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Millennium7* History & Technology

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Transcript

00:00Every time I hear phrases like, everybody knows, or it is common knowledge, I immediately

00:07smell something unpleasant.

00:14There is an objection that I often receive, especially from American viewers.

00:19The objection is that the Chinese can't really train their pilots because their totalitarian

00:24culture doesn't allow for autonomous thinking.

00:28Is this a claim that can be backed by any source?

00:35In the early 2000s, Chinese new pilot training has been plagued by several issues.

00:40It was very slow due to the configuration of the various schools, it was focused on

00:45following specific parameters and flight procedures, and it was obsessed by safety,

00:51making realistic training impossible.

00:54The aircraft being used were also not adequate.

00:56When China started acquiring 4th generation aircraft, the trainer fleet was formed by

01:01mostly 2nd and 3rd generation aircraft.

01:05But there were problems with the instructors too, who were pilots specialized in teaching

01:10rather than expert pilots who could pass on their practical knowledge.

01:14However, it was clear that the type of training was inadequate.

01:18The information about Western training is widely available and the difference was immediately

01:24visible to everyone.

01:26Training with other air forces, in particular with the Royal Thai Air Force, evidenced important

01:31gaps and, crucially, this training syllabus couldn't support the rapid growth that the

01:37PLAF was undergoing.

01:39And the Chinese were the first to understand this, and it was even recognized in public

01:44speeches by high officers.

01:48The PLA every decade or so publishes a document called in English the OMTE, which is the acronym

02:13of Outline of Military Training and Evaluation.

02:16The last one was published in 2018 and revised in 2019.

02:21The four major goals of the PLAF's latest OMTE, as published in the document, are to

02:28make all training relevant to operations, to improve the effectiveness of training, to

02:34ensure safety reasonably, and to cultivate pilots' independence.

02:41And here goes the myth that the Chinese do not want their pilots to be capable of autonomy.

02:47It used to be true, but things have changed a lot and now it is even officially true.

02:53But stay with me, because the Chinese Air Force started implementing reforms since the

02:58early 2010s.

02:59The average Chinese pilot spends about 80 hours flying a piston engine aircraft, the

03:12CJ-6, which is a venerable aircraft that is still considered adequate today.

03:17Then they spend about 150 hours in the JL-8, the iconic Chinese trainer used by many air

03:23forces around the world, and this is considered the intermediate training.

03:28Most training happens with the JJ-7 and JJ-9 supersonic jets.

03:33But unfortunately, since these are the AMP team derivative of the MiG-21, they are not

03:38suitable for 4th generation training or above.

03:42In fact, for quite a long time, the Chinese transitioned on 4th generation fighters only

03:47expert 3rd generation pilots.

03:50All the new pilots started their operational career on 3rd generation aircraft.

03:54The solution was the introduction of the JL-10 in 2019.

03:57It is supersonic, it has a glass cockpit and its systems are considered 4th generation

04:03systems.

04:04So in 2020, some of the training schools started moving the syllabus of some of the pilots

04:09on the JL-10, ditching the JL-8 and amalgamating intermediate and advanced training.

04:16And it also seems that the JL-10 is training the new pilots destined to the J-20.

04:21Then, in 2021, J-10As and the oldest Flanker versions started appearing in flight schools,

04:28anticipating even more the transition to combat aircraft.

04:32The Chinese did the transition to the operational aircraft traditionally at unit level, but

04:39now it seems that it is no longer the case.

04:42In this way, the flight training has become very intensive and the number of pilots that

04:47can move directly to units using 4th and 5th generation aircraft has greatly increased.

05:01The first step required by the OMTE was to improve the training of the trainers.

05:06They were required to greatly improve their actual skills conducting elaborate training

05:11missions and learning maneuvers that were not taught at the flight school.

05:16Then, a new policy of selecting instructors from operational units was enacted, finally

05:21bringing real experience to the program.

05:24The students' training became much more realistic, with high-G maneuvers, low-level

05:29flight and night and bad weather missions.

05:32Students are now given an objective and they are expected to plan the mission on their

05:37own, rather than follow a standard flight profile.

05:40Unscripted air-to-air combat, 1v1 and 1v2, is now the norm and it has become an important

05:48part of the curriculum.

05:49Combat between formations is practiced and even air combat competitions are held.

05:55Maybe they have been inspired by Top Gun.

05:57Air-to-ground is still mostly practiced with training bombs, but live-fire exercises do

06:03happen, albeit not with guided weapons.

06:11So, these are the facts.

06:13If you're wondering where I found this news, well, it's not Chinese propaganda, it's

06:19not the South China Morning Post, it's not CCTV.

06:22My main source for this video was a 2021 report from the China Aerospace Studies Institute,

06:28which is part of the US Department of the Air Force.

06:31So, you know, there are a lot of outlets that are in the business of pandering to a fraction

06:36of the US public that wants to hear how the US is the pinnacle of, well, everything.

06:42Sorry, but I'm not one of those.

06:44And in fact, the Chinese training has some interesting elements that might be copied

06:49in Western curricula.

06:50And if you want to know what I'm talking about, please click on the videos that are

06:54appearing beside me.

06:56An enormous thank you to all those who are supporting the channel.

06:59If you haven't yet, please like and subscribe.

07:01This is really helping a lot.

07:03In the meanwhile, thank you very much for watching and see you next time.

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