Republic of China Air Force

  

Republic of China Air Force
ROCAF insignia
Founded	1920
Country	China
Branch	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	400,000 personnel 3,370 aircraft
Headquarters	Air Force Command, Beijing
Engagements	Second Sino-Japanese War Chinese Civil War Sino-Tajik War Sino–Burmese War Chinese invasion of Manchuria
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Zhao Meijin
Air Force Commander	General Wei Zhengjun
Deputy Commander	General Gao Shusen
Chief of Staff	Lieutenant General Jia Haibin
Insignia
Roundel
Ensign
Aircraft flown
Bomber	JH-7, H-6
Electronic warfare	Shaanxi Y-8, Shaanxi Y-9
Fighter	Chengdu J-7, Shenyang J-8, Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-11, Shenyang J-16, Chengdu J-20
Helicopter	Harbin Z-8, Harbin Z-9
Attack helicopter	Harbin Z-19
Utility helicopter	Harbin Z-20
Interceptor	Shenyang J-8
Trainer	Hongdu L-15, Hongdu JL-8, JL-9
Transport	Xian Y-20, Shaanxi Y-9, Shaanxi Y-8, Xian Y-7,
Tanker	H-6U

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) (Chinese: 中華民國空軍, pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn), commonly known as the Chinese Air Force, is the aerial warfare branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF currently has 400,000 personnel and 3,370 aircraft. The main objectives of the Chinese Air Force are to defend the air space of China and maintaining the capability to project Chinese air power globally to defend China's interests. It was first established in 1920, and was known as the People's Liberation Army Air Force from 1949 until 2000 during the People's Republic of China.

Its formations are organized throughout China among several Military Region Air Forces, with each overseeing all air assets in its jurisdiction. The Air Force is also structured into several branches, including the Fighter Command, Bomber Command, Transport Command, Air Defense Command, and the Space Command. In 2010, long range intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons formerly managed by the ROCAF Missile Command and the Army's Strategic Artillery Corps formed the basis of a new separate branch, the Republic of China Rocket Force. The Commander of the Air Force is the highest ranking officer and head of the ROCAF, who answers to the Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Armed Forces, and the civilian Minister of National Defense.

Organization

The Air Force Command staff is located in Beijing, the headquarters of the ROC Air Force. The service is headed by the Commander of the Air Force, usually a general or senior general, who is assisted by the Deputy Commander and the Chief of Staff. Within the Air Force Command are the individual branch commands, including Fighter, Bomber, Transport, Air Defense, and Space Command, each being responsible for overseeing the equipment and personnel belonging to its particular command, as well as developing doctrine and strategic planning. There is also a technical research and administrative staff at the headquarters. The Air Force Command is subordinated to the General Staff Department of the Armed Forces.

The Political Warfare and Staff Command is in charge of personnel appointments, enforcing political discipline and loyalty to the ROC government, propaganda and education, internal security, as well as organizational management, communications, intelligence, development of air force theory, and support operations like weather monitoring and air traffic control. The Air Logistics Command is in charge maintaining and supplying air bases, including the provisioning of fuel and other materials, as well as certain other functions, like providing medical care.

Tactical units are divided among China's Military Regions, with a Military Region Air Force being the largest tactical formation. Below that are groups, wings, and squadrons operating various types of aircraft.

• ROC Air Force Command, Beijing
  • Republic of China Air Force Academy
  • Air Command and Staff College
  • Air Force Special Operations Command
  • Air Force Political Warfare and Staff Command
  • Air Logistics Command
  • Air Combat Command
    • Beijing Region Air Force
      • 1st Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 5th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 7th Tactical Mixed Wing
    • Jinan Region Air Force
      • 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 8th Tactical Mixed Wing
      • 14th Strategic Bomber Wing
    • Nanjing Region Air Force
      • 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 4th Tactical Mixed Wing
      • 9th Tactical Fighter Wing
    • Chengdu Region Air Force
      • 6th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 10th Tactical Mixed Wing
      • 17th Strategic Bomber Wing
    • Lanzhou Region Air Force
      • 13th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 21st Tactical Mixed Wing
    • Guangzhou Region Air Force
      • 12th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 15th Tactical Mixed Wing
      • 16th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 19th Strategic Bomber Wing
    • Mongolia Region Air Force
      • 11th Tactical Fighter Wing
      • 18th Tactical Mixed Wing
      • 20th Strategic Bomber Wing
  • Air Force Air Defense Command
    • 791st Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 792nd Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 793rd Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 794th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 795th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 796th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 797th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 798th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 799th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 800th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 801st Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 802nd Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 803rd Air Force Air Defense Brigade
    • 804th Air Force Air Defense Brigade
  • Air Force Reserve Command

Personnel

Ranks

Officers

Pay grade	General officers				Senior officers			Junior officers			Cadet
	O-10	O-9	O-8	O-7	O-6	O-5	O-4	O-3	O-2	O-1	Special grade
ROC Air Force (Edit)
	Senior general 一級上將	General 二級上將	Lieutenant general 中將	Major general 少將	Colonel 上校	Lieutenant colonel 中校	Major 少校	Captain 上尉	Lieutenant 中尉	Second lieutenant 少尉	Officer cadet 軍校生

Enlisted

Pay grade	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
ROC Air Force (Edit)
	Master sergeant first class 一等士官長	Master sergeant second class 二等士官長	Master sergeant third class 三等士官長	Senior sergeant 上士	Sergeant 中士	Junior sergeant 下士	Corporal 上等兵	Private first class 一等兵	Private second class 二等兵

See also

Attribution notices

• This page uses material from the Wikipedia page Republic of China Air Force, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).

  This page uses material from the Wikipedia page People's Liberation Army Air Force, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).