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China’s air force

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China’s air force
Latest news and updates on the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, including military drills, the development of fighter jets, spending, reforms and modernisation.
The J-36 is the unofficial name for a jet first seen flying over Chengdu in December 2024 and believed to be a sixth-generation fighter jet under development by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Photo: X/Rupprecht_A
China's military weapons

Could China’s sixth-generation fighter carry a laser to defend against missiles?

Beijing expo display offers strongest public hint yet that China is developing airborne laser systems for advanced fighter aircraft.

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Xinjiang

What China’s Lop Nur desert base expansion means for PLA jets in race with US

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China's military weapons

Tanker, transporter, controller: China’s Y-20 family expands its Pacific reach

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China's military weapons

Export potential? Chinese YY-20 refuels Egyptian Rafale in cross-platform drill

PLA tanker aircraft shows versatility in Egypt exercise, highlighting interoperability that could boost global sales prospects.

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A Chinese YY-20 aerial tanker refuels an Egyptian Air Force Rafale fighter during the Eagles of Civilisation 2026 joint air exercise, according to imagery released by the Egyptian military. Photo: Handout
China-Middle East relations

China’s J-16s face off against Egypt’s Rafales in combat drills as Iran war rumbles on

PLA pilots test strategic reach in 6,000km mission as Middle East conflict pushes Cairo and Beijing closer.

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China's military weapons

In Focus | Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

From artificial intelligence to quantum technology and hypersonic weapons, the PLA is in a race to define the next era of warfare.

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese military unveils AI system to plan and coordinate mass air strikes

The support system is designed to support exercises involving ‘hundreds of targets and dozens of formations’, according to state media.

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The documentary said the system could coordinate multiple strikes. Photo: CCTV
China's military weapons

China’s military modernisation

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army, overseeing improvements in hardware and high-level purges of generals.

China's military weapons

New images signal fifth prototype for China’s J-36 fighter jet

Footage suggesting rapid design upgrades comes just a month after China released first official clip of a sixth-generation fighter.

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Taiwan

Why PLA jet sorties near Taiwan dropped to a 3-year low in first half of 2026

Beijing is shifting cross-strait military strategy, halving aerial missions and increasing coastguard patrols in the waters near the island.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
Defence

Canada becomes first observer to British-Italian-Japanese GCAP fighter project

Ottawa gains front-row insight into the next-gen combat jet as it seeks to diversify ties amid Washington tensions.

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Defence ministers (fromleft) David McGuinty (Canada), Wes Streeting (Britain), Guido Crosetto (Italy) and Shinjiro Koizumi (Japan) discuss the Global Combat Air Programme at Wellington Barracks in London on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
China's military weapons

What does China’s J-16 jet ‘beast mode’ upgrade mean for regional air power?

Extreme loadout configuration suggests a potential extension of the PLA Air Force’s tactical capabilities, Chinese military magazine says.

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Accidents and disasters in China

Chinese paratrooper saves unconscious comrade in mid-air chute emergency

Soldier says he ‘would make the same choice’ after incident during parachute refresher training.

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China's military weapons

What signal is China sending with official footage of sixth-generation fighter?

A fleeting clip of the new fighter – nicknamed ‘Little Six’ – featured in a video released by official military media over the weekend.

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The video included the first official reference to the “Little Six”. Photo: China Military Bugle
US-China relations

Ex-US Air Force fighter pilot accused of secretly training Chinese military

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr allegedly provided ‘defence services’ after 24-year Air Force career training US pilots on advanced combat aircraft.

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A US Air Force F-35C Lightning II lands on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on February 12. Photo: AFP
China-South Korea relations

China scrambles fighters to confront US warplanes based in South Korea

The American warplanes made a rare approach towards China’s air defence identification zone over the Yellow Sea, local media reported.

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China's military weapons

China’s J-10C stars at Singapore Airshow after lead role in India-Pakistan war

Beijing is eyeing the Southeast Asian market after the 4.5-generation fighter raised its international profile by shooting down a Rafale jet.

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China's military weapons

China’s growing military power

Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army. He has overseen improvements in hardware, including the expansion of the nuclear weapons programme, and tightened his control through high-level purges of generals.

China’s growing military power
China's military weapons

Are China’s J-20A stealth fighters now updated with high-thrust WS-15 engines?

Footage of flight tests suggests aircraft equipped with the home-grown engine is in the pre-delivery testing phase.

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China's military weapons

Chinese state media repositions sci-fi space, air combat aircraft as tech target

Military analyst on CCTV says frontier technologies reflect ‘expectations for future aerospace and space superiority’.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

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On January 5, Nicolas Maduro is escorted towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan after being abducted from Caracas by US forces. Analysts ask whether China has the capacity to carry out a similar opertion. Photo: Reuters
China's military weapons

China set to supercharge radar, engine and AI in fifth-gen J-20 stealth fighter

Analyst tells state media Mighty Dragon’s airborne weapons are expected to have a longer range and stronger anti-interference capabilities.

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A military analyst interviewed by state broadcaster CCTV indicates that China’s J-20 stealth fighters are set for avionics upgrades on its radar, engines and AI integration. Photo: CCTV
US-Venezuela conflict

Venezuela attack seen as reminder for China to boost air defence, intelligence

Lessons for Beijing include the need to upgrade hardware, protect state secrets and prevent infiltration, experts say.

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Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

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China's military weapons

Are these the first images of China’s new military transport plane in flight?

Photos and videos appear to show the maiden flight of the aircraft that is likely to become the PLA’s main workhorse in future.

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Pictures of the new aircraft have circulated online. Photo: Weibo/ 司马平邦
China's military weapons

How China’s HQ-29 mid-course missile interceptor stacks up against its US rivals

The HQ-29 has been compared to the American sea-based SM-3 and the silo-based Ground-Based Interceptor.

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Military vehicles transport the PLA’s new HQ-29 anti-aircraft missiles during China’s Victory Day parade, in Beijing on September 3. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images
China's military weapons

PLA shows first footage of Chinese drone collaborating with crewed J-20 fighter

Military promotional video is the first time China has publicly shown its manned-unmanned teaming technology.

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China's military weapons

China’s updated sixth-generation fighter jets put US on notice for air supremacy

Notable changes seen in prototypes just 10 months after their first public appearance, suggesting ‘accelerated’ progress towards production.

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