PLAN Naval Aviation: A Reform of the PLAN NA Units

53 pages

Dr James Bosbotinis

This is a valuable and timely e-book, examining the on-going evolution of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) Naval Aviation branch as it continues its long-term transition to a carrier-centric force. The author, Andreas Rupprecht, has written several excellent books on Chinese airpower, and is also a correspondent for Janes, as well as a respected commentator on Chinese military aviation development. This reviewer had the pleasure of recently reviewing Rupprecht’s Red Dragon ‘Flankers’ (published on the NR website on 7 March 2025), and other books from Harpia; PLAN Naval Aviation is only available in e-book format, unlike previous titles. While this reviewer prefers a hard copy to digital formats, the formatting of PLAN Naval Aviation made for a pleasant reading experience. An advantage of being a digital publication is that the e-book can of course be more up to date; PLAN Naval Aviation, for example, includes reference to the commissioning of the new Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian and the Type 076 electromagnetic catapult-equipped amphibious assault carrier Sichuan commencing sea trials, both of which occurred in November 2025.

The focus for this e-book are the reforms undertaken from 2022 to the present, in particular, the transfer of land-based fighters, strike aircraft, and bombers from PLAN Naval Aviation to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Rupprecht ably and succinctly charts this process, drawing on open-source analysis: as with all things military in China, there is a great deal of opacity surrounding airpower developments so much has to be pieced together through open-source reporting. The e-book, although only 53 pages, covers much ground, encompassing ‘PLAN Intentions’ (there is an unfortunate typo in the table of contents), a timeline, ‘What is Known So Far’, a pre-reform order of battle as of late 2022 followed by a current order of battle, as well as overviews of the PLAN Marine Corps Aviation, analysis of the serial number system, and detailed ‘Conclusions’. A useful bibliography and endnotes are included.

The latter considers the development of PLAN Naval Aviation within the wider context of China’s shift to a ‘blue water navy’. The author provides a sensible analysis of current Chinese carrier airpower capabilities and its likely near-to-medium term development, arguing that it is very much a work in progress, observing that the Liaoning “has not yet been assigned to any of China’s operational fleets – serving mostly in the training role for crew and pilots, practicing the whole ‘system’ of what could later become a ‘Carrier Battle Group.” Similarly, Rupprecht considers China’s force of four LHDs – the Hainan-class, and the forthcoming Sichuan. More broadly, he states that “with regard to all considerations and aspects, it is impossible to predict a clear timeframe for when China’s ‘Blue-Water Navy’ will be operational. However, what can be concluded, bearing in mind that the development of a ‘Blue-Water Navy’ is a long-term and complex process depending on various factors, is that it will not be achieved within the next few years.”

PLAN Naval Aviation provides a valuable analysis of current Chinese naval aviation developments, in an accessible and well-written manner. English is not the author’s first language and this on occasion shows but does not detract from the quality of the analysis. As expected from Harpia, the e-book includes an excellent selection of photos and tables, including a summary of the Fujian’s sea trials since May 2024. For anyone following Chinese naval and wider military developments, this e-book is certainly recommended.