Chinese airborne force goes to world arena

The "Sharp Knife Airborne - 2014" joint anti-terrorism training conducted by the paratroopers from the Chinese and Indonesian air forces is currently in process in central China.

The "Sharp Knife Airborne - 2014" joint anti-terrorism training coincided with the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAAF).

Colonel Shen Jinke, spokesman of the PLAAF, expressed that since its founding, the PLAAF has won wide recognition with an image of "being open, self-confident and cooperative".

In recent years, the PLAAF has carried out a series of joint drills, joint training and military exchange activities with the air forces of many countries in the world, strengthening the PLAAF's capabilities of implementing diversified military missions in a broader space, Shen Jinke added.

In fact, both the ongoing "Sharp Knife Airborne - 2014" training and the "Peace Mission - 2014" military exercise that concluded in late August proved the PLAAF has been constantly deepening its exchange and cooperation with the air forces of world countries.

A military observer pointed out the Chinese paratroopers are appearing in international anti-terrorism cooperation and carrying out various types of military exchange activities.

In the "Peace Mission - 2005" China-Russia joint military exercise, the paratroopers from China and Russia boarded aircraft at the same airport, airdropped personnel and new-type heavy equipment at the same altitude and fought against the same targets on the same airdrop field, becoming a highlight of the whole exercise.

In the "Peace Mission - 2007" joint anti-terrorism military exercise of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Chinese paratroopers staged a wonderful " blitzkrieg" to penetrate the "enemy" defense.

During the "Peace Mission - 2014" joint military exercise, the paratroopers from China and Kazakhstan carried out a joint airborne vertical interception operation for the first time.

In addition, in the "Condor - 2012" China-Belarus airborne force joint anti-terrorism training and comprehensive drill held in China, the paratroopers from the two countries simultaneously carried out parachuting at high altitude from transport aircraft and low-altitude-landing by parachutes and ropes from helicopters under the cold and foggy conditions.