Shaking the heavens and splitting the earth
Subtitle: Chinese air force employment concepts in the 21st century
By: Roger Cliff ... [et al]
Publisher: RAND
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Santa Monica, Calif
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9780833049322
Other titles: Chinese air force employment concepts in the 21st century
Description: Less than a decade ago, China's air force was an antiquated service equipped almost exclusively with weapons based on 1950s-era Soviet designs and operated by personnel with questionable training according to outdated employment concepts. Today, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) appears to be on its way to becoming a modern, highly capable air force for the 21st century. This monograph analyzes publications of the Chinese military, previously published Western analyses of China's air force, and information available in published sources about current and future capabilities of the PLAAF. It describes the concepts for employing forces that the PLAAF is likely to implement in the future, analyzes how those concepts might be realized in a conflict over Taiwan, assesses the implications of China implementing these concepts, and provides recommendations about actions that should be taken in response.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: The Organization of China's Air and Missile Forces; title: The Evolution of Chinese Air Force Doctrine; title: Chinese Concepts for the Employment of Air Forces; title: Air Offensive Campaigns; title: Air Defense Campaigns; title: Air Blockade Campaigns; title: Airborne Campaigns; title: The Role of Other Services in Air Force Campaigns; title: Possible PLAAF Operational Concepts, Capabilities, and Tactics in a Taiwan Straits Conflict.