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  • The PLA Navy Coastal Defense Missile Force

    The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is comprised of five branches (兵种): the surface fleet, the submarine fleet, naval aviation, the marine corps, and coastal defense. As the PLAN modernizes, each of the branches has undergone its own modernization. This includes the PLAN Coastal Defense force

  • In Their Own Words: On Maritime Strategic Access

    The “In Their Own Words” series is dedicated to translations of Chinese documents in order to help non-Mandarin speaking audiences access and understand Chinese thinking. CASI would like to thank all of those involved in this effort. In the “In Their Own Words” series, CASI and its collaborators aim

  • PLAN Special Mission Aviation Air Base Renovation and Expansion Activities

    The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Naval Aviation forces have been undergoing a large scale divestment of its shore based aviation capabilities through 2023. However, since then, PLAN Aviation has clearly sought to retain not only is fixed wing anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets, but also its

  • ITOW: Research on Port Landing Operations

    "In Their Own Words" are translations from Chinese source documents In Their Own Words The “In Their Own Words” series is dedicated to translations of Chinese documents in order to help non-Mandarin speaking audiences access and understand Chinese thinking. CASI would like to thank all of those

  • Competition with China: PLA Navy

    Part of CASI's "Competition With China" video series which helps Airmen better understand the strategic competition with China broadly, and takes a deep look at many of the military and security aspects of that competition. CASI uses source documents to research and report on China’s aerospace

  • PRC Navy Likely Testing Carrier-Based Stealth Fighters

    Two probable prototype carrier-based FC-31 variants appeared at the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Carrier Aviation Test and Training Base at Huangdicun in early November 2021.  Satellite imagery shows the two aircraft parked on active runways, indicating they are operable prototypes rather

  • China’s Navy Begins Fielding Newly Manufactured J-15 Carrier-Capable Fighters

    The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has likely received a new batch of J-15 carrier-based fighters. Recent video footage released on “Military Express” (军事快播) shows a J-15 with a tail number of “31” and another with either “33” or “35”. All previously known J-15 tail numbers fell within the

  • New Curriculum Improves Combat Readiness of Navy’s Rotary-Wing Units

    New Curriculum Improves Combat Readiness of Navy’s Rotary-Wing Units A cadet at the Naval Aviation University conducts a "solo" ship landing. Image Source: http://www.mod.gov.cn/topnews/2020-04/12/content_4863493.htmThroughout the week of April 12-18, 2020 the official news media of the Chinese