Top 10 Military Exercises

Editor’s Note: Ever since the beginning of time, military exercises have been held in the same manner as military operations to test an army’s capabilities and strategies. However, the purposes of military exercises nowadays vary, from promoting regional counter-terrorism cooperation to showing off a country’s might. Here are some of the high-profile war games held in China and the world this year, as our peaceful life is always facing a variety of threats.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) held a five-day air defense drill code-named "Vanguard 2010" from Aug 3 to 7, with fighter jets and thousands of servicemen against the backdrop of increased regional military and diplomatic tension. >>>

On Oct 9, China started a multi-region, joint air-land exercise called Mission Action 2010, and 30,000 personnel from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Beijing, Chengdu and Lanzhou military commands were committed to the exercise. >>>

Chinese and Thai marines began a joint military training exercise in Thailand on Oct 28. Code-named “Blue Strike 2010", the 20-day joint training is the first time that Chinese marines conducted joint exercises with foreign forces outside China. >>>

The six member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) started joint anti-terror exercises, Peace Mission 2010, at the Matybulak training ground in Kazakhstan on Sept 9.

Six Chinese planes - four H-6H bombers and two J-10 fighter jets - crossed from China into Kazakhstan as part of a mock mission, China's first-ever cross-border simulated air strike, supported by early warning aircraft and in-flight refueling, showcasing China's efforts to build a credible air defense system capable of striking over long distances. >>>

China and Pakistan began their third joint anti-terrorism exercises on July 3, in the latest sign of the two nations' commitment to cracking down on terrorists of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), who are said to be hiding along the Sino-Pakistani border. >>>

The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Turkey's armed forces kicked off a weeklong joint military training in Turkey on Nov 8, aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and trust, deepening communication and cooperation between the two armies. >>>

Iran began its biggest-ever air defense drill on Nov 16 to test its ability to deter air strikes. During the five-day war games drill, Iran said that it tested successfully an air defense system that has the same capability as the Russian-made S-300 missile system by “upgrading systems like S-200.” >>>

Russia’s Vostok-2010 exercises in Siberia and the country's Far East started on June 29. They involved 20,000 troops, up to 2,500 pieces of military hardware, 70 warplanes and 30 warships. It included live shell shootings, simulated airborne assaults and amphibious assault landings. The Siberian Military District deployed at least 10,000 troops and 1,500 pieces of military hardware at four training ranges. >>>

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States on Nov 28 launched their fifth joint drill in 2010, fuelling regional tensions. Pyongyang warned that the four-day Yellow Sea exercises brought the Koreas closer to "the brink of war". >>>

Japan and the United States launched their biggest ever joint military exercise on Dec 3 amid regional tensions, involving more than 40,000 Japanese and US troops, including the supercarrier USS George Washington and its battle group. Chinese Foreign Ministry said military alliances and displays of force cannot solve the Korean Peninsula issue and the US-Japan alliance should not damage the interests of third parties including China. >>>