China Aerospace Studies Institute

Air University (AU)

The Truth about the Sino-Russian Combined Patrols

This article was published as part of the cooperation between CASI and the Japanese Air Self Defense Force's Air and Space Studies Institute (JASI)The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has conducted nine “combined strategic aerial patrols” with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS)

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2025 PLA Pilot Recruitment Cycle

In accordance with Xi Jinping’s guidance, the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has prioritized the development of its high-tech aviation capabilities, emphasizing not only the advancement of sophisticated equipment but also the training of highly skilled flight personnel. As

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Modernization of Fighter Pilot Training in the PLA Air Force Proceeds Apace

In the past several months, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has reported and released information about new developments in its effort to modernize the PLA Air Force’s (PLAAF) training of prospective fighter pilots. One of the institutions that conduct that training, the Shijiazhuang

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USAF Should Look At China’s Future Multi-Crew Fighter Model For F-15EX

The F-15EX's currently empty rear cockpit needs to be taken advantage of by adding a new kind of second crewmen, an Air Mission Commanding Officer.By CASI Fellow Major Josh "Soup" Campbell

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ITOW: Air Force Tactical Logistics

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

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Army Fuel Keeps Air Force Aircraft Flying

In mid-February it was reported that a unit of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force was receiving aviation fuel and other supplies from a supply base of the PLA Army. The report provides more evidence that the PLA is improving its joint logistics capability, as previously assessed by

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Status of the 41st Aviation Brigade transition to the J-20

By late last fall, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) 41st Aviation Brigade active out of Wuyishan Airbase in Fujian province appeared to be transitioning to the J-20. Commercial satellite imagery from 29 November 2023 shows six J-20 airframes in the open at Wuyishan Airbase. This

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Survey of PRC Drone Swarm Inventions

This work builds upon CASI’s 2018 The PLA’s Unmanned Aerial Systems: New Capabilities for a “New Era” of Chinese Military Power by Elsa Kania1 and is intended to specifically address the Chinese capacity for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm innovation, tactics, and mission sets.In December 2018,

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PLA Naval Aviation Reorganization 2023

In early 2023, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began transferring PLA Navy Aviation units to the PLA Air Force. By mid-2023, the PLA transferred the majority of PLAN fighter, bomber, radar, air defense, and airfield units to the PLA Air Force (PLAAF). In total, the PLA transferred at least three

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The PLA Reconceptualizes Control of the Air

The PLA is now promoting a more nuanced and modern understanding of control of the air. Consequently, the PLA is unlikely to seek command of the air in future military campaigns, and it is likely to reduce its spatial and temporal requirements for control of the air as its capabilities to conduct

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