China’s military launched its largest ever tactical military exercise, involving 50,000 heavily-armored troops in a long-distance deployment spanning thousands of kilometers, Xinhua said. The live-fire exercise, named “Stride-2009,” involves an army division each from the Shenyang, Lanzhou, Jinan and Guangzhou regional military commands and will last from August through September. The army divisions and their air units will be deployed by civilian rail and air transport to unfamiliar areas. The exercise will be recorded and rated using an “Army Exercise Assessment System.” Also participating in the exercise are special operation forces, Army’s air fighters, electronic countermeasure companies, photo-reconnaissance units, UAV Groups, short-wave interference stations, all armed with new equipment.
Source: Xinhua, August 10, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2009-08/10/content_11858323.htm