undertake long-term tracking, constantly narrowing the range and locking the target, and slowly closing the net."
However, to find a trace of a submarine in a vast ocean with variable depths is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack.
In order to catch this "big black fish", the Chinese and Russian warship-aircraft formations cast an invisible net-anti-submarine patrol aircraft radar, carrier helicopters and naval sonar sound waves, which are combed back and forth in the sea over and over again.
In the middle of the night on October 16, the two parties started the second round of submarine search operations.
At this time, the cold wave hit, the highest wind on the sea reached level 8, and the wave height was 5 meters. The ship sailing against the wind undulated up and down. Looking forward from the driver's cab, we could vaguely see big waves coming one after another.
Unfamiliar seas, complex sea conditions, continuous operations across day and night, and other factors have made anti-submarine exercises more difficult, especially the sudden drop in water temperature caused by cold waves, which put a layer of "camouflage net" and "protective color" on the submarine, making sonar detection difficult It's harder.
Strong winds and waves are also a huge challenge for helicopters to take off and land.
Helicopter captain Tan Shenpeng, who completed several hours of aerial submarine search operations during the day, said: “The flight deck of the ship shook violently in the wind and waves. The landing of the helicopter must be judged within a few seconds of the stable period between peaks and troughs, which is quite difficult.”
Even in the face of numerous difficulties, the Chinese officers and soldiers remained high-spirited to overcome the adverse effects of strong winds and waves. They cooperated with each other tacitly, exchanged information between battle positions, captured every weak underwater target signal, and provided a practical three-dimensional anti-submarine anti-submarine system. China has withstood head-to-head tempers, enriched and tested tactics and training methods, experienced commanders and professional players at all levels, and accumulated "experience" for decisive victory in the future naval battlefield.
six
This is destined to be a sea voyage recorded in the history of the Chinese Navy.
After the "Maritime Joint-2021" exercise ended on the morning of October 17, the ships of the two countries did not "go home" separately as usual. Instead, they formed a joint formation and sailed formidable to the ocean, starting the first Sino-Russian maritime joint. cruise.
"Comrades, we are about to embark on the first Sino-Russian joint maritime cruise. Behind the formation, the mountains of the Sikhote Mountains are going away. In front of the formation, there are the long waves of the deep ocean and the shining journey of the life of all officers and soldiers. We. Work together, and we will witness together!" Just as the formation was transferred to the key node of the joint cruise, the surging impromptu broadcast mobilization by the political commissar of the Nanchang ship Chen Weigong echoed in the hearts of officers and soldiers for a long time.
Facing the wind and the waves, 10 warships including the Nanchang ship of the Chinese Navy and the command ship "Marshal Krylov" of the Russian Navy went all the way east and crossed the Sea of Japan day and night.
Starting to cross the Tsugaru Strait on the morning of October 18, the Sino-Russian formation formed a column that stretched for more than 10 nautical miles.
The Tsugaru Strait is a non-territorial strait, and ships of various countries can pass freely.
At this time, the sky is blue and the sea is blue, the clouds are rolling and the clouds are blowing, facing the direction of the ship's bow, on the left is the port bridge around the city of Hakodate in Hokkaido, and on the right is the undulating green hills of Honshu Island.
However, the officers and soldiers did not take time to appreciate the scenery. Foreign anti-submarine patrol planes, reconnaissance planes, fighter jets, minesweepers, etc., have been accompanying and flying by the Sino-Russian joint formation before entering the strait. There are at most 8 planes, and some are surrounding them. The formation was circling and shooting, and some of them passed at low altitude from the outer side of our ship.
In accordance with relevant international laws, the Chinese ship conducted English speaking, identification verification and warning to drive away, and required the other party to maintain a safe distance and not interfere with our normal navigation.
The two soldiers, Zhang Haoxiang and Lu Da, the signal soldiers of Nanchang, were busy from morning till night. They used English proficiently and normatively, and their attitude was neither humble nor overbearing.
On the evening of October 18, the Ministry of Defense of Japan announced the information about the Chinese-Russian formation crossing the Tsugaru Strait, saying that this was the first time that a Chinese-Russian naval vessel had passed through the Tsugaru Strait. , For a time aroused high attention of international public opinion.
Out of the Tsugaru Strait, into the Western Pacific, all the way south, across the Osumi Strait, into the East China Sea... The Sino-Russian joint formation cruises all the way and trains all the way, joint sailing, joint maneuvering, actual use of weapons, helicopter take-off and landing and other subjects in the vast ocean. Staged.
In the western Pacific east of Japan, the Sino-Russian joint formation organized a deep rocket launch training.
The Russian "Admiral Tributz", "Admiral Panteleev" large anti-submarine ship and the Chinese Binzhou ship and Liuzhou ship mixed formations, launching several deep rocket bombs to attack the target on the left front .
The loud noises on the high seas conveyed to the outside world that China and Russia had a new level of military coordination and exchanges.
On the evening of October 22, the Sino-Russian joint formation entered the Osumi Strait and arrived in the sub-navigation area in the eastern part of the East China Sea in the early morning of the next day.
So far, the first joint naval cruise of the Chinese and Russian navies is about to come to a successful conclusion.
It's time to say goodbye!
At noon on October 23, bathed in the deep autumn sea breeze, five Chinese and Russian warships were divided into two columns and marched in the same direction. The sailors of the two countries who had never met stood on the sides of their respective ships.
As the whistle sounded, the fleet of ships from both sides slowly separated like two long dragons, and everyone waved goodbye to each other by appointment.
See you in the sea next time!
Photographed by Li Tangwen Source: China Youth Daily