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| People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force | |
|---|---|
| 中国人民解放军海军航空兵 | |
 Flag of the People's Liberation Army Navy | |
| Active | 1952–present |
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance |  Chinese Communist Party |
| Branch |  People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Type | Naval aviation |
| Size | 18,000 personnel 219 aircraft[1] |
| Part of |  People's Liberation Army |
| Engagements | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare | KJ-200,KJ-500,KJ-600,Y-8,Y-9,Z-18 |
| Fighter | J-11,J-15,J-35 |
| Helicopter | Ka-27,Ka-28,Ka-31,Mi-8,Z-8,Z-9,Z-18,Z-20 |
| Patrol | Y-9 |
| Reconnaissance | BZK-005, BZK-007,WZ-7 Soaring Dragon |
| Trainer | CJ-6,JL-8,JL-9,JL-10,Y-7 |
| Transport | CRJ200,CRJ700,Y-5,Y-7,Y-8 |
ThePeople's Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF;Chinese:中国人民解放军海军航空兵;pinyin:Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn Hǎijūn Hángkōngbīng) is thenaval aviation branch of thePeople's Liberation Army Navy.
Historically, the PLANAF's main role has been to provide the navy's warships with air defense coverage. Part of thecoastal defensedoctrine was to have naval aircraft protecting the ships, hence the reason why many PLA ships of the 1960s–70s lacked long rangeanti-aircraft missiles or artillery. During theSino-Vietnamese War, the PLANAF carried out many successful bombing and airstrike missions against Vietnamese territories, such as in theSpratly Islands. The 1960s saw a series of air combat sorties flown against theRepublic of China Air Force. PLANAF pilots have been credited with many major victories over the Taiwanese in these small incidents.[citation needed] Historical aircraft operated by the PLANAF include theJ-5, theJ-6, andH-5. These aircraft have been retired by the late 1990s.
A PLANAF J-15 made the first landing onLiaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, on 25 November 2012.[2]
According to the Department of the Air Force'sChina Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) the PLANAF had around 2016 a major restructuring into a brigade structure.[3]
The PLANAF has often deployed shipborne helicopters to combatpiracy in the Gulf of Aden.[4]
In 2023, the PLANAF transferred maritime strike, bomber, and most fighter units to thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force, including at least 3 fighter brigades, 2 bomber regiments, 3 radar brigades, 3 air defense brigades, and some airbases. It retained itscarrier aircraft, a fighter brigade with J-11B/BS, helicopters, UAVs, and other special purpose aircraft.[5]
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In July 2018, Lieutenant General Zhang Honghe of thePLAAF stated that China is developing a new carrier-based aircraft that will replace the J-15 due to four crashes and numerous technical problems. One problem with the aircraft is that it is the heaviest carrier-borne fighter in current operation with an empty weight of 17,500 kg compared to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's 14,600 kg (though it is less than theF-14 Tomcat's weight of 19,800 kg). Weight problems are compounded when operating offLiaoning, as its STOBAR launch and recovery method further limits payload capacity.[10][11]
