People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force’s New Normal: Enhanced VR Simulation 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force (PLARF) has made a paradigm shift in their VR simulation capabilities as they look to better prepare for war and rapidly increase combat capability. One PLA Daily author writes virtual reality (VR) training, “that was once imaginable but not possible has now become the new normal for the PLARF to carry out practical training” [1]. This “new normal” can be traced back to the 18th Party Congress in 2012 Xi Jinping laid out a new “three step strategy” [“三步走”战略] for national defense and military modernization to be met by 2035. Of the three steps, the third focused on promoting the strengthening of the military through science and technology. Per reports in PLA media, the PLARF have enhanced their VR capability in three major ways: Integrated Simulation Training Platform, “actual combat” simulation, and mobile simulated training. All three work in tandem to create a better prepared and more combat ready Rocket Force. 

Integrated Simulation Training Platform 

In the past, PLARF VR simulation was very rudimentary and would focus on one specific task such as a driving simulation. Yuan Yiguang, an instructor in a PLARF battalion, stated, “Simulation training conducted in the past let officers and soldiers familiarize themselves with the launch process and conduct a single specific activity” [2]. Over the past few years the PLARF has worked on integrating dozens of training simulations together, calling it their “Integrated Simulation Training Platform” [ 一体化模拟训练平台] [3]. In the PLA Daily article “Missile Launching Pioneer Battalion Brigade of the Rocket Army: A Great Power with a Long Sword Sharpening the Sky” they describe the platform as, “realizing the interconnection, intercommunication, and interaction between the different positions in the launch process” [4]. Liu Menghai, training section chief stated that they are able to integrate multiple elements in a simulation rather than focusing on a single element. As Liu Menghai explains, “now the entire combat process is trained seamlessly, from the combat order to the missile upgrade test, from the complex road conditions to the simulated missile ignition, the entire combat process is completed by the integrated simulation training system” [5]. 

War Conditions Simulation  

In conjunction with the integration of training simulations the PLARF has also worked on making the simulations closer to “actual combat”. For example, in the article “Celebrating the Special Issue of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China丨Thunder’s Expedition: The Missile Powerhouse Draws Its Bow and Strings” the authors describe how the PLARF have used simulations to, “build their own blue army [i] detachments, enhanced the training of high-intensity continuous firepower assaults, full protection and attrition operations and other challenges, specializing in refinement, complementing shortcomings and strong capabilities, looking for new growth points of combat effectiveness, and upgrading core military capabilities” [6]. Simulations also include, “more than 10 complex environments such as rainy nights, deserts, and muddy roads, and presets (for driving to launch areas) to simulate bumps, bridges, and urgently built dirt roads” [7]. Presets for the simulation can be determined before the exercise begins or be chosen randomly so that soldiers cannot prepare for the simulation. On the benefit of enhanced VR, Liu Menghai stated, “The technical and tactical subjects that are rarely trained and difficult to train can be practiced repeatedly through simulated training; the subjects and links that were weak in the past can be reviewed anytime and anywhere to discuss the best way to solve the problem” [8]. 

Mobile Simulated Training

While most of the PLARF’s simulation training is held in dedicated fixed facilities they are also developing mobile simulation capabilities. In the article “A Brigade of the Rocket Army: Technological Training Helps Talents Grow Rapidly” the authors write:

In order to improve the quality and efficiency of teaching, the brigade has also promoted a batch of portable auxiliary training equipment. This batch of equipment was independently developed by the brigade's technical room. It can not only judge the operational accuracy of officers and soldiers in real time, but also have the function of data recording and archiving, providing a scientific basis for improving training methods [9]. 

This allows for PLARF soldiers to practice and improve on issue areas virtually before conducting live drills wherever they are stationed. The United States military is enhancing their VR training in a similar trajectory. Col. Charles Ryan, Senior Materiel Leader for the Simulators Division of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Agile Combat Support Directorate, states their goal is to “move more applications to the cloud and deploy edge devices so training that does not require fixed hardware interfaces can take place remotely” [10].  

Conclusion

Sergeant Chen Qiqian sums up PLARF’s advancement in VR well stating, “We have caught up with the era of strengthening the PLA with science and technology" [11]. The PLARF, and the PLA more broadly, are using technological advancement to create a “new normal” in which technology deeply enhances and improves training. Enhanced VR simulation on an integrated platform with options to deploy capabilities beyond fixed locations allows the PLARF to better prepare for future wars and more quickly make adjustments and discover weaknesses. As VR Instructor Yuan Yiguang states, “We must always keep the arrow on the string and prepare for war, and accumulate the strong fighting spirit and the confidence to overcome the enemy and win with stronger ability [12]. 

Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Air University, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other U.S. government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. 

Footnotes

[i] Blue army is the designation of an adversary in PLA combat simulations.  To learn more about how the PLA is advancing its ability to simulate the blue army read: “China is Building a Blue Army in the Metaverse” https://public.milcyber.org/activities/magazine/articles/2022/baughman-china-blue-army-metaverse 

Endnotes

[1] Yuan Shuai; Li Hongjie [袁 帅 李宏杰]. “‘Missile Launching Pioneer Battalion’ of a Brigade of the Rocket Army: A Great Power with a Long Sword Sharpening the Sky” [火箭军某旅“导弹发射先锋营”：大国长剑砺刃万里苍穹]. PLA Daily. Accessed November 7, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-10/10/content_10190756.htm  

[2] Yuan Shuai; Li Hongjie [袁 帅 李宏杰]. “‘Missile Launching Pioneer Battalion’ of a Brigade of the Rocket Army: A Great Power with a Long Sword Sharpening the Sky” [火箭军某旅“导弹发射先锋营”：大国长剑砺刃万里苍穹]. PLA Daily. Accessed November 7, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-10/10/content_10190756.htm   

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Li Bingfeng; Guo Haitao. [“李兵峰  郭海涛]. “Celebrating the Special Issue of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China丨Thunder’s Expedition: The Missile Powerhouse Draws Its Bow and Strings” [喜迎党的二十大特刊丨雷霆出征：导弹劲旅挽弓满弦].PLA Daily. Accessed November 8, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-10/13/content_10191669.htm.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Yuan Shuai; Li Hongjie [袁 帅 李宏杰]. “‘Missile Launching Pioneer Battalion’ of a Brigade of the Rocket Army: A Great Power with a Long Sword Sharpening the Sky” [火箭军某旅“导弹发射先锋营”：大国长剑砺刃万里苍穹]. PLA Daily. Accessed November 7, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-10/10/content_10190756.htm  

[9] Huang Wuxing [黄武星]. “A Brigade of the Rocket Army: Technological Training Helps Talents Grow Rapidly” [火箭军某旅：科技练兵助力人才快速成长].PLA Daily.  Accessed November 8, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-08/01/content_10174962.htm

[10] Sean Carberry. “Air Force Aims for Common Virtual Training Environment.” National Defense. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/11/11/air-force-aims-for-common-virtual-training-environment.

[11] Yuan Shuai; Li Hongjie [袁 帅 李宏杰]. “‘Missile Launching Pioneer Battalion’ of a Brigade of the Rocket Army: A Great Power with a Long Sword Sharpening the Sky” [火箭军某旅“导弹发射先锋营”：大国长剑砺刃万里苍穹]. PLA Daily. Accessed November 7, 2022. http://www.81.cn/hjj/2022-10/10/content_10190756.htm 

[12] Ibid

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