There’s a general lack of information regarding the history and status of China’s youngest aviation branch. Combat Aircraft provides a brief introduction to the People’s Liberation Army’s Army Aviation — a force that’s on the rise.
REPORT Andreas Rupprecht
AIR WARFARE BRIEFINGS FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC
PLA ARMY AVIATION CHINA’S NEGLECTED FORCE
ATTRACTING LESS PUBLIC attention than the PLA’s Naval Aviation, which itself stands in the shadow of the PLA Air Force, the PLA Army Aviation is often neglected by observers. However, it has evolved into a formidable force since its establishment in 1986.
The People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), as it’s officially known, is the oldest branch within the entire Chinese armed forces. While the PLAGF is often misidentified as the ‘People’s Liberation Army’, the PLA in fact encompasses all of the People’s Republic of China’s armed forces, which consist of five professional service branches:
• Ground Force (PLAGF)
• Navy (PLAN)
• Air Force (PLAAF)
• Rocket Force (PLARF, formerly the Second Artillery Corps/SAC)
• Strategic Support Force (PLASSF)
The PLAGF is the land-based service branch – China’s Army. The Ground Force is the largest service within the PLA and traces i…
