The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force will gradually get more J-20 stealth fighters and Y-20 large transport aircraft, as well as the H-20 bomber in the near future, to meet the goal of becoming a world-class force, experts predicted, as the service celebrated its 70th founding anniversary on Monday.
A video the PLA Air Force released on Sunday showcased its advanced, main battle equipment, including J-20 and J-16 fighters, H-6N strategic bomber, Y-20 transport plane, KJ-2000 airborne early warning system, and the HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system.
70th anniversary of the #PLA Air Force! Watch #China's stealth fighters, including J-20, Y-20, H-6K, H-6N, KJ-500, and witness the advancement of China's Air Force in seven decades. pic.twitter.com/jvGQB0Pduj
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) November 11, 2019
Compared to 70 years ago, when aircraft had to fly over Tiananmen Square twice at the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China to show that China had strong airpower, the new video showed what the PLA Air Force has become today, military observers said.
Today, Nov 11, marks the 70th anniversary of the #PLA Air Force, which has risen from a force that was once short of aircraft to a full-fledged air force with multiple self-developed aircraft. Happy 70th Birthday, #PLAAirForce! https://t.co/2ugnRwb44r pic.twitter.com/GPQvr0MjcE
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) November 11, 2019
China now has aerial tankers, electronic warfare aircraft, and electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and its fighter jets have evolved from first to the fifth generation, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese air defence expert, told the Global Times, noting that this shows the Air Force has a more complete system with more types of aircraft and the latest technologies.
Congratulations! #PLA Air Force celebrates #70th anniversary. Photos: VCG https://t.co/YqywjlcyOW pic.twitter.com/89JB5HtqbT
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) November 11, 2019
A senior official of the Chinese Air Force said on November 2018 that the first step is to, by 2020, build a strategic force that integrates aviation and space power, and strike and defence capabilities, then the strategic capabilities will be improved and become modern by 2035, and the Air Force's full transformation into a world-class force will be achieved by mid-21st century, Xinhua reported.
The Air Force will gradually get more advanced aircraft like the J-20 and Y-20 to achieve that goal, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times, noting that variants and new aircraft will be developed to keep the Air Force technologically advanced and systematically complete.
The H-20, China's in-development, highly anticipated strategic stealth bomber comparable to the US B-2, will fill in the void, the expert predicted, noting that the Y-20 could also see a tanker variant so China could get its first domestically developed large aerial tanker.
More drones could also be developed, the expert said. China already operates drones like the GJ-2 armed reconnaissance drone, GJ-11 stealth attack drone, and WZ-8 high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance drone.
Fu said it is also important to focus on military exercises close to real battles to boost the comprehensive combat capabilities of the Air Force.
This article originally appeared on Global Times website.
