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Chinese forces focus on combat readiness as US keeps close watch
- 75th Group Army mounts series of live-fire drills to test coordination and strike skills in action
- Anti-aircraft guns, drones and armoured vehicles rolled out for exercises, state media report
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A major military unit responsible for the defence of southern China has stepped up combat-readiness training in the last few weeks as US warplanes have mounted more frequent close-up reconnaissance missions.
The People’s Liberation Army’s 75th Group Army, based in the southwestern city of Kunming, has conducted a series of live-fire and anti-aircraft drills since late July, according to state media.
The most recent exercise was in the southern province of Guangdong and involved four self-propelled anti-aircraft guns firing rapidly on targets identified by radar units, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.
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Battalion commander Yang Hu told CCTV that the exercise tested troops in “equipment operation, air enemy detection and coordination between officers and soldiers under combat conditions”.
“This ensures that we can detect, collaborate and strike, as soon as the enemy appears,” Yang said.
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The 75th Group Army’s artillery brigade also worked on its combat readiness in a series of day and night live-fire exercises in late July.
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