Shaking the Heavens and Splitting the Earth
Chinese Air Force Employment Concepts in the 21st Century
Less than a decade ago, China's air force was an antiquated service equipped almost exclusively with weapons based on 1950s-era Soviet designs and operated by personnel with questionable training according to outdated employment concepts. Today, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) appears to be on its way to becoming a modern, highly capable air force for the 21st century. This monograph analyzes publications of the Chinese military, previously published Western analyses of China's air force, and information available in published sources about current and future capabilities of the PLAAF. It describes the concepts for employing forces that the PLAAF is likely to implement in the future, analyzes how those concepts might be realized in a conflict over Taiwan, assesses the implications of China implementing these concepts, and provides recommendations about actions that should be taken in response.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 306
- List Price: $29.00
- Paperback Price: $23.20
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 9780833049322
- Document Number: MG-915-AF
- Year: 2011
- Series: Monographs
Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
The Organization of China's Air and Missile Forces
Chapter Three
The Evolution of Chinese Air Force Doctrine
Chapter Four
Chinese Concepts for the Employment of Air Forces
Chapter Five
Air Offensive Campaigns
Chapter Six
Air Defense Campaigns
Chapter Seven
Air Blockade Campaigns
Chapter Eight
Airborne Campaigns
Chapter Nine
The Role of Other Services in Air Force Campaigns
Chapter Ten
Possible PLAAF Operational Concepts, Capabilities, and Tactics in a Taiwan Strait Conflict
Chapter Eleven
Conclusions and Implications
The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Air Force and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE.
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