On the eve of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Air Force J-20s conduct formation training

On the eve of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Air Force, J-20s conduct formation training. On November 10, in Changping, Beijing, some officers and soldiers of the Air Force stationed in Beijing held a memorial wall to heroes at the Aviation Museum...

On November 10, in Changping, Beijing, some officers and soldiers of the Air Force stationed in Beijing held a ceremony to present flower baskets to the Heroes Memorial Wall at the Aviation Museum. Photo by Beijing News reporter Peng Ziyang

Yesterday was the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Air Force. On the morning of November 10, the eve of the Memorial Day, the Air Force held a flower basket laying ceremony at the Heroes Memorial Wall at the Aviation Museum. Former Air Force Commander Ma Xiaotian, Air Force Commander Ding Laihang, Air Force Political Commissar Yu Zhongfu and members of the Standing Committee of the Air Force Party Committee in Beijing attended the commemorative event.

An Air Force spokesperson said at the ceremony that the Chinese Air Force is moving towards a modern strategic service that operates in all territories. He also revealed that the J-20 and Yun-20 have carried out formation training, and the Air Force's "Hero Battalion" set a precedent for the world's first use of surface-to-air missiles to shoot down enemy aircraft.

Presenting flower baskets to Air Force heroes and martyrs

At 10 a.m. on the 10th, the ceremony officially began. The military band played the "March of the Volunteers" and the audience sang the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. After the national song, the audience stood in silence, saluted the heroic models of the Air Force, and observed a moment of silence for the martyrs of the Air Force.

After the silence, the military band played "Flower Presentation Song", and the soldiers carried the flower baskets to the Heroes Memorial Wall and placed them neatly in front of the Blue Sky Soul Sculpture. Air Force leaders and all personnel participating in the ceremony paid homage to the Air Force Heroes Memorial Wall to express their high respect and deep memory for the heroic models and heroes.

It is reported that since 2010, every year around November 11, the Air Force has held a flower basket laying ceremony at the Air Force Heroes Memorial Wall.

Creating a precedent for a surface-to-air missile shooting down an enemy aircraft

Colonel Shen Jinke, spokesperson of the Chinese Air Force, said at the commemorative event that after 68 years of construction and development, the Air Force has become a strategic service composed of multiple types of aircraft. Especially in the past five years, we have built an actual combat air force, a transformational air force, and a strategic air force around the strategic goal of "integrated air and space, both offensive and defensive". Transformation and development have entered the fast lane, and our war preparation and fighting capabilities have undergone historic changes.

He said that the scope of activities of the Chinese Air Force extends from land to distant seas, and the use of force has developed from a single platform to a system. In recent years, the Air Force has carried out air rights protection over the Diaoyu Islands, control of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, and regular combat patrols in the South China Sea to unswervingly safeguard national sovereignty, safeguard national security, and ensure peaceful development.

Shen Jinke revealed a feat of the Chinese Air Force: the Air Force's "Hero Battalion" set a precedent for the world's first use of surface-to-air missiles to shoot down enemy aircraft. After China's independently developed Hongqi-9 surface-to-air missiles were equipped with the troops, they fully formed combat capabilities. He said that in view of new air and space threats and changes in combat styles, the Air Force is accelerating the construction of air defense and anti-missile capabilities. The ground air defense forces have formed a combat system that combines long, medium and short-range, high, medium and low altitudes, and the air defense and anti-missile capabilities have been comprehensively improved under information technology.

J-20 and Yun-20 have carried out formation training

Shen Jinke introduced that the Chinese Air Force's actual combat training has changed from studying teammates to studying opponents, from studying examination rooms to studying battlefields, and a group of "Golden Helmet" and "Golden Dart" pilots and "Golden Shield" surface-to-air missile battalions have emerged.

He revealed that the Air Force’s high-tech weapons and equipment have been systematically developed over the past five years. At present, the J-20 and Yun-20 have carried out formation training, and many pilots have the ability to fly J-20, J-16, J-10C and other new fighter aircraft.

The J-20 is my country's fourth-generation stealth fighter, which further enhances the comprehensive combat capabilities of the Air Force and will be commissioned into the army this year. The Y-20 is my country's new generation of strategic large-scale transport aircraft, which has taken a critical step in the Air Force's strategic delivery capabilities. It was commissioned into the army in 2016.

In terms of cultivating talents, the Air Force has built Air Force Youth Aviation Schools across the country, and jointly cultivates new flying talents with Tsinghua University, Peking University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and other schools. The first batch of 28 "Tsinghua Class" fighter pilot students has joined the Air Force's combat ranks.

While developing itself, the Chinese Air Force has carried out extensive exchanges and cooperation with the air forces of other countries around the world in the fields of joint exercises and training, combat training, flight safety and equipment technology.

Shen Jinke said that currently, the Air Force is constantly improving its air and space strategic strike capabilities, air and space defense capabilities and air strategic delivery capabilities, and is striving to build a strong and modern air force.