Monday marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Over the past 75 years, the PLA Air Force has grown to become an important force protecting the country’s security. Apart from that, during the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, 15 paratroopers jumped from an altitude of 4,999 meters without guidance, markers, or weather data, landing directly at the center of the earthquake zone, paving the way for rescue efforts.
In 2011, the PLA Air Force dispatched transport aircraft for the first time overseas to evacuate Chinese nationals from Libya. In 2015, the PLA Air Force conducted its first flight over the Miyako Strait to carry out long-range training in the Western Pacific.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Y-20, China’s first heavy military transport aircraft, performed its first major transport mission, promptly delivering medical personnel and supplies to where they were most needed.
According to a spokesperson for the PLA Air Force, at the ongoing 15th Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong province, a medium stealth multi-role fighter J-35A is scheduled to be on display for the first time, making China one of the few countries that are capable of independently developing and equipping two or more types of stealth fighters.
In future operations, both the J-20 and J-35A will combine their capabilities for multi-role combat, indicating an increasing number and wider deployment of stealth aircraft as major equipment of the PLA Air Force.
Additionally, the nighttime large-scale parachute drops by the Y-20 demonstrate that air mobility forces can effectively support the campaign-scale airborne operations of Chinese paratroopers, while the YJ-21 ballistic missile signifies that the PLA Air Force possesses advanced strike capabilities with long range, high-speed, precision and strong penetration.
A country’s air force is a mobile fortress defending its territory. In times of peace, it plays a crucial role in both safeguarding the nation and addressing emergencies.
Currently, with the international situation still unstable and regional conflicts occurring from time to time, the PLA Air Force will defend every inch of the motherland’s airspace.