PLA Air Force to Showcase Latest Aircraft and Training at Changchun Open-Day and Air Show

A YU-20 aerial tanker conducted a mock aerial refueling exercise with a J-20 fighter jet and a J-16 fighter jet. The exercise was observed by another J-20 and another J-16. This demonstration took place at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force open-day event in Changchun, Jilin Province, on July 26, 2023.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and the Changchun Air Show are scheduled to return in September, two years after the last event in 2023. The event is anticipated to showcase the PLA Air Force's newest weapons and equipment, along with advancements in combat training, according to a Chinese military affairs expert.

The PLA Air Force will host aviation open-day activities from September 19 to 23 in Changchun, Jilin Province, in conjunction with the Changchun Air Show. The PLA Air Force announced this in a statement. The event will include flight performances, ground static displays, and themed exhibitions.

Posters released by the PLA Air Force featured the J-10C and J-10S fighter jets of the Bayi Aerobatic Team, and the JL-8 (K-8) intermediate trainer jets of the Red Falcon Aerobatic Team, suggesting their participation in the upcoming event.

The previous PLA Air Force open-day activities in Changchun took place in July 2023. During that event, top warplanes, including the J-20 stealth fighter jet, the J-16 fighter jet, and the YU-20 tanker aircraft, performed flight demonstrations.

The open-day activities and the Changchun Air Show often feature flight performances by various aircraft. The event could highlight the PLA Air Force's latest developments in weaponry and equipment, as well as its achievements in combat training.

The expert anticipates that aircraft such as the J-20, J-16, and J-10C will once again deliver a spectacular show. Given the successful performance of the export version of the J-10C in a recent foreign air combat, a flight performance from the J-10C is expected to be a major attraction.

At the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, the PLA Air Force's latest stealth fighter jet, the J-35A, made its debut. The expert expressed hope that the J-35A, or even newer types of weapons and equipment, would participate in the upcoming PLA Air Force open-day activities and Changchun Air Show.

The expert noted that while the Airshow China offers a broader view of China's defense development, the Changchun PLA Air Force open-day activities focus more specifically on the PLA Air Force.

In addition to flight performances, the previous Changchun PLA Air Force open-day activities also included ground displays of legacy aircraft that once defended China's airspace. This highlighted the history of the PLA Air Force. Some advanced aircraft, along with radar and air defense missile systems, are also expected to be displayed on the ground.