Marching into Pamirs from far away (Photo by Lin Ji)

　　The spacious Pamirs has many glaciers and valleys. The new-type engineering vehicles run through mountains and valleys. Large caterpillar engineering machinery can conduct self-towing and aiding. The hydraulic pressure rock drill is cutting paths through mountains and the new-type grab, loading conveyer and road roller alternately improve the road conditions. The following is a report from a test site of a engineering test unit of the General Armaments Department of the PLA.

　　Pamirs is called Congling Mountain in ancient times. Here there are many glaciers, mountains and valleys. With a average altitude of around 5000 meters, it is dubbed as the "roof of the world". In August this year, the reporter accompanied the Engineering Test Unit of the General Armaments Department of the PLA to cover the whole process of the adaptability test of China's series of plateau military engineering machinery.

　　Speed competition and emergency operation

　　This is a vivid speed competition on plateau: large engineering machineries, coated with camouflage colors, are vying with each other in mountains and valleys and the scene is very spectacular. Li Feng, an engineer of an institute of the General Armaments Department told the reporter: the aim of marching along the China-Pakistan Highway toward the heart of Pamirs is to test the maneuverability and highest speed of the plateau military engineering machinery and this is the first test subject of the event.

　　On that day, the test fleet passed through three mountains , namely the second highest mountain-Gongge'er Mountain, the third highest mountain-Gongge'erjiubie Mountain and Mushitage Mountain.

What worth mentioning is that the machinery also experienced an unexpected test. When the fleet arrived at a section 20 kilometers from Bulunkou, it met with mud-rock flow and several hundred tourists and nearly one hundred vehicles were obstructed on a narrow mountain road 3400 meters above sea level.

　　At this moment, the test unit decided to throw themselves into dealing with emergency work. Bulldozers, loaders, motor graders were put into operation. In 35 minutes, the obstructed road was open again. The local residents praised : "the PLA is wonderful!"

The highest speed of wheel-type engineering machinery is 55 km/h, and the highest speed of wheel-type engineering vehicle is 80 km/h. The big caterpillar bulldozer can be towed and transported by wheel-type bulldozer and conveyors can transport loaders and small caterpillar bulldozers. With this equipment, the mobility of plateau engineering machinery is basically solved.

　　Highlights in the predicament

　　The location of the plateau adaptability test for the military engineering machinery is close to the Keketuluke with an altitude of 4592 meters and the oxygen there is only a half of that on the plain.

　　Suddenly, a big wheel-type bulldozer encounters a huge stone and was stopped. The conveyer was unable to get ride of the stone.　However hydraulic pressure tools equipped to the vehicles was powerful enough to remove the stone.

　　Then, a big caterpillar engineering machinery sunk into a swampland. With the help of hydraulic windlass it equipped. It succeeded in self-salvage.

　　The weather of Pamirs is changeable and the bad weather brought forth many difficulties to the construction. With the help of new-type plateau military machinery, all the difficulties are solved. The new-type machinery used anti-ultraviolet radiation glass, which has frost elimination function. In addition, in order to reduce the impact of tableland oxygen shortage on human body, the micro pressure-adding life support system is equipped.

　　It's said that in order to meet special demand of military use, such design as gun holder, knapsack holder is made. Therefore, the design is rather human-oriented.

　　The low pressure and oxygen shortage of tableland not only exerted bad impact on machinery, but on human body. According to a test of tableland physiology research: on an altitude of 4000 meters, the intelligence and physique of human will reduce 21%. Many unique designs of the new type plateau military engineering machinery improved the man-machine environment of engineering machinery and are good to the health of the officers and men in tableland area.

　 By Lin Ji, Gao Binyu and Xu Feng

　 (September 17, PLA Daily)