How many fighters does China have?

Originally Posted by HKSDU

For your J-11/Su-27 regiment, did you include the regiment that was recently introduced into PLANAF? Also there seems to be a new batch of J-10 that just came out, but waiting for the serial numbers to determine where they will be stationed.

10% still to finish so that can add couple more regiments here and there for J-7, J-8, Q-5. Thanks for your heads up.

Yes, the naval 22 Regt with J-11B is included in my count of 12 FLANKER regiments. And we are all waiting for news of the 8th J-10 regiment...

can i play devils advocate and ask how many cargo and special mission aircraft PLAAF and PLANAF has? for example KJ200, KJ2000, Y-8 and Helicopters or is it just too hard to keep track of low number of aircraft

Originally Posted by franco-russe

Yes, the naval 22 Regt with J-11B is included in my count of 12 FLANKER regiments. And we are all waiting for news of the 8th J-10 regiment...

I finally finish the awful long list, so I can show you all the bases and serials numbers to match. But the problem is that the drive that has the list has crashed, and died..... grr

Originally Posted by asif iqbal

can i play devils advocate and ask how many cargo and special mission aircraft PLAAF and PLANAF has? for example KJ200, KJ2000, Y-8 and Helicopters or is it just too hard to keep track of low number of aircraft

KJ-200, KJ-2000 are easy, Y-8 transports are pretty hard to keep numbers of. Helicopters are awful to keep track of, but knowing the number of mi-17 in PLA service is easy, you just have to check the orders the PLA put through to Mil, and the delivery. Z-9 are pretty annoying to keep track of, so I gave up. Last I time I bothered with Y-8 was around 110, Z-9 was around 220. But that was a while ago.

Y-8 are difficult, but one could do a complete count from GE images. 110 would seem a bit high, but then probably all versions are included. Specialised versions I have seen are:
Y-8E 5321, 5328, 5329
Y-8J 9281, 9301, 9311, 9321
Y-8X 9261, 9271, 9291
Y-8GX1 5121, 21011, 21012, 21013
Y-8GX2 9331, 9341, 9351, 9361
Y-8GX3 30271, 30272, 30273
Y-8GX4 5125, 5126, 5128, 21015, 21016, 21017
Y-8GX5 30171, 30173, 30174, 30175, 9371 plus one more naval (9381?)
Y-8GX7 21110, 21111

Helicopters are in fact easier than combat aircraft. As HKSDU mentions, orders for MI-17 are known, and now stand at 200. For KA-28/31, 20 in service and 6 KA-31 on order.

Z-8/SA321Ja are 24 in PLAAF, 38 in PLANAF and 14 in Army Aviation.

Z-9 are 21 in PLAAF, 22 in PLANAF and 233 in Army Aviation.

For HKSDU: I have now changed back the number of the 19 Div J-11B regiment to 56 vice 57.

U guys are awesome thankyou very much

Just for fun, I added together all I have on Y-8 (and for good measure, also Y-7), that is GE and ground observations, serials and textual information.

To the specialised Y-8 should be added four Y-8H (980, 981, 982 plus one) for geodetical survey, two more Y-8GX3 and two not identified by type: 60499 and a tenth Y-8 in 30 Regt/10 Bmr Div. The total number of specialised Y-8 is thus 44.

Y-8 transports amount to 44, of which 6 Navy and 3 Army.

Y-7 adds up to 151, of which 32 Army and 4 Army.

However, there are in all likelihood more, especially of Y-7.

Since the list of PLAAF Q-5 (and JH-7A) units posted in the Q-5 thread did not appear to rouse much interest, it may be appropriate to post it here.
HKSDU’s nice tables are probably mainly based on Scramble. It was at any rate Scramble that initially identified the Q-5 unit at Gongzhuling as 20 Div 58 Regt. There are actually 66 Q-5 at Gongzhuling, of which 39 in storage. Q-5 regiments have about 30 planes, so the total is about 210 (plus about 70 in storage, incl. 30 from 28 Div 84 Regt).

5 Attack Division Weifang
- 13 Avn Regt Weifang 10x6x (01-49) Q-5D/L
- 14 Avn Regt Zhuzheng 10x6x (51-99) Q-5C/L
- 15 Avn Regt Weifang 11x6x (01-49) JH-7A ex Q-5 2007

11 Attack Division Siping
- 31 Avn Regt Siping 20x2x (01-49) JH-7A ex Q-5D 2009
- 32 Avn Regt Dalian-Sanshilipu 20x2x (51-99) Q-5D
- 33 Avn Regt Wafangdian 21x2x (01-49) Q-5D

15 Attack Division Datong-Huairen
- 43 Avn Regt Datong-Huairen 20x6x (01-49) J-7D
- 44 Avn Regt Qizhou Q-5
- 45 Avn Regt Suizhong 21x6x (51-99) Q-5C/D


28 Attack Division Hangzhou
- 82 Avn Regt Hangzhou-Jianqiao 30x9x (01-49) Q-5D
- 83 Avn Regt Hangzhou-Jianqiao 30x9x (51-99) JH-7A ex Q-5 2004
- 84 Avn Regt Jiaxing 31x9x (01-49) JH-7A ex Q-5D 2011

Shenyang MR Training Base (ex 16 Fighter Division) Jilin-Ertaizi
- 3 Avn Regt Gongzhuling-Huaide 61x1x (01-49) Q-5/Q-5J

In the JH-7 thread I read a few minutes ago that its production seems to be diminishing. Here I see many regiments still equipped with the antique Q-5. I suppose there is speculation about a successor to JH-7A that will eventually take the place of the remaining Q-5's?

There are always many rumours, time will show. A more comprehensive answer is in the JH-7A thread.

Originally Posted by delft

In the JH-7 thread I read a few minutes ago that its production seems to be diminishing. Here I see many regiments still equipped with the antique Q-5. I suppose there is speculation about a successor to JH-7A that will eventually take the place of the remaining Q-5's?

Q-5s and JH-7As have different roles. Q-5s are attack aircraft providing close-in fire support while JH-7As are long range fighter bombers intended to deliver heavy anti-surface payloads.

Is there then no replacement for Q-5? Or do they expect to use helicopters?

CAS is not what it used to be nowadays, the mission requirement can be satisfied now by attack helicopters, indirect ground fire (long range MLR etc), and stand off weapons fired from strike aircraft. For PLAAF, the Q5 role can also be filled with weapon carrying K8s. Having said that, I don't think PLAAF has fully adopted the new CAS doctrine yet, that's why we have seen a lot of J10s and J11s carrying rocket pods performing CAS roles.

Yea never got around to refining or really completing the list properly. Just been so busy, but eventually will hopefully have both PLAAF & PLAN inventory up. Just curious which sites/forums do you gather your intels from?

I use of course every scrap and piece of evidence I can lay my hands on.

But I have come to trust GE (really my No. 1 source) and serial numbers of aircraft most, since they are irrefutable.

Chinese websites can be surprisingly informative. I in particular loved this one:

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It was one of two Chinese sources that made me go back to the 19 Div J-11B regiment being 57 Regt - and allowed it to be placed at Lianyungang (= LYG discussed earlier in this forum).