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Revision as of 04:30, 15 December 2010

中国人民解放军空军
People's Liberation Army Air Force
Flag of the People's Liberation Army Air Force
GegründetNovember 11, 1949
LandPeople's Republic of China
BranchAir Force
Rolenational defense and to the provision of assistance in emergency relief
Size400,000 personnel
2,500 aircraft
1,900/2500 Combat aircraft[1][2][3]
(1300 fighters)
EngagementsKorean War, Vietnam War, Sino-Vietnamese War
Commanders
Current
commander		General Xu Qiliang
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
AttackQ-5, JH-7
BomberJH-7, H-6
Electronic
warfare		KJ-200, KJ-2000.
FighterJ-11, J-10, JF-17, J-8II, J-7, Su-27, Su-30
InterceptorJ-8II
TrainerL-15, JL-8, JL-9
TransportY-9, Y-8, Y-7, Il-76

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) (simplified Chinese: 中国人民解放军空军; traditional Chinese: 中國人民解放軍空軍; pinyin: Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn Kōngjūn) is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China. According to the IISS Military Balance,[2] the PLAAF currently consists of approximately 330,000 personnel and 2,500+ aircraft of which 1,617 are combat aircraft, making the PLAAF the largest air force in Asia, and the third largest in the world behind the United States Air Force and the Russian Air Force. These figures do not include PLA Naval Aviation which has 26,000 personnel and 570 aircraft (290 combat aircraft).[2]

History

Although the Eighth Route Army (PLA's predecessor) had operated a few aircraft since the Second Sino-Japanese War, the first organized air arm of the PLA was the Nanyuan Flying Group, formed in the summer of 1949 with about 40 ex-Nationalist aircraft, responsible for the air defence of the soon-to-be capital city of Beijing, China.

The Soviet Union helped found the Air Force on November 11, 1949, shortly after the establishment of the People's Republic, and began to provide aircraft in late 1951. Production technology came two years later. Soviet involvement also extended to training combat pilots. Soviet instructors trained the new pilots in Soviet tactics. Those new PLAAF pilots took part to some degree in the Korean War, where they along with their Soviet counterparts often engaged American aircraft in combat.

By 1956 China was assembling its own aircraft, but initially these were copies of Soviet types. The first of them was the J-2 (MiG-15); some western observers referred to the upgraded MiG-15bis variant as J-4, but the PLAAF never used the "J-4" aircraft designation. By 1958, increased cooperation with the Soviets allowed China to produce both the J-5 (MiG-17) and the J-6 (MiG-19) manufactured under license.

The 1960s proved to be a difficult period for the PLAAF. This was due to the break in relations with the Soviet Union, and as a consequence of the withdrawal of Soviet aid in 1960 the Chinese aircraft industry almost collapsed. The industry declined markedly through 1963, further hindered by the high priority accorded to the competing missile and nuclear weapons program. The aircraft industry began to recover in about 1965, as China began providing the forces of North Vietnam with J-2s, J-4s, J-5s, and some J-6s on the onset of the Vietnam War. The 1960s also saw the first indigenous Chinese design, namely the J-8.

The PLA Air Force underwent reorganization and streamlining as part of the reduction in force begun in 1985. Before the 1985 reorganization, the Air Force reportedly had four branches: air defense, ground attack, bombing, and independent air regiments. In peacetime the Air Force Directorate, under the supervision of the PLA General Staff Department, controlled the Air Force through air army headquarters located with, or in communication with, each of the seven military region headquarters. In war, control of the Air Force probably reverted to the regional commanders. In 1987 it was not clear how the reorganization and the incorporation of air support elements into the group armies affected air force organization. The largest Air Force organizational unit was the division, which consisted of 17,000 personnel in three regiments. A typical air defense regiment had three squadrons of three flights; each flight had three or four aircraft. The Air Force also had 220,000 air defense personnel who controlled about 100 surface-to-air missile sites and over 16,000 antiaircraft guns. In addition, it had a large number of early-warning, ground-control-intercept, and air-base radars manned by specialized troops organized into at least twenty-two independent regiments.

In the 1980s the Air Force made serious efforts to raise the educational level and improve the training of its pilots. Superannuated pilots were retired or assigned to other duties. All new pilots were at least middle-school graduates. The time it took to train a qualified pilot capable of performing combat missions reportedly was reduced from four or five years to two years. Training emphasized raising technical and tactical skills in individual pilots and participation in combined-arms operations. Flight safety also increased.

In 1987 the Air Force had serious technological deficiencies — especially when compared with its principal threat, the Soviet Union — and had many needs that it could not satisfy. It needed more advanced aircraft, better avionics, electronic countermeasures equipment, more powerful aircraft weaponry, a low-altitude surface-to-air missile, and better controlled antiaircraft artillery guns. Some progress was made in aircraft design with the incorporation of Western avionics into the F-7 (MiG-21) and F-8, the development of refueling capabilities for the B-6D bomber and the A-5 attack fighter, increased aircraft all-weather capabilities, and the production of the HQ-2J high-altitude surface-to-air missile and the C-601 air-to-ship missile.

Although the PLAAF received significant support from Western nations in the 1980s when China was seen as a counterweight to Soviet power, this support ended in 1989 as a result of the Chinese crackdown on the Tiananmen protests of 1989 and the later collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ironically, while the Soviet Union was China's former foe, after the fall of the USSR, Russia became China's principal arms supplier to the effect that Chinese economic growth allowed Russia to sustain its aerospace industry.

Modernization program

In the late 1980s, the primary mission of the PLAAF was the defense of the mainland, and most aircraft were assigned to this role. A smaller number of ground attack and bomber units were assigned to interdiction and possibly close air support, and some bomber units could be used for nuclear delivery. The force had only limited military airlift and reconnaissance capabilities.

In the early 1990s, the PLAAF began a program of modernization, motivated by the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as the possibility of military conflict with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and perhaps also involving the United States. This process began with the acquisition of Su-27s in the early 1990s and the development of various fourth-generation aircraft, including the domestic J-10, and the JF-17 in collaboration with Pakistan. The PLAAF also strove to improve its pilot training and continued to retire obsolete aircraft. This resulted in a reduction of the overall number of aircraft in the PLAAF with a concurrent increase in quality of its air fleet.

The 21st century has seen the continuation of the modernization program with China's huge economic growth. It acquired 76 Su-30MKK's from 2000 to 2003, and 24 upgraded Su-30MK2's in 2004. It also produced around 100 J-11s from 2002 onwards and bought 3 batches (at a total of 76) of the Su-27SK/UBK. Production of the J-10 fighter began in 2002 with an estimated 100 aircraft in service currently. The PLAAF also began developing its own tanker aircraft, which it previously lacked, by modifying old H-6 bomber (Tu-16 Badger). In 2005 it announced plans to buy approximately 30 IL-76 transport planes and 8 Il-78 tanker planes, which would greatly increase its troop airlift capability and offer extended range to many aircraft, though as of 2009 this deal is still on hold.

Predictions of the PLAAF's future aircraft fleet indicate that it will consist of large quantities of Chengdu J-10 and Shenyang J-11 as its main force, and JH-7A as the PLAAF backbone precision strike fighter. Future stealth fighter projects such as the J-XX will be inducted into the air fleet in small numbers, assigned to elite PLAAF selected pilots. The transport fleet will comprise of Y-9 medium range transport aircraft, along with the Soviet Ilyushin Il-76, and domestic Y-20 heavy transport aircraft. Its helicopter fleet will comprise of Z-15 and Mi-17 troop transporter, and the WZ-10 attack helicopter for its ground forces. AWACS/AEW will be refined variants of existing service fleet of KJ-2000 and KJ-200, with UAV/UCAV in early stages of service in the PLAAF.

Markings

The markings of the PLAAF are a red star in front of a red band, it is very similar to the insignia of the Russian Air Force. The Red star contains the Chinese characters for eight and one,[4][5] representing August 1, 1927, the date of the formation of the PLA. PLAAF aircraft carry these markings on the fins as well.

Organization

  • Headquarters Air Force (HqAF)

The HqAF consists of four departments: Command, Political, Logistic, and Equipment, which mirrors the four general departments of the PLA.

  • Military region air forces (MRAF)
    • Division (Fighter, Attack, Bomber)
      • Regiment
        • Squadron

The PLAAF typically uses the system of threes in its organization at Division level and below, i.e. 3 Regiments per Division, 3 Squadrons per Regiment, and so on. There are also Independent Regiments within the MRAFs. There are also two Airborne Corps (the 15th Airborne Corps, and the 16th) under direct control of PLAAF Headquarters.

PLAAF Order of Battle

Aerobatic Team

The August 1st (aerobatic team) is the only PLAAF aerobatics team. It was formed in 1962.

Aircraft inventory of PLAAF Aerobatic Team:

Leadership

The PLA Air Force has had 10 commanders and 11 political commissars since its inception, including three political commissars who later became commanders.[6][7]

Period Commander Political Commissar
Pre-Cultural Revolution Liu Yalou (1949–65) Xiao Hua (1949–57)
Wu Faxian (1957–65)
Cultural Revolution Wu Faxian (1965–71) Yu Lijin (1965–68)
vacant (1971–73) Wang Huiqiu (1968–73)
Ma Ning (1973–77) Fu Chuanzuo (1973–75)
Zhang Tingfa (1975–77)
Reform Era Zhang Tingfa (1977–85) Gao Houliang (1977–85)
Wang Hai (1985–92) Zhu Guang (1985–92)
Cao Shuangming (1992–94) Ding Wenchang (1992–99)
Yu Zhenwu (1994–96)
Liu Shunyao (1996–2002) Qiao Qingchen (1999–2002)
Qiao Qingchen (2002–07) Deng Changyou (2002-)
Xu Qiliang (2007-)

Deputy Commanders:

Deputy Political Commissars:

Chief of Staff: Yang Guohai
Director of Political Department: Wang Xiaolong

Aircraft Inventory

Aircraft Photo Origin Typ Versions Numbers In Service[8] Kommentare
Combat aircraft
Sukhoi Su-27 USSR Air Superiority Fighter Su-27SK/UBK 53/16
Sukhoi Su-30 Russland Strike Fighter Su-30MKK/MKK2 76/24
Chengdu J-7 China Interceptor J-7/II, JJ-7 322/99/50 Not in production
Chengdu J-10 China Multirole Fighter J-10A/S/B 168-196 J-10B flight testing
Chengdu J-13 China Multirole Fighter J-13 0 In development
Shenyang J-8 China Interceptor J-8B/D/H/F 180 Not in production
Shenyang J-11 China Multirole Fighter J-11A/B/BS 100/24 J-11 being modernized to J-11B
Shenyang J-14 China Multirole Fighter J-14 0 In development
Shenyang J-15 China Carrier Borne Fighter J-15 0 In development
Xian JH-7 China Fighter-Bomber JH-7/A 192
Nanchang Q-5 China Close Air Support Q-5 500 Not in production
JF-17 Thunder China&Pakistan Multirole Fighter JF-17 0 3 Prototypes
Bomber Aircraft
Xian H-6 China Strategic bomber H-6 100-120
Trainer Aircraft
Hongdu JL-8 China&Pakistan Training K-8 200
Hongdu L-15 China Training L-15 0 2 Prototypes
Guizhou JL-9 China Training JL-9 0 2 Prototypes
JL-7 Baby Eagle China&Russia Training JL-7 0 In development
Transport Aircraft
Ilyushin Il-76 Russland Transport IL-76MD 20 30 Ordered
Harbin Y-14 China Light Transport Y-14 Unknown
Harbin Y-12 China Light Transport Y-12 Unknown
Harbin Y-11 China Light Transport Y-11 50
Shaanxi Y-9 China Transport Y-9 0 In development
Shaanxi Y-8 China Transport Y-8 100-120
Xian Y-7 China Light Transport Y-7 23
Shijiazhuang Y-5 China Light Transport Y-5 300
Bombardier Challenger 600 Kanada VIP Transport CL 601 5
Tupolev Tu-154 Soviet Union VIP Transport Tu-154M 7
Aerial refueling
Ilyushin Il-78 Russland Refueling Tanker IL-78 0 4 Ordered
Reconnaissance
KJ-2000 China AWAC KJ-2000 5
KJ-200 China AEW&C KJ-200 4
Attack Helicopter
CAIC WZ-10 File:PLAAF WZ-10 Attack Heli.jpg China Attack Helicopter WZ-10 8 6 Prototypes
Harbin WZ-9 China Attack Helicopter WZ-9 30-40
Changhe Z-11W China Attack helicopter Z-11W 20
Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle Frankreich Attack Helicopter SA 342 8
Transport Helicopter
Mil Mi-8 USSR Transport Helicopter Mi-8 20
Mil Mi-17 USSR Transport Helicopter Mi-17 240
Changhe Z-11 China Utlity Helicopter Z-11 20
Changhe Z-8 China Transport Helicopter Z-8 40
Harbin Z-9 China Transport Helicopter Z-9 200
Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar Frankreich Transport Helicopter AS 532 6
Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk USA Transport Helicopter S-70C 24

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/default.asp
  2. ^ a b c IISS Military Balance 2010
  3. ^ ""World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2009". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  4. ^ "Military Aircraft Insignia of the World"
  5. ^ "Roundels of China"
  6. ^ John Pike. "People's Republic of China People's Liberation Army Air Force". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  7. ^ "The People's Liberation Army as Organization: ReferenceVolume v1.0" (PDF). pp. 354, n840, 357, n847. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReferenceA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Bibliography
  • Gordon,Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Chinese Aircraft. Hikoki Publications. Manchester. 2008. ISBN 9 781902 109046
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