July 12, 2010:  Five years ago, the Chinese Army formed a special electronic warfare unit, the Electromagnetic Blue Army (EBA). In Chinese training exercises, the "Red" side is the good guys, while the "Blues" are the enemy. It's just the opposite in the West. The EBA contains dozens of electronic jammers, radars, UAVs and electronic gear similar to that found in Western armies. The EBA is used to expose Chinese army combat units to potential electronic warfare they might encounter when fighting Western (particularly American) troops.

The EBA is also a research operation, taking data collected by Chinese intel units on Western electronic warfare capabilities, and coming up with the best way for Chinese forces to cope. To test the abilities of Chinese units, the EBA has been used in over a hundred training exercises. Some of these have involved naval forces as well. The Chinese units on the receiving end of EBA attacks often perform poorly. This is part of the learning process, and Chinese units are better prepared for battlefield electronic warfare tactics because of it.