The Chinese Air Force Has Nearly 500 Versions Of A Single Plane
Becoming the third largest air force in the world has not been an easy task for the Chinese government, but it has been a part of a major overhaul of their military forces. Over the last few decades, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has grown to the size of over 2,700 aircraft, including 2,566 combat aircraft. When this is combined with the Navy's supply, the military as a whole has a combined total of roughly 4,000 craft. The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, set a goal to become fully modernized by 2025 and a "world-class" military power by 2049, and they seem well on their way to making that happen.
24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the warplanes within the PLAAF. To identify all of the planes in active service in the Chinese Air Force, 24/7 Wall St. consulted the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. The aircraft are ranked according to the number of units in active service. Combat helicopters and trainer aircraft are excluded from this list. Supplemental data regarding the type of aircraft and how many are in active service was gathered from FlightGlobal. Data on each aircraft’s first flight came from various military and historical sources.
China's Air Force is largely composed of combat aircraft. Some examples of these are air superiority fighters, multi-role combat jets, and ground attack and bomber planes. The purpose of these aircraft is primarily to engage enemy planes and carry out strategic and precise strikes. Some specific examples of these Chinese fighter jets include the J-10, J-11, and J-16, which are all domestically produced.
Outside of combat aircraft, Chinese transport aircraft are another component of the air force. These tend to play an important role in supplying troops, supporting humanitarian aid missions, and executing strategic airlift operations.
The current fleet includes many domestically produced aircraft that can rival their Western counterparts, given the specs and technology involved in their development. However, there are a few foreign additions that have been upgraded and adjusted to fit China's operational needs, like the Flanker-X2.
Here is a closer look at the warplanes in China's Air Force.
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding China's air force gives context to its modernization effort and geopolitical standing. Knowing which specific aircraft China employs also helps to understand their operational capacity when using these jets.
