8月13日，“西部·联合-2021”演习进入了最后一个阶段——实兵演练阶段。本次演习以中俄两军联合反恐作战为基本样式，以应对传统安全威胁为重点，融合运用新质力量和非对称作战手段，对“敌”形成强大的联合打击能力。演练中，中俄双方投入了1万余人、装甲装备200余台、飞机100余架。
BEIJING, Aug. 16 -- Exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 entered the final stage–---the live-fire exercise on August 13. During the drill, the Chinese and Russian participating forces carried out joint counter-terrorism operations focusing on responding to traditional security threats. New forces and asymmetric combat methods were used to form a powerful joint strike capability against the mock enemy. In this drill, more than 10,000 soldiers, 200-plus armored vehicles, and over 100 aircrafts from both side were invovled.
演习一开始，4架歼-20战机首先登场，2架歼轰-7紧随其后，对“敌”前沿指挥所和对空观察哨，实施空中打击。
At the beginning of the drill, four J-20 fighter jets took off, followed by two JH-7 bombers to carry out airstrikes on the forward command post and air observation post of the "enemy".
防空群各型导弹齐射、精确制导，拦截无人机蜂群，陆航作战群超低空进入，加入空炮联合突击。由歼-11、歼-16、苏-30CM组成的中俄空军联合编队，同时展开联合空中打击行动。
The air defense group fired all types of missiles with precision guidance to intercept the “enemy” drone swarm. The army aviation combat group assaulted at ultra-low altitude, collaborating with the artillery force. The China-Russia air force joint formation consisting of the J-11, J-16, and Su-30CM simultaneously launched joint airstrike operations.
演习中，中俄双方使用专用联合指挥信息系统组织空军、陆航、炮兵、装甲和步兵火力，联合立体突击，大幅提升体系作战效能。
The Chinese and Russian participating troops used the specialized commanding information system in the joint three-dimensional assaults involving the air force, army aviation, artillery and infant troops, which greatly improved the systematic combat effectiveness.
据了解，此次演习投入的新型武器装备占到81.6%，在正面6公里、纵深7公里范围展开行动。空军航空兵、陆航和地面装甲炮兵、防空兵区分6个高度层，交替实施多个高度同时突击。在45分钟内，投射弹药265吨、火力密度平均每分钟228发、火力峰值最高每分钟364发。
It is learned that the new weapons and equipment put in this drill accounted for 81.6 percent. In a range of six kilometers in the front and seven kilometers in depth, the air force aviation, army aviation, ground armored artillery, and air defense forces carried out simultaneous assaults alternatively in six levels of altitudes. In 45 minutes, 265 tons of ammunition were fired with an average firepower density of 228 rounds per minute and peak firepower of 364 rounds per minute.
此外，本次演习中的战法创新无处不在，例如，首次使用运-20运输机满载武装伞降。人员多舱门同时伞降、重装三件连投，最大限度缩短人装留空时间，提高了空降作战时效性。在联合作战行动上，中俄特战分队融合编组、联合破障，更加贴合两军未来联合作战的任务需求。
The exercise also spotlights tactical innovations. For example, the Y-20 transport aircraft were used for parachuting with a full load for the first time. Parachuting at multiple doors at the same time and three heavy equipment parachuting at a time shortened the time in the air and improved the timeliness of airborne operations. During the joint operations, the China-Russia special forces are mixed in groups to break obstacles, which is more in line with the mission requirements of the future joint operations of the two sides.
军事科学院研究员、俄罗斯军事问题专家李抒音认为，联演对中俄两军意义重大。首先，俄罗斯军队实战经验比较丰富，他们对反恐行动的战法运用更加熟练，灵活性、适用性更强，这些都值得中国军队学习。而俄军对我军装备的水平，特别是装备信息化给予了高度认可，同时也对我方参演官兵的军事素养、实战化训练水平竖起了大拇指。
Li Shuyin, a researcher at the War Studies College of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA and an expert on Russian military issues, believes that the joint drill is of great significance to the two armed forces. First of all, the Russian military has more experience in actual combat, their counter-terrorism operation tactics are more flexible and applicable, and the Russian troops are more proficient in the use of counter-terrorism operation tactics, which are all worthy of learning by the Chinese military. The Russian military spoke highly of the level of equipment of the Chinese side, especially the IT application level of the equipment. At the same time, they also gave a thumbs up to the military competence and actual combat training of Chinese participating troops, Li added.
李抒音还介绍，2018年，北部战区首次出境参加俄罗斯“东方-2018”战略演习，实际上是对我们新战区体制的首次检验。近年来，我军战区不论是在组织本战略方向的战略战役演习，还是日常战备军事行动等方面，都已经适应了现代战争的要求，战区的联合作战能力在不断提升。
Li said that the PLA Northern Theater Command sent troops to participate in the Russian Vostok-2018 strategic military drills for the first time in 2018, which was actually the first test of China's newly-estsblished theater command system. She holds the view that in recent years, the Chinese PLA’s theater commands have adapted to the requirements of modern warfare in terms of both organizing strategic campaign exercises in their strategic directions and carrying out routine combat preparedness military operations, resulting in the continuously improved joint operational capabilities of the theater commands.
