List of active People's Liberation Army aircraft explained

The following list of active People's Liberation Army aircraft is a list of military aircraft, currently in service with three branches of the People's Liberation Army. For retired aircraft, see list of historic aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

People's Liberation Army Air Force

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variants	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft
Xian H-6	China	Strategic bomber	Xi'an H-6K/H-6M	231^[1] ^[2]	License built variant of the Tupolev Tu-16
Xian JH-7	China	Fighter bomber	JH-7A/B	79
Chengdu J-7	ChinaSoviet Union	Fighter		271-	License built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 variant. Phasing out of service.^[3]
Shenyang J-8	China	Interceptor	J-8IIM	92	Phasing out of Service.
Chengdu J-10	China	Multirole fighter		565^[4]	J-10A: 220 J-10S: 70 J-10B: 55 J-10C: 220
Shenyang J-11	ChinaSoviet Union	Air superiority fighter		225	License built Sukhoi Su-27 variant. J-11: 95 J-11B/BS: 130
Shenyang J-16	China	Multirole strike fighter		300	J-16: 250
Chengdu J-20	China		J-20A/B/S	300^[5]	Fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Sukhoi Su-27	Soviet Union	Air superiority fighter	Su-27UBK/SM3	78	Su-27UBK: 42 Su-27SM3: 36
Sukhoi Su-30	Russia	Multirole strike fighter	Su-30MKK/MK2	72/18	Su-30MKK: 72 Su-30MK2(Navy): 18
Sukhoi Su-35	Russia	Air superiority fighter	Su-35S	24^[6]
AWACS
Shaanxi KJ-200	China	AEW		19^[7]
Shaanxi KJ-500	China	AEW		44
KJ-2000	ChinaRussia	AEW		4	Chinese radar installed on an Ilyushin Il-76 airframe
Tanker
Xian Y-20	China		YY-20	7
Ilyushin Il-78	Soviet Union		Il-78MP	3
Transport
Xian Y-7	ChinaSoviet Union	Transport		48	License built variant of the Antonov An-24
Shaanxi Y-8	ChinaSoviet Union	Tactical airlifter		80	License built variant of the Antonov An-12
Shaanxi Y-9	China	Tactical airlifter		24
Xian Y-20	China	Strategic airlifter		70
Xian MA-60	China			16
Ilyushin Il-76	Soviet Union	Strategic airlifter	IL-76MD	26
Tupolev Tu-154	Soviet Union	Transport		2
Special purpose aircraft (Reconnaissance, SIGINT, Electronic warfare, Maritime patrol etc.)
Shaanxi Y-8	China Soviet union	EW/Reconnaissance		18	17 units for EW & 1 for Reconnaissance.^[8]
Antonov An-30	Soviet Union	Electronic warfare		10
Tupolev Tu-154	Soviet Union	Electronic warfare		4
Shenyang J-16D	China	Electronic warfare/SEAD		50
Bombardier Challenger 850	Canada	Reconnaissance		5
Helicopter
Changhe Z-8	ChinaFrance	transport	License built Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon variant	34
Harbin Z-9	ChinaFrance	Medium multi-purpose utility helicopter	License built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin variant	16
Changhe Z-10	China	Attack helicopter		208 as of 2022^[9]
Changhe Z-11	China	utility helicopter		250
Airbus Helicopters H175	France	Super-medium utility helicopter		50
Changhe Z-18	China	Utility helicopter		200
Harbin Z-19	China	Reconnaissance / attack helicopter		186+
Harbin Z-20	China	Medium lift helicopter		50
Mi-8	Russia	Attack helicopter		50
Mi-17	Russia	Attack helicopter		16
Trainer aircraft
Chengdu JJ-7/JJ-7A	China	conversion trainer	JJ-7	200
Hongdu JL-8	China	jet trainer	K-8	350
Guizhou JL-9	China	jet trainer		30
Hongdu JL-10	China	jet trainer		200
Xian Y-7	China	multi-engine trainer		25
Guimbal Cabri G2	France	rotorcraft trainer		2^[10]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Guizhou Sunshine	China	MALE UAV		55^[11]
Chengdu Pterodactyl I	China	MALE UAV		250
Chengdu Pterodactyl 2	China	MALE UAV		1024	Output 470 per year 2024
Harbin Giant Eagle	China	MALE UAV		135
Chengdu Cloud Shadow	China	HALE UAV		30
Guizhou Soar Dragon	China	HALE UAV		15

People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force

|- | Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon || France || Rotorcraft || Transport || || 8 || || ^[12] |-| Bombardier CRJ100/200 || Canada || Jet ||VIP Transport || || 2 || || |- | Bombardier CRJ700 series || Canada || Jet ||VIP Transport || || 2 || || |- | Changhe Z-8 || China || Rotorcraft || Transport/SAR || || 31 || || Z-8: 9
Z-8J: 13
Z-8JH (SAR): 4
Z-8S (SAR): 5|- | Changhe Z-18 || China || Rotorcraft || Transport || || 12 || || Z-18: 4
Z-18 AEW: 3
Z-18F: 5 (ASW)|- | Chengdu J-10 || China || Jet || Multi-role || || 23 || 24 || J-10A: 16
J-10S:7|-| Eurocopter AS565 Panther || France || Rotorcraft || Transport || || 7 || || |- | Guizhou JL-9 || China || Jet || Trainer || || 36 || || |- | Harbin Y-12 || China || Propeller || Transport || || 20 || || |- | Harbin Z-9 || China || Rotorcraft || Utility || || 25 || || Z-9D (MRH) 11
Z-9C (ASW)
2Z-9S (SAR): 14|- | Hongdu JL-8 || China || Jet || Trainer || || 16 || || |- | Hongdu JL-10 || China || Jet || Trainer || || 12 || || |- | Kamov Ka-28 || Russia || Rotorcraft || ASW|| || 9 || || |- | Kamov Ka-31 || Russia || Rotorcraft || Airborne Early Warning || || 9 || |||- | KJ-200 || China || Propeller || Airborne Early Warning || || 6 || || |- | KQ-200 || China || Propeller || Patrol || || 20+ || || |-| Mil Mi-8 || USSR || Rotorcraft || Transport || || 8 || || |- | Nanchang CJ-6 || China || Propeller || Trainer || || 38 || || |- | Shaanxi KJ-500 || China || Propeller || Airborne Early Warning || || 14+ || || |-| Shaanxi Y-8 || China || Propeller || Transport/patrol || || 32 || || Y-8C: 3|- | Shaanxi Y-8J || China || Propeller || Patrol || || 4 || || |-| Shaanxi Y-8JB || China || Propeller || SIGINT || || 4 || || |-| Shaanxi Y-9JZ || China || Propeller || ELINT || || 8 || || |-| Shenyang J-8 || China || Jet || Fighter || || 24 || || |- | Shenyang J11B/BS || China || Jet || Multi-role || || 72 || 72 || |- | Shenyang J-15 || China || Jet || Multi-role fighter || 2013 || 60 (est)|| || |- | Shenyang J-15D || China || Jet || Electronic Warfare/SEAD || 2024 || More than 2 || || ^[13] |- | Shijiazhuang Y-5 || China || Propeller || Transport/utility || || 20 || || |-| Sukhoi Su-30MKK || Russia || Jet || Multi-role fighter || || 24 || 24 || |- | Xian H-6 || China || Jet || Strategic Bomber/Patrol|| || 45 || || H-6G: 27
H-6J: 18|-

| Xian HY-6U || China || Jet || Tanker|| || 6 || ||

|- | Xian JH-7 || China || Jet || Attack || || 120 || || JH-7: 48 JH-7A: 72|-| Xian MA60 || China || Jet || Transport || || 2 || || |- | Xian Y-7 || China || Propeller || Transport/trainer || || 8 || || |}

People's Liberation Army Ground Force

Sources

Hoyle . Craig . Fafard . Antoine . World Air Forces Directory . . 196 . 5715 . 10–16 December 2019 . 26–54 . 0015-3710 . .
Book: The International Institute for Strategic Studies . The Military Balance 2021 . 2021 . Routledge . 978-1-032-01227-8.
Book: The International Institute for Strategic Studies . The Military Balance 2022 . 2022 . Routledge . 978-1-032-27900-8.

Notes and References

Web site: The Chinese Air Force Sure Is Buying A Lot Of Bombers . Forbes . 16 November 2020 . 5 December 2022.
Web site: Dangwal . Ashish . 2021-12-29 . US, China Or Russia -- Which Country Calls The Shot In The Domain Of Long-Range, Nuclear-Capable Strategic Bombers? . 2024-05-14 . Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News . en-US.
Web site: office_zzam . 2023-05-22 . Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command replaces old J-7 and J-8 aircraft . 2024-10-29 . armyrecognition.com . en-gb.
[International Institute for Strategic Studies]
Web site: Solen . Derek . Third Combat Brigade of PLA Air Force Likely Receives Stealth Fighters . China Aerospace Studies Institute . United States Air Force Air University . January 2022 . 1 April 2022.
Web site: Gady . Franz-Stefan . 2019-05-17 . Russia Completes Delivery of 24 Su-35 Fighter Jets to China. 2024-05-14 . The Diplomat. en-US.
Web site: 15 December 2023 . Word Air Forces 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105033828/https://www.flightglobal.com/download?ac=98881 . 5 January 2024 . 30 April 2024.
Web site: 2024-04-14 . China 'Accelerates' Force Multipliers - AEW&C, FRA & EW Aircraft - To Fight US Military; Why India Must Act Now . 2024-05-14 . Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News . en-US.
Book: The Military Balance . 2023-02-15 . Routledge . 2023 . 9781003400226 . 1 . London . 15 February 2023 . en . 10.4324/9781003400226.
Web site: 2021. World Air Forces 2021. 13 November 2021. Flightglobal Insight.
Book: Rupprecht . Andreas . Modern Chinese Warplanes:Chinese Air Force - Aircraft and Units . 29 October 2018 . Harpia Publishing . 978-09973092-6-3 . 106.
Book: The International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Military Balance 2023. 15 February 2023 . Routledge . London . 6 Asia . 9781003400226 . 10.4324/9781003400226 . 256916955.
https://www.zona-militar.com/en/2024/11/01/the-chinese-navys-new-j-15d-carrier-based-electronic-warfare-aircraft-may-have-entered-service/