CHANGCHUN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — The 2025 aviation open-day of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, along with the Changchun Air Show, has impressed attendees in Changchun, northeast China.
The event began on Friday and will continue for five days, offering free admission to the public.
Since its inception in 2011, the event has become a key platform to showcase the PLA Air Force’s latest development achievements.
Featuring the display of over 100 types of active-duty Air Force aircraft, ground equipment and retired classic assets, as well as thrilling aerial performances, this year’s event has showcased the combat capability of the PLA Air Force in a visualized way.
REAL-COMBAT MANEUVER
Military expert Zhang Xuefeng believes the maneuvers showcased in the aerial performances at this year’s open-day event are more closely aligned with real combat scenarios.
He took the serpentine maneuver performed by YU-20A, China’s domestically developed large aerial tanker, as an example. At an altitude of 200 meters, the aircraft banked at 40 degrees to the horizon and executed continuous turns left and right in an S-shaped flight path.
“This combat-relevant move is designed to effectively evade enemy ground fire,” Zhang said.
In addition to the serpentine maneuver, the YU-20A tanker displayed a series of challenging maneuvers during the aerial performances on Friday, including rapid dives and fly-bys, and steep turns.
The full set of maneuvers not only demonstrated the aircraft’s performance but also reflected the combat-oriented training achievements of frontline units, said YU-20A pilot Li Xiao.
The aerial performances have also demonstrated the outstanding maneuverability of aircraft for real combat scenarios. For example, J-10 fighter jets executed a low-speed level flight at just 200 km per hour with a maximum angle of attack, showcasing their ability to penetrate complex terrain and the pilots’ exceptional mastery of the aircraft’s limits.
“The extreme maneuvers are a full demonstration of the aircraft’s performance,” said Zhang Li, a member of an aerobatics team from the Aviation University of Air Force and also a flight instructor at the university.
INTEGRATED COMBAT CAPABILITY
The aerial performances showcased the formation of different types of aircraft, illustrating their synergy in combat scenarios for the audience.
During the performances, a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft flew in formation with four J-20 stealth fighter jets, simulating an “early-warning command and stealth strike” scenario and showcasing the PLA Air Force’s advances in coordinating offensive and defensive operations.
A YU-20A tanker flew in pre-refueling formation with two J-16 fighters, demonstrating how a single tanker can conduct simultaneous dual-point refueling.
“The combined display of different aircraft models essentially brought routine combat-oriented training to the air show,” said J-16 pilot Wu Haoran.
The performance demonstrated the Air Force’s ability to extend operational range through aerial refueling, as well as its capabilities in long-range deployment, extended strike, and strategic projection.
CLOSE DETAIL LOOK
The J-20, China’s domestically developed stealth fighter, has appeared in a static exhibition for the first time at the open-day event, apart from in-flight appearances, allowing the audience to get a close look at the aircraft’s details.
Zhang, the military expert, believes that the exhibition has reflected the PLA Air Force’s growing confidence and openness.
“The stealth fighters are no longer mysterious to the public as people can engage closely with these strategic assets,” he said.
Also notable is the J-6 unmanned aircraft. Converted from the J-6 platform, it can serve as both an attack drone and a target drone for pilots, surface-to-air missiles controllers, and radar operators training.
“It is this forward-looking approach to modification and innovation that keeps our equipment evolving,” Zhang said. ■
