A strong nation must have a strong military, and only a strong military can ensure national security. With the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline of Long-Range Goals for 2035 putting forward specific measures and development requirements for "accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military, and realizing the unity of enriching the country and strengthening the military" – covering national defense science and technology, intelligent weaponry, and other areas – the military simulation field, as a crucial link in national defense informatization and one of the "advance contests" in modern warfare, has become increasingly important to achieve independent and controllable development.

Nanjing Zechang Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zechang Aviation") is a technology R&D enterprise focusing on weaponry simulation, digital training support for military units, and complex environment simulation & evaluation. With its core technological advantage in coupled simulation technology of complex environments and equipment, the company simulates the real parameters of equipment in complex environments to provide more realistic simulation training experiences. Its goal is to enhance the military’s practical operation capabilities in response to complex environments, campaign planning capabilities, and the rationality of combat mission planning.

Ma Weijun, founder of Zechang Aviation, obtained his Doctor of Engineering degree in Computer Application from the PLA University of Science and Technology in 2011. He engaged in research in information processing, simulation, and distributed computing, and later taught at the College of Meteorology and Oceanography of the National University of Defense Technology. In 2017, Ma Weijun transferred from the National University of Defense Technology and co-founded Zechang Aviation with four other core team members.

"Today, the global community is facing ‘unprecedented changes in a century’. New national defense will undoubtedly be a key battlefield for major-country competition. The modernization of the defense industry and the military, as well as the digital and intelligent development of equipment, are crucial pillars for enhancing China’s national defense capabilities. As an important support for military equipment and training, military simulation technology is, in our view, one of the key links in the process of national defense informatization," Ma Weijun noted when talking about the original intention of entrepreneurship. He believes that with the modernization reform of the Chinese military and the significant improvement in the equipment and capabilities of the PLA, the military simulation field – especially aviation simulation – is expected to enter a fast track of development, becoming an effective means for researching future warfare, equipment design, and tactical training. The team’s accumulated research in physical-level simulation will give it a distinct advantage in future development.

After his transfer, Ma Weijun formed the initial team of Zechang Aviation with experts in computer simulation, distributed computing, computational fluid dynamics, deep learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). The team focuses on simulating and researching complex battlefield environments, aiming to leverage its profound experience in meteorological, oceanic, electromagnetic, and visual environment research to develop products such as equipment performance impact & evaluation tools for complex battlefield environments and AI-based rapid computing software for numerical simulation. These products are designed to align equipment application with real battlefield conditions, providing "high-fidelity" support for military training.

In 2020, Zechang Aviation successfully developed a flight simulation trainer, which has since been gradually promoted and applied in the daily training of air force pilots.

A flight simulator is an artificially constructed simulation training system/equipment that focuses on basic flight skills and reproduces aircraft flight and air environments as realistically as possible. It can simulate basic flight skills, modification training, refresher training, and handling of some flight-related emergencies for target aircraft models. It can also simulate complex environments that affect aircraft systems, such as physical phenomena like air density, thunderclouds, precipitation, and electromagnetism. As such, it is an efficient, economical, and safe training device for military units.

"For pilots, undergoing sufficient simulation training before actual flights has become an indispensable way to improve flight skills today. Through equipment and technology, we simulate various states and conditions of air flight – the higher the degree of realism, the higher the requirements for simulation technology, but also the greater the practical combat value. This is precisely the value of our pursuit of high-fidelity simulation," Ma Weijun emphasized. The team’s dedication to scientific research and pursuit of innovation and breakthroughs have become the driving force behind their persistence.

Modern air combat environments are complex, and the military’s demand for training in real and complex battlefield environments is growing. To enhance the realism of existing flight simulator training, it is necessary to improve the capabilities of training platforms, ensuring that simulated environmental elements are close to or synchronized with the real physical world.

Based on years of accumulated experience, Zechang Aviation identified common pain points and needs of military units regarding simulation fidelity. Taking coupled simulation of equipment and complex environment performance as its core focus, the company took the lead in serving the air force by combining battlefield physical environment simulation with flight simulators. It built and improved aerodynamic coefficient databases for aircraft in complex environments (or extreme working conditions), integrated various mission elements, and developed coupled simulation of environments and equipment. This ensures the authenticity of aircraft flight trajectories and attitudes in complex environments, significantly enhancing the training realism of existing flight simulators.

Beyond flight training simulation platforms based on complex environments, Zechang Aviation leverages its leading technological advantages across multiple fields and disciplines – including coupled simulation of complex environments and equipment, automation/intelligence of numerical simulation, and AI (deep learning)-based rapid computing for complex simulation models. Combined with its long-term experience in serving frontline military units (which gives it high sensitivity to equipment development and data), the company has developed a range of products: flight training simulation products for new aircraft models, aircraft maintenance simulation products, 3D visual system simulation products, engineering equipment system simulation products, and AI-based rapid computing software for numerical simulation. Today, Zechang Aviation serves clients including military units, defense factories, academies, and large state-owned enterprises, maintaining a 50% annual growth rate since its establishment.

Currently, Zechang Aviation has obtained qualifications such as the Level-3 Secrecy Qualification for Weaponry R&D and Production Units, Weaponry Quality Management System Certification, dozens of patents, software copyrights, and the title of "High-Tech Enterprise".

The military simulation field, as a key support for military equipment and military training informatization, has high entry barriers. On one hand, it requires military-related qualifications; on the other hand, it demands talents with interdisciplinary expertise and practical experience. With the promotion of policies such as the Opinions on Deepening Military-Civilian Integration Development to Accelerate Equipment Development (released by the State Council in 2015), China’s military-civilian integration is advancing to a deeper level, creating market opportunities for third-party simulation R&D enterprises with military R&D and production qualifications.

Zechang Aviation’s team has educational and professional backgrounds from the PLA University of Science and Technology, and the company is based in Qinhuai District, Nanjing – an innovation demonstration zone for military-civilian integration. This gives it inherent advantages in talent, technology, and resources. "As the location of the Eastern Theater Command and a concentration of universities, Nanjing has a profound foundation in the defense industry, strong economic strength, and robust scientific research capabilities – making it a high ground for military-civilian integration entrepreneurship. We hope to take the 14th Five-Year Plan as an opportunity, focus on ‘digital training support for equipment’, and conduct R&D and innovation across three business segments: ‘virtual simulation-based safe production and monitoring’, and ‘digital factories and production lines for national defense and military industry’. We aim to contribute to the transformation of the Chinese military from mechanization to informatization," Ma Weijun said, noting that the company’s steady development in its early years is closely tied to military-civilian integration policies and Nanjing’s advantages as an entrepreneurial hub.

Today, Zechang Aviation has achieved certain research results and practical experience in the field of military aircraft simulation. By providing services to multiple military units and based on first-hand military needs, the company has gradually established a service mechanism covering multiple military units, with precise demand response and rapid support. It now serves dozens of aviation units and is expanding to the army, navy, and rocket force.

In 2023, Nanjing Innovation Investment Group (hereinafter referred to as "Nanjing Venture Capital Group") made an equity investment in Zechang Aviation to support its core technology R&D and product development in the early stage of the project, amid the development of the military simulation industry.

A project investment manager from Nanjing Venture Capital Group stated: "With the continuous development and growth of China’s defense industry, deep military-civilian integration has become a new model for the industry. As a government investment fund, we pay close attention to the growth potential and value of enterprises serving the national defense and military industry. Zechang Aviation’s team has both ‘military experience’ and ‘civilian technological and industrial chain advantages’. Its niche track – coupled simulation of complex environments and equipment – has scarce physical-level simulation technology advantages and represents a blue ocean in the military industry. Continuous innovation and breakthroughs in this field will promote the localization of high-level flight simulator equipment in China, with broad development prospects. As an investor, we will continue to follow national policies and provide services including strategic consulting, market promotion, talent introduction, and cooperation resource connection to drive the company’s development."

As military competition among major countries focuses on high-end combat capabilities centered on next-generation weapon systems, combat and equipment systems are becoming increasingly complex. Military simulation – which enables realistic training in non-war conditions – serves as an "enhancer of overall efficiency and effectiveness" and is playing an increasingly important role, with its market scale growing steadily. According to Jane’s Defence Weekly’s Global Modeling and Simulation Market Forecast Report, the global market for simulated military training systems is expected to reach USD 121.6 billion by 2027, with China accounting for tens of billions of yuan.

"Only with firm beliefs can we go far. We hope to seize the military’s demand for realistic training and military informatization, continue to explore and develop new technologies and products in equipment simulation and equipment digitalization, and become an enterprise with core technological capabilities in this professional field. We aim to provide strong support for accelerating the modernization, digitalization, and intelligent development of weaponry," Ma Weijun said.

This is not just a vision, but also a sense of responsibility. Ma Weijun and his team have a clear vision and goal of building a solid industrial enterprise. Guided by the mission of "Stronger, Steadier, More Realistic", they have established cooperative alliances and ecosystems with industry leaders – including major aircraft manufacturers, ordnance groups, research institutes, defense factories, and renowned academies. They promote products through multiple channels, such as integrated manufacturing of simulation equipment, maintenance and upgrading, software service support, and technical consulting – striving to align actions with goals and become a well-known brand or even a leading enterprise in this field.