Famed PLA unit doesn't shy away when confronted by enemy aircraft
Mustafa Ali, a young pilot who serves on a bomber unit in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, recalled that his first close encounter with foreign combat aircraft was a real test of will and skills.
It was an armed patrol over international waters in early 2022, and the Uygur aviator was piloting his H-6K strategic bomber when a foreign fighter jet appeared on the aircraft's radar.
Alarm began to resonate inside the cockpit as the jet continued to approach and used weapon radar to lock onto the Chinese bomber.
"The foreign plane was flying very close to mine, and at some points, I could clearly see the face of its pilot and the missiles under the plane's wings," Mustafa said.
However, the Chinese pilot did not flinch and continued to fly his H-6K on its planned route while closely monitoring the jet's actions.
After a while, the foreign pilot abandoned its attempt at intimidation and flew away, Mustafa recalled.
"The Uygur ethnic group has an old saying: The eagle's wings can never be broken, no matter how strong the wind and rain may be. The tougher the environment is, the braver you need to be to face it," said Mustafa, the first Uygur aviator in the Chinese military to fly the H-6K bomber.
"During our missions, we have encountered extreme weather, provocations from enemies and even life-threatening scenarios, but we have never cowered because we all know that we have the motherland behind us."
Mustafa is not the only person in his unit to have had a memorable experience.
Zhang Chengliang, another young pilot, said that during a long-distance patrol operation, his crew spotted several foreign ships making an unapproved transit in Chinese territorial waters.
After reporting the situation and receiving permission from his commander, Zhang lowered his H-6K and flew over the vessels to warn them off while other crew members took pictures and made videos of the ships' activities.
Resisting strong turbulence, Zhang flew several rounds over the foreign ships before they fled, according to him.
The unit in which Mustafa and Zhang are serving is a squadron under a bomber regiment of the PLA Air Force. The time-honored unit was one of the Air Force's first bomber groups and first garnered a reputation during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) due to its combat success. It began to use the H-6K strategic bomber in 2014.
As part of their training, the unit's pilots have participated in challenging combat scenarios over the past several years and have developed maneuvers for interservice operations.
In August 2015, pilots from the unit flew their H-6Ks through the Bashi Channel for the first time, marking the longest flight the unit had participated in since its founding.
In July 2016, the unit sent its aviators to patrol Huangyan Island and other islands in the South China Sea.
In May 2018, H-6Ks from the unit carried out their first night patrol around Taiwan.
Due to the pilots' good service record, the bomber unit has been awarded the honorary title of "Role Model of the Times" by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
The department said in a news release last week that members of the unit have followed the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, adhering to the Party's guidance and military strategies.
The unit always focuses on honing its pilots' combat skills and improving their joint operation capability, and has developed a series of new tactics.
In recent years, bombers from the unit have taken part in training and exercises over the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
Established in 2014 by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, "Role Model of the Times" is one of the highest honors in China and is conferred to individuals and units each year.
