Special operations soldiers assigned to the "Thunder" Commando of the PLA Air Force airborne troops line up to board the aircraft during a parachuting training exercise in mid-summer, 2022. The exercise, lasting for several days, aims to hone the troops' combat capabilities in parachuting, long-range penetration and precision strike operations in complex environment. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Gu Xixi, Xu Jiawang and Guo Shuai)