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A Primer on Trends in China's Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces

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A Primer on Trends in China's Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces PLA Aerospace Power: A Primer on Trends in China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces 2nd Edition Printed in the United States of America by the China Aerospace Studies Institute ISBN: 978-1-082790-56-0 To request additional copies, please direct inquiries to: Director, China Aerospace Studies Institute, Air University, 55 Lemay Plaza, Montgomery, AL 36112 Graphic Design by Heisey-Grove Design Cover art is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Credit for J-20 photo: http://alert5.com; Credit for space photo: Penyulap; Credit for Xi at parade photo: Xinhua News Agency. All photos licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, or under the Fair Use Doctrine under Section 107 of the Copyright Act for nonprofit educational and noncommercial use. All other graphics created by or for China Aerospace Studies Institute Reproduction and printing is subject to the Copyright Act of 1976 and applicable treaties of the United States. This document may be freely reproduced for academic or other noncommercial use; however, it is requested that reproductions credit the author and China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). To obtain permission to reproduce this publication for commercial purposes, contact the China Aerospace Studies Institute. E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.airuniversity.af.mil/casi https://twitter.com/CASI_Research @CASI_Research https://www.facebook.com/CASI.Research.Org https://www.linkedin.com/company/11049011 Disclaimer The views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government or the Department of Defense. In accordance with Air Force Instruction 51-303, Intellectual Property, Patents, Patent Related Matters, Trademarks and Copyrights; this work is the property of the US Government. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights Reproduction and printing is subject to the Copyright Act of 1976 and applicable treaties of the United States. This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This publication is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal, academic, or governmental use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete however, it is requested that reproductions credit the author and China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). Permission is required from the China Aerospace Studies Institute to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please contact the China Aerospace Studies Institute. Preface The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to develop rapidly across all aspects, hardware, technology, personnel, and organizational structure, etc. The PLA’s aerospace forces are, in many ways, leading that change. These include the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), PLA Naval Aviation, PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), and space and cyber assets affiliated with the PLA Strategic Support Force (PLASSF). This second edition from the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI), seeks to provide a brief primer on the trends affecting these forces and provide basic information about their composition and role today. This publication outlines the roles and missions of China’s aerospace forces, the PLAAF and its five branches, the PLARF, and the PLASSF. It also identifies trends in PLA aerospace training and operational proficiency for these forces and discusses the near-term outlook. This publication is intended to serve as foundational work, capturing a snapshot of capabilities, and an outline of organizations and key personnel, while identifying trends underway at the time of its writing in early 2019. CASI supports the United States Defense Department and the China research community writ-large by providing high quality, unclassified research on Chinese aerospace developments in the context of U.S. strategic imperatives in the Indo- Pacific region. Primarily focused on China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces, CASI capitalizes on publicly available native language resources to gain insights as to how the Chinese speak to and among one another on these topics. With this second edition, CASI continues to describe the fundamentals in the field. Further research projects will expand on the framework laid out in this primer and will both expand and deepen public knowledge of developments in Chinese aerospace. While primarily focused on developments related to the PLA Aerospace Power: services and branches of the PLA’s aerospace assets and forces, CASI also explores topics and areas related to the support infrastructure, industrial base, and military- civil fusion, that combines together to form the overall China aerospace field. CASI would like to acknowledge the work and effort of its Research Director, Ken Allen, and the many CASI Associates who contributed to the compilation of data, research, and writing, of this volume, including Henry Boyd, MSGT Eric Griffin, Rick Gunnell, Andreas Rupprecht, Mark Stokes, TSGT Jennifer Thurman, MAJ Catherine Tobin, Sid Trevethan, Jess Woo, and others. We hope you will find this volume useful and timely, and welcome any feedback on its contents, or suggestions for further or future research in this field. Dr. Brendan S. Mulvaney Director, China Aerospace Studies Institute A Primer on Trends in China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces 2nd Edition Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Roles and Missions of China’s Aerospace Forces 4 3. PLA Air Force 10 4. PLA Navy and Marine Corps Aviation 33 5. PLA Rocket Force 45 6. PLA Strategic Support Force 54 7. PLA Army (PLAA) Aviation 62 8. Trends in PLA Aerospace Training and Operational Proficiency 66 9. Industrial Base 79 10. Outlook 85 Appendix 1: PLA 15 Grades and 10 Ranks 89 Appendix 2: PLA Air Force Leadership 92 Appendix 3: PLA Rocket Force Leadership 105 Appendix 4: PLA Strategic Support Force Military Space Force Leadership 107 Appendix 5: Select UAVs in the PLA 109 Appendix 6: Acronyms and Abbreviations 110 EndNotes 114 PLA Aerospace Power: 1. Introduction Over the last two and a half decades, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has invested heavily in the modernization of its military forces. These efforts have yielded dramatic improvements in the personnel, organizational structure, equipment, training, doctrine, and overall proficiency of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). China’s air, space, and missile forces in particular, collectively referred to here as the PLA’s “aerospace forces”, have transformed rapidly from a comparatively low base of capabilities in the 1990s into forces that today could pose significant challenges to any opponent. China’s military leaders have observed the evolution of other nations’ forces and have taken lessons from recent conflicts. They have sought to rebuild their own aerospace capabilities with these changes in mind. China seeks to modernize its aerospace forces, including weapons, equipment, personnel, and organizational structure, to support an increasingly ambitious regional security strategy that involves deterring any adversary, and, should deterrence fail, prevailing in combat. At the start of 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his role as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Military Commission (CMC), announced the 11th major structural reform to the PLA since 1949. Notably, Xi elevated the PLA’s Second Artillery Force (PLASAF), once an independent branch of the PLA, to service-level stature on par with the three other services (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and renamed it the “PLA Rocket Force” (PLARF).1 The PLARF has historically been charged with developing nuclear strike and counterstrike options, but its mission and capabilities have grown since the early 1990s to include carrying out conventional ballistic and cruise missile strikes. In December 2015, Xi also established the PLA’s Strategic Support Force (PLASSF), which is not its own service, to provide the PLA with cyber, aerospace, A Primer on Trends in China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces 2nd Edition 1 and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities which enables cross-domain synergy in “strategic frontiers.”2 The PLASSF forms the core of China’s information warfare force, supports the entire PLA, and reports directly to the CMC. According to a Ministry of National Defense3 spokesman, “The PLASSF will integrate reconnaissance, early warning, communications, command, control, [and] navigation…and will provide strong support for joint operations for each military service and branch.”4 The PLASSF may also be responsible for research, development, testing, and fielding of certain “new concept” weapons, such as directed energy and kinetic energy weapons. The PLASSF’s space function is primarily focused on satellite launch and operation to support PLA reconnaissance,navigation, and communication requirements. The PLASSF may also be charged with developing counter-space capabilities. President Xi has also stressed the importance of continuing to modernize the PLA Air Force. Xi seeks to “accelerate the construction of a powerful people’s air force that integrates air and space and is simultaneously prepared for offensive and defensive operations.”5 The PLAAF, accordingly, is now expected to undertake an expanded set of missions beyond defending Chinese territorial airspace
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