# PLA Air Force
Latest news and articles about PLA Air Force
Total: 18 articles found
Diminishing Returns of Deterrence: F-22s in the Philippines and the New Aerial Order
The deployment of F-22 Raptors to the Philippines highlights the U.S. military's shift toward distributed logistics while simultaneously revealing the limits of stealth deterrence against China's maturing J-20 fleet. While symbolically potent, the tactical mismatch between U.S. and Philippine assets underscores the political nature of the exercise in a contested West Pacific.
Wings of Remembrance: Beijing Pairs Military Might with Martyrdom in High-Stakes Repatriation
China deployed its most advanced J-20 stealth fighters and Y-20B transport planes to escort the remains of Korean War soldiers returning from South Korea. The event serves as a high-profile blend of historical reverence and a demonstration of the country's modern military capabilities.
A High-Tech Guard of Honor: China’s Modern Air Power Welcomes the Ghosts of the Korean War
China deployed its advanced Y-20B transport and J-20 stealth fighters to repatriate the remains of Korean War veterans from South Korea. The event serves as both a high-stakes domestic patriotic narrative and a demonstration of China's modernized military capabilities.
Echoes of 1950: Beijing Deploys Stealth Jets to Welcome Korean War Dead
China utilized its most advanced J-20 stealth fighters and Y-20B transport planes to repatriate the remains of Korean War veterans from South Korea. The mission was designed to showcase military modernization while reinforcing nationalistic narratives of historical legacy and sacrifice.
Patriotic Pageantry and Power Projection: China Welcomes Korean War Dead with Stealth Escorts
China has repatriated the 13th batch of Korean War remains using its most advanced military aircraft, the Y-20B and J-20 stealth fighters. The ceremony utilized symbolic call signs to bridge the gap between 1950s revolutionary sacrifice and modern military capabilities.
The Strategic Sunset: Why Chinese Analysts Foresee a Decade of US Aerial Inferiority
Chinese military analysts are projecting a period of American aerial inferiority through 2035, citing delays in the NGAD program and the rapid advancement of China's own sixth-generation fighters. The report highlights a critical disparity in industrial capacity and fleet modernization that could fundamentally shift the balance of power in the Pacific.
From Trenches to Cockpits: How the PLA Air Force Is Recasting an 80‑Year Legacy to Bolster Cohesion and Combat Readiness
The PLA Air Force commemorated the 80th anniversary of its pioneering Northeast aviation school with site visits, theatrical performances, seminars and awards that repurpose wartime stories into contemporary political and professional education. Beijing is using such commemorations to fuse revolutionary legacy with modern military training, reinforcing cohesion and political loyalty alongside technological modernization.
China’s Air Force Marks 80 Years of the Northeast Aviation School with Memory-Building Campaigns
The PLAAF marked the 80th anniversary of the Northeast Aviation School with nationwide commemorations—site visits, seminars, theatrical productions and awards—aimed at converting revolutionary-era memory into contemporary cohesion. The campaign reflects a broader PLA pattern of using history and political education to sustain morale, legitimize party control and socialize the next generation of personnel amid modernization.
China Shows Off J-16 ‘Swiss Army’ Role in Networked Mixed-Force Flights — A Glimpse of Integrated Air Warfare
Chinese military coverage released footage of J-16 fighters operating in networked, mixed formations with J-20 stealth fighters, J-16D electronic-warfare variants, an attack-11 stealth UAV and other platforms. The exercise illustrates a doctrinal move toward cross-generation, manned–unmanned teaming and integrated kill chains designed to improve survivability and strike depth in contested environments.
China’s H-6K Bombers Push Past the ‘First Island Chain’, Signalling Deeper Pacific Reach
China’s H-6K bombers have conducted a long-range training flight more than 1,000 km past the First Island Chain into the western Pacific, completing scheduled drills despite close approaches by foreign aircraft. The mission underlines Beijing’s growing capacity to project air power beyond its immediate periphery and raises fresh questions about regional risk management and escalation control.
China’s “Sea‑Air Eagles” Put a Spotlight on Readiness Along the Southeastern Flank
An official profile of a PLA Air Force brigade dubbed the “Sea‑Air Eagle Regiment” highlights sustained, realistic training and a permanent deployment on China’s southeastern flank. The piece signals both a doctrinal move toward persistent high‑tempo readiness in a strategically sensitive region and an internal messaging effort to reinforce political loyalty and morale.
Through Fog and Rain: Eastern Theater Air Force Sharpens All‑Weather Combat Readiness
An Eastern Theater Air Force brigade conducted all‑weather training in fog and drizzle to sharpen pilots' emergency handling and air combat skills. The exercise underscored the PLA's emphasis on realistic, high‑tempo readiness and has implications for deterrence and operational resilience in the Taiwan‑adjacent theater.