A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter detachment operating J-10 platform variants recently conducted high-intensity live-fire ground target training.
According to an official pictorial report published by Liberation Army Daily on June 14, 2026, the exercise combined advanced simulation rehearsals with actual ammunition expenditure, focusing on low-altitude penetration and dynamic ordnance delivery under contested conditions.
The drills underscore the PLAAF’s continued emphasis on refining tactical close air support (CAS) and maintaining responsive “sensor-to-shooter” loops at the tactical edge.
Dynamic Attack Profiles in Contested Airspace
The live-fire phase began with fighters scrambling in staggered formations to penetrate a simulated adversary integrated air defense system (IADS). Pilots leveraged local meteorological conditions and terrain masking to evade radar detection before successfully breaching the primary engagement zone.
Once in the terminal attack sector, the aircraft executed a steep high-angle climb followed by an aggressive nose-down dive to establish optimal attack headings. Using real-time target data relayed from the control tower, pilots dynamically adjusted dive angles, airspeed, and ballistic parameters in their fire-control systems before releasing salvos of unguided and guided tactical rockets.
For OSINT observers, the continued reliance on low-cost rocket pods delivered via classic climb-and-dive profiles may appear less sophisticated than standoff precision-guided munitions. However, in a high-intensity, near-peer scenario — such as supporting amphibious operations or breaking through littoral defenses — this approach provides vital attrition redundancy. When expensive precision missiles are depleted or electronic warfare degrades satellite guidance, high-volume rocket suppression at visual range ensures fighters can still deliver effective close air support.
By training pilots to recalculate ballistic trajectories in real time based on dive geometry, the PLAAF maintains lethal ground-attack capability even in fully degraded electromagnetic environments.
Rapid Iterative Learning Through Data Reconstruction
A notable feature of the exercise was the tight feedback loop between execution and analysis. Prior to takeoff, crews conducted detailed simulation sessions to identify weaknesses and pre-calculate weapon envelopes against expected threats.
Immediately after landing, pilots moved directly into the flight debrief room instead of standard downtime. There, they performed rapid after-action reviews using flight data recorder (FDR) telemetry and gun-camera/HUD footage.
This data-driven process allows precise examination of roll rates, dive stability, trigger timing, and other variables. Rather than treating live-fire sorties as isolated events, the PLAAF treats each rocket launch as an iterative data point to refine both simulation models and future tactical profiles — significantly accelerating the combat readiness of its aviators.
Sustained Emphasis on Combat Realism
The training cycle concluded with additional sorties launched in the evening, demonstrating sustained operational tempo. Overall, these exercises reflect the PLAAF’s systematic approach to integrating simulation, live-fire validation, and immediate data reconstruction — a methodology designed to compress the learning curve in increasingly complex battlefield environments.
