No wonder that Xi reminded troops in July on the PLA's 90th anniversary that they must "focus on war preparedness and forge an elite and powerful force that is always 'ready for fight, capable of combat, and sure to win,'" China's official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting the Chinese president.
At least initially, its authors suggest, "machines capable of combat are likely to be used on the battlefield under close human supervision".
As the elderly Furious was judged to be no longer capable of combat operations, she proceeded from the Faroe Islands to Scapa Flow with the cruiser and several destroyers.
American officials described the deployment, which reinforces Spanish and other South American troops garrisoned in Najaf, as a "preparatory operation," involving troops capable of "full combat operations".
Despite previous embargoes on arms supplies, the country is now a net arms exporter, capable of producing combat helicopters, long-range artillery, missile systems and other weapons.
Aerial gameplay was also changed, with the dragon now capable of ground combat.
With its naval task force and air wing capable of flying 200 combat sorties a day, the total NATO Response Force would number 20,000.
The unmanned model, Marine Lizard, is capable of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other drone ships, as well as being deployed in land assault operations, Chinese military analysts claim.
