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People's Liberation Army Air Force

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The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) (Simplified Chinese: 解放军空军; Pinyin: Jiěfàngjūn Kōngjūn) is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China. It is currently the world's third largest Air force.

Contents

History

Although the Chinese Red 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 PLAAF itself was founded on 11 November 1949, shortly after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. At the beginning it relied heavily on Soviet help and was armed with Soviet aircraft. Within 6 years, the PLAAF began manufacturing its own aircraft, but initially these were copies of Soviet types. The first of them was the J-2, corresponding to the MiG-15. Some western observers refer to the upgraded MiG-15bis variant as J-4, but PLAAF never used "J-4" aircraft designation.

Soviet involvement also extended to training combat pilots. Those took part to some degree in the Korean War, where Chinese pilots along with their Russian counterparts often engaged American aircraft in combat. This increased cooperation between the two Communist nations also allowed the Chinese to begin building their own versions of the MiG-17 and MiG-19: the J-5 and J-6.

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 the Chinese aircraft industry almost collapsed. The outbreak of the Vietnam War helped it to recover, though, as the PRC government began providing the forces of North Vietnam with J-2s, J-5s, and some J-6s. The 1960s also saw the first indigenous Chinese designs, namely the J-8.

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 collapse of the Soviet Union. Ironically, China's former foe, Russia, became its principal arms supplier to the effect that Chinese economic growth allowed Russia to sustain its aerospace industry.

Between the Vietnam War and the early 1990s, the PLAAF's flying consisted mostly of large numbers of near-obsolete Soviet planes. The main mission scenario under consideration by the PLAAF during this time was to support the PLA in defending China against a massive Soviet tank invasion. Under the doctrine of People's War, Chinese air strategy involved large numbers of short-range low-technology fighters. This mix of forces would not have stood up well to the Republic of China Air Force, which had fewer but much more modern planes such as the F-16 and Mirage 2000.

Modernisation Programme

In the early 1990s, the PLAAF began a programme of modernisation, motivated by the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as the possibility of military conflict with the Republic of China and perhaps 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 strived 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 planes.

The 21st century has seen the continuation of the modernszation programme, with China's huge economic growth. It acquired 76 Su-30MKK's from 2000 to 200 and 24 upgraded Su-30MKK2's in 2004. It also produced around 100 J-11s (from 2002 onwards) and bought 3 batches (at a total of 76). The PLAAF also began developing its own tanker aircraft, which it lacked previously, by modifying old Soviet planes such as the Tu-16 Badger (in China known as the H-6). In 2005 it announced plans to buy approximately 30 IL-76 transport planes and eight Il-78 tanker planes from Russia, which would greatly increase its troop airlift capability and offer extended range to many aircraft.

However, China is restricted in what it can buy due to the on-going arms embargo imposed on it by the European Union and United States.

The current goal is to have a mostly fourth-generation air force, giving it an advantage over the older fourth-generation aircraft of the Republic of China, though the ROCAF has been authorised by the US to purchase F-16 C/D block fighters to help replace its older F-5s. The PLAAF is also developing its own fifth-generation fighter, the J-XX, as a possible counter to modern American and European fighters. However it is still under development.

Organization

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)

Aircraft

Bombers

Fighter Bombers

Air Superiority Fighters

Multirole Fighters

J-10
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J-10

Stealth Fighter

Special Mission Aircraft

Transport Aircraft

Training Aircraft

Helicopters

Attack Helicopters

Support Helicopters

Naval Helicopters

Markings

PLAAF Insignia
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PLAAF Insignia

The markings of the PLAAF are a red star in front of a red band, it is slightly similar to the insignia of the United States Air Force. The Red star contains the Chinese characters for eight and one, representing August 11927, the date of the formation of the PLA. PLAAF aircraft carry these markings on the fins as well.

See also

External links


 
People's Liberation Army 

People's Liberation Army Ground Force | 
People's Liberation Army Navy | 
People's Liberation Army Air Force

 

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