List of active People's Liberation Army aircraft

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

Further information: People's Liberation Army Air Force

This section is an excerpt from List of active People's Liberation Army Air Force aircraft § Aircraft.[ edit ]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft: 2,989 [1]
Chengdu J-10	China	multirole	J-10A	236 [1]
			J-10S	77
			J-10B	55
			J-10C	240
Chengdu J-20	China	stealth air superiority	J-20A/S	300+
Shenyang J-8	China	Interceptor	J-8F/H	40 [1]	Phasing out
Shenyang J-11	China	air superiority	J-11/B/BS	445	License built Sukhoi Su-27 variant.
Shenyang J-16	China	strike fighter	J-16/D	390
Shenyang J-35	China	stealth multirole	J-35A	8+ [2]
Sukhoi Su-27	Soviet Union	air superiority	Su-27UBK	32 [1]
Sukhoi Su-30	Russia	multirole	Su-30MKK/MK2	97 [1]
Sukhoi Su-35	Russia	air superiority	Su-35S	24 [1]
Xian H-6	China	strategic bomber	H-6A	12 [1]	H-6A used for training. License built Tupolev Tu-16 variant.
			H-6G/GMod	27
			H-6J	18
			H-6H/M	40
			H-6K	110
			H-6N	12+
Xian JH-7	China	fighter bomber	JH-7A	200 [1]
AEW&C
KJ-2000	China / Russia	AEW&C		4 [1]	Chinese radar installed on an Ilyushin Il-76 airframe
Shaanxi KJ-200	China	AEW&C		11 [1]
Shaanxi KJ-500	China	AEW&C		40 [1]
Reconnaissance
JZ-8	China	Reconnaissance	JZ-8/F	48 [1]
Electronic warfare
Shaanxi Y-8	China	electronic warfare	Y-8CB/DZ/G/XZ	14 [1]
Shaanxi Y-9	China	electronic warfare	Y-9G/XZ	5 [1]
Shenyang J-16	China	Electronic-warfare aircraft	J-16D	12 [1]	Specialized for radar jamming
Tupolev Tu-154	Soviet Union	SIGINT / ELINT	Tu-154M/D	4 [1]
Maritime patrol
Boeing 737	United States	patrol		2 [1]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	patrol		3 [1]
Tanker
Ilyushin Il-78	Soviet Union	aerial refuelling		3 [1]
Xian H-6	China	aerial refuelling	H-6U/H-6DU	15 [1]
Xian YY-20A	China	aerial refuelling		8 [1]
Transport
Ilyushin Il-76	Soviet Union	strategic airlifter		20 [1]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	transport	Y-8C	30 [1]
Shaanxi Y-9	China	transport		30 [1]
Shijiazhuang Y-5	China	transport		70 [1]
Tupolev Tu-154	Soviet Union	transport	Tu-154M	8 [1]
Xian Y-7	China	transport	Y-7H	41 [1]
Xian Y-20	China	strategic airlifter / tanker		50 [1]
Helicopter
Changhe Z-8	China / France	transport		18 [1]	License built 321 Super Frelon variant
Eurocopter AS332	France	transport		6 [1]
Eurocopter EC225	Multinational	VIP transport		3 [1]
Harbin Z-9	China / France	utility		20 [1]	License built AS365 Dauphin variant
Harbin Z-20	China	SAR	Z-20S	15 [1]
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	utility / transport	Mi-17/171	6 [1]
Trainer aircraft: 1027+
Chengdu J-7	China	conversion training	JJ-7/A	200 [1]
Guizhou JL-9	China	jet trainer		45 [1]
Hongdu JL-8	China	jet trainer		350 [1]
Hongdu JL-10	China	jet trainer		50+ [1]
Nanchang CJ-6	China	basic trainer	CJ-6/A/B	400+ [1]
Xian HYJ-7	China	two-engine trainer		15 [1]

People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force

Further information: People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force

This section is an excerpt from People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force § Equipment.[ edit ]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft
Shenyang J-11	China	Air superiority	J-11B/BS	50 [3]
Shenyang J-15	China	Multirole	J-15	59 [3]
			J-15T	10
AEW&C
Changhe Z-18	China	AEW	Z-18F	10 [3]
Kamov Ka-31	Russia	AEW		9 [3]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	AEW	KJ-200	6 [3]
		AEW	Y-8J	4 [3]
Shaanxi KJ-500	China	AEW		20+ [3]
Electronic warfare
Shenyang J-15	China	EW	J-15D	6 [3]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	ELINT	Y-8JB	4 [3]
		ELINT	Y-8X	3 [3]
Shaanxi Y-9	China	ELINT	Y-9JZ	10 [3]
Anti-submarine
Shaanxi Y-9	China	Anti-submarine warfare	KQ-200 [4]	25+ [3]
Transport
Bombardier CRJ200	Canada	VIP transport	CRJ-200	2 [3]
Bombardier CRJ700	Canada	VIP transport	CRJ-700	2 [3]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	Tactical transport	Y-8C	6 [3]
Shijiazhuang Y-5	China	Transport		20 [3]
Xian Y-7	China	Tactical transport	Y-7G	2 [3]
		Tactical transport	Y-7H	6 [3]
Helicopter
Changhe Z-8	China	ASW	Z-8	9 [3]	licensed built Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon
		Transport	Z-8J	13 [3]
		SAR	Z-8JH	4 [3]
		MEDVAC	Z-8S	2 [3]
Changhe Z-18	China	Transport	Z-18	4 [3]
		ASW	Z-18F	10 [3]
Eurocopter AS565 Panther	France	Multirole	AS565N	7 [3]
Harbin Z-9	China	ASW	Z-9C	14 [3]	licensed built variant of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin
		Multirole	Z-9D	11 [3]
		SAR	Z-9S	2 [3]
Kamov Ka-27	Soviet Union	SAR	Ka-27PS	3 [3]
Kamov Ka-28	Soviet Union	ASW		14 [3]
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	Transport		8 [3]
Harbin Z-20	China	Utility	Z-20J
Trainer aircraft
Hongdu JL-8	China	Jet trainer		16 [3]
Guizhou JL-9	China	Jet trainer		28 [3]
		Carrier trainer	JL-9G	12 [3]
Hongdu JL-10	China	Jet trainer		12 [3]
Nanchang CJ-6	China	Basic trainer		38 [3]
Xian Y-7	China	Navigator and bombardier trainer	HY-7	12 [3]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
BZK-007 [3]	China	MALE UAV
Harbin BZK-005 [3]	China	MALE UAV
Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon [3]	China	HALE UAV

People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation

Further information: People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation

This section is an excerpt from People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation § Equipment.[ edit ]

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Attack Helicopters
Harbin Z-19	China	attack helicopter/reconnaissance	Z-19WZ	120+ [5]
Changhe Z-10	China	Attack/Multirole	WZ-10	200+ [5]
Utility Helicopters
Harbin Z-9	China	Utility		120+ [5]
Mil Mi-17	Russia	Utility		88 [5]
Transport Helicopters
Changhe Z-8	China	Heavy Transport	Z-8A/B/L	135 [5]
Mil Mi-17	Russia	Medium Transport		140 [5]
Sikorsky S-70	United States	Medium Transport		19 [5]
Harbin Z-20	China	Medium Transport		150 [5]
Eurocopter EC120 Colibri	France	Light Transport		15 [5]
Changhe Z-11	China	Light Transport		53 [5]
Fixed-Wing Transports
Xian Y-7	China	transport		2 [5]
Shaanxi Y-8	China	Tactical transport		2 [5]
Shaanxi Y-9	China	Transport		2 [5]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Guizhou BZK-007 [5]	China	MALE UAV
CASC BZK-008 [5]
Aisheng BZK-006 [5]
Harbin BZK-005 [5]	China	MALE UAV
Shenyang BZK-009 [5]
CASC CH-4B [5]	China	HALE UAV

See also

• List of active People's Liberation Army Air Force aircraft
• List of unmanned aerial vehicles of China
• Lists of currently active military equipment by country
• People's Liberation Army Air Force
• People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force
• People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation

References

1. International Institute for Strategic Studies, ed. (2025). The Military Balance 2025. London: Routledge. p. 245-246. ISBN   978-1-041-04967-8.
2. "An Entirely New Stealth Fighter Just Joined China's Air Force: How Capable is the J-35?". Military Watch Magazine. 6 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
3. International Institute for Strategic Studies, ed. (2025). The Military Balance 2025. London: Routledge. p. 244. ISBN   978-1-041-04967-8.
4. Tirk & Salisbury 2024, p. 10.
5. The International Institute for Strategic Studies 2025, p. 243.

Sources

• Hoyle, Craig; Fafard, Antoine (10–16 December 2019). "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International . Vol. 196, no. 5715. pp. 26–54. ISSN   0015-3710.
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance 2021. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-032-01227-8.
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies (2022). The Military Balance 2022. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-032-27900-8.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies, ed. (2025). The Military Balance 2025. London: Routledge. p. 245-246. ISBN   978-1-041-04967-8.
• Tirk, Eli; Salisbury, Daniel (7 May 2024). PLAN Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft - Sensors, Weapons, and Operational Concepts (Report). China Maritime Report. US Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute.