The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

were reinforced by PLA tanks, armed helicopters, and
a electronic warfare unit to jam the terrorists’ communications.
A Chinese Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
also performed reconnaissance. 45 Like “Strike-2007”
where PLA and Thai troops formed integrated units,
the Chinese and Indian forces also formed two mixed
companies for the drills and exercises. 46
“Strike-2007” was the last combined exercise of a
year that saw the highest number of combined exercises
up to that time. In 2008, there would be fewer
activities with foreign militaries than in 2007 due to
the PLA and PAP’s participation in Olympic security
and ceremonial missions. It is possible that Sichuan
earthquake disaster relief efforts caused the cancelation
or postponement of previously planned events
(though no evidence to support such a possibility has
been found). Even so the PLA sent units to two combined
training exercises to reciprocate for events held
in China the previous year. Then in 2009, the number
of combined activities reached its high water mark to
date.
RECENT YEARS (2008-09)
It seems reasonable that much of the negotiation
and planning for “Strike-2008” and “Handin-Hand-2008”
occurred as part of a package
during the initial work for “Strike-2007” and “Handin-Hand-2007”
(with subsequent adjustments made
due to lessons learned and changing circumstances).
In both cases, forces similar to the type that participated
in the original exercise traveled to the partner
country.
“Strike-2008” took place exactly a year after its
predecessor exercise, this time, though, in Chiang
396