The “Zapad/Interaction-2021” exercise officially kicked off on the morning of August 9 at a combined-arms tactical training base in Ningxia, according to CCTV Military.
Li Zuocheng, a member of the Chinese Central Military Commission and Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the Military Commission, served as the chief director of the exercise. He attended the opening ceremony of the exercise and announced the start of the exercise.
At the opening ceremony of the exercise, the participating officers and soldiers of the two armies were organized into 13 ground teams and 2 air echelons according to their operations, and they were inspected on the battlefield.
The exercise focused on jointly maintaining regional security and stability. The Military Commission established a director’s department and built a three-level organizational command system of “director’s department-joint command-participating troops”, which was organized and implemented in two stages: joint planning and land attack.
The first stage focuses on the exercise of joint command judgments, consultation plans, determination, organization and coordination, etc.; the second stage focuses on exercises to launch joint operations, conduct saturated fire assaults on the enemy, comprehensively destroy the enemy’s combat system, and in-depth cleanup and chase down the remnant enemy.
It is understood that the total strength of China and Russia participating in the exercise is 13,000, with aircraft including J-20, Y-20, H-6, J-16 and J-11 participating in the exercise. The exercise will end on the 13th.
Four J-20 fighters flew over the opening ceremony of the “Zapad/Interaction-2021” exercise, opening the side magazines and exposing the missiles.