Beijing, 9 August 2024 (TDI): The ongoing land phase of the China-Tanzania Peace Unity-2024 joint drills started a tactical training on Thursday, a counter-terrorism exercise that mixes the participating troops from the two sides together.
Qu Tianci, a member of a special operations brigade affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s 82nd Group Army, said ahead of the tactical training session that the exercise will see his unit conduct multiple missions including maritime reconnaissance, sniper hunt and kill, infiltration, as well as hostage rescue tasks.
Against the background of a joint counter-terrorism operation, Chinese and Tanzanian forces will take part in training courses including infiltration, reconnaissance, encompassing, flanking, elimination, stealth assault and rescue, as well as multidimensional pursuit, in a move to hone their interoperability in realistic combat scenarios.
The forces from both nations needed to resolve issues such as differences in combat concepts, tactical applications, as well as a language barrier.
Qu said that this was a complicated task, but no one complained. Everyone communicated with each other with enthusiasm. In the first all-element, whole-process joint tactical training that was conducted previously, the units from both sides could already coordinate pretty well, he said.
Qu added that the trust and tacit understanding between the Chinese and Tanzanian forces are a part of combat capabilities, as trust is the best binder between the two militaries that can effectively enhance our professional skills and interoperability.
The Peace Unity-2024 joint drills provided a chance for the Chinese and Tanzanian forces to interact more, with more people and more fields involved, further verifying and enhancing their capabilities through practice.
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Both sides value these drills very much, Qu said, noting that the Tanzanian forces are very enthusiastic and eager to learn, including learning the new military concepts, Chinese language, and new Chinese equipment.
Sharing Experiences
The PLA can also learn from the Tanzanian forces, who have experiences in participating in peacekeeping missions throughout Africa. Their practical application of equipment and tactics are worth learning from, Qu added.
The Peace Unity-2024 joint drills were launched on July 29 at the comprehensive training center in Mapinga, Tanzania, and its land phase is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
