A Chinese navy carrier strike group led by the Shandong aircraft carrier has conducted a blue-water exercise across multiple sea regions including the South China Sea and Western Pacific, enhancing its long-distance combat capabilities by simulating various combat scenarios.
In its real-combat training at the South China Sea, the carrier strike group launched an aviation strike conducted by a J-15 fighter formation spearheaded by two J-15 fighters. The two fighters accurately hit the targets with missiles after arriving in the designated airspace and then returned with the formation, remaining on standby for following missions.
The group then swiftly maneuvered to advantageous positions to launch next-round attacks.
"This blue-water training highlighted tactical context and challenging circumstances. The conditions for carrier-based aircraft to take off and land were tougher, requiring better coordination. We have done better on integrating combat systems, while getting more mature and flexible in utilizing combat capabilities," said Cong Zhouyu a sailor on the Shandong aircraft carrier.
The exercise also included a resupply training, during which the group synchronized its speed and direction with the comprehensive supply ship Chaganhu, rapidly maneuvering to the replenishment positions, with the warships receiving supplies from the Chaganhu simultaneously.
"This time, the training modules were set in an all-around, multi-level manner, further honing the carrier strike group's capabilities such as maintaining a continuous alert status and staying combat-ready. The exercise also nurtured the sailors' valor in long-distance operations, enhancing the carrier strike group’s systematic capabilities in blue-water joint combat," said Wang Dengnan, a sailor on the Shandong.
Chinese navy's carrier strike group conducts blue-water exercise
Environmental simulation and digital replication are among the new technologies now employed to protect the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Gobi Desert in Dunhuang City, northwest China's Gansu Province.
Researchers for decades have tried to find ways to protect the cultural heritage site, home to a vast collection of Buddhist artworks carved into the cliffs, from damage caused by natural or human factors.
A multi-field coupling lab on murals and ancient ruins protection under the Dunhuang Academy, the first of its kind in China to be employed in cultural relics preservation, was put into use by the end of 2020.
Located in the city of Dunhuang, the lab covers an area of 16,000 square meters. It is able to simulate the four seasons and the erosion by wind, rain and snow that the earthen relics could experience in a natural environment. It can also simulate temperatures ranging from minus 30 to 60 degrees Celsius and relative humidity ranging from 10 to 90 percent.
"In the 'summer house', we can simulate the environment in the southern region which is hot and humid. We can also simulate a dry environment with a temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius. [The temperatures and lighting] have impacts on the heritage sites," said Liu Xiaoying, a research fellow at the Multi-field Coupling Environmental Lab of Immovable Heritage under the academy.
Researchers at the lab not only study the local soil, but have also brought samples from heritage sites in other areas such as the northwestern city of Xi'an and Sichuan Province in southwest China to the lab.
The academy has been working with academic institutions including the University of Oxford and China's Northwest University in an international synchronous field trial.
With a controlled environment to its merit, the lab will play an important role in cultural heritage protection across the country, according to the academy.
"The time and conditions are controllable and the data is precise. We can also test samples with a larger size - which can better protect the immovable cultural heritage," Liu said.
Dunhuang Academy is now also using digital technology to record all the paintings and sculptures in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in order to permanently preserve the relics in the database.
The Dunhuang Academy started its digitization project in the 1990s to create digital versions of the Mogao Grottoes and other grotto temples and has accumulated massive digital cultural resources.
With digital technology, murals, grottoes, painted sculptures and other splendid cultural heritage items have been reproduced and thus are able to be shared with the world.
New technologies protect ancient Buddhist artwork in Dunhuang caves, cliffs
