1st Fighter Brigade
1st Fighter Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 19 June 1950–present |
Country | People's Republic of China |
Allegiance | Chinese Communist Party |
Branch | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
Type | Fighter Brigade |
Part of | Northern Theater Command Air Force |
Garrison/HQ | Anshan Teng'ao Airport
MUCD) |
Engagements | Korean War |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Li Ling (Chinese: 李凌) |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | Chengdu J-20 |
The 1st Fighter Brigade (1st BDE, Chinese: 第1航空旅; pinyin: Dì 1 hángkōng lǚ), sometimes called 1st Air Brigade, previously 1st Fighter Division, is a fighter aircraft unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) based at Xianyang in Shaanxi province. Part of the Northern Theater Command Air Force, the brigade was originally established as the first division level formation of the PLAAF, established 19 June 1950. In the Korean War the unit shot down 92 airplanes. It was the first in PLAAF history to fight in air combat, provide close air support, perform night bombing operations and more.[1] It is also the only air brigade of the People's Liberation Army Air Force to participate in five Chinese national day parades (1st, 10th, 35th, 50th and 60th national day parades).[2] The unit's MUCD is 93056.
History
4th Mixed Brigade
The 1st Fighter Aviation Mixed Brigade originates from the 4th Mixed Brigade of the
As the first air brigade of the
Regiment | Lavochkin La-9 | Yakovlev Yak-17 | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 | Lavochkin La-11 | Tupolev Tu-2 | Ilyushin Il-10 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10th Regiment | 3 | 4 | 38 | - | - | - | 45 |
11th Regiment | 4 | - | - | 39 | - | - | 43 |
12th Regiment | - | - | - | - | 39 | - | 39 |
13th Regiment | - | - | - | - | - | 28 | 28 |
4th Division
The 4th Mixed Brigade was moved to
The 4th Division was sent off personally by Generals Zhu De and Liu Yalou on 30 November 1950. An order from the People's Liberation Army Air Force to rotate squadrons into Dandong Langtou Airport for providing air support was received on 4 December 1950. The 10th Regiment was the first to be deployed to Dandong Langtou Airport. Li Han was the first Chinese pilot credited with shooting down a U.S. aircraft. He would later lead another attack which saw no Chinese losses and one American casualty. 10th Regiment returned to Liaoyang to recover on 3 March 1951. The 12th Regiment was assigned to combat roles and deployed in July 1951 but delivered subpar combat performance. Pilot Zhao Zhichai being ambushed by American forces and shot down, navigation errors, mid-air collisions between friendly aircraft and the death of regimental commander Zhao Dahai led to the division's temporary relief from combat missions.[8]
On 12 September 1951, the division resumed operations which was its third deployment. It engaged in battles eight times in total and resulted in 26 American aircraft being shot down and 8 damaged American aircraft. However, the 4th Division also faced losses with 14
During the Korean War, the 4th Division was tasked with protecting the supply chains and key locations of the People's Volunteer Army. Its aircraft took off in total of 4058 times, fought in 914 air engagements with 43 of its pilots successfully downing enemy aircraft. It has 64 shot down enemy aircraft, 24 damaged enemy aircraft in total with the losses of 55 aircraft and 25 damaged aircraft. 1,424 men of the division has been awarded for their service.[14]
1st Division
After the end of the
On 15 November 1964, 2nd Large Squadron leader Xu Kaitong piloting a Chinese Shenyang J-6 managed to bring down a United States Armed Forces Ryan Model 147 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the stratosphere, becoming the first recorded instance of an aircraft being shot down in the stratosphere. While defending the airspace of China,[15] the division damaged 4 enemy airplanes in total.
During 8 August 1968, the 2nd Large Squadron and 3rd Large Squadron was re-based to Chifeng Yulong Airport, the 1st Large Squadron joined up in Chifeng Yulong Airport on 14 September 1968. All of the Large Squadrons were tasked with protecting the airspace surrounding Beijing.
1st Fighter Aviation Division
During May 1970, the People's Liberation Army Air Force ordered the 1st Division to be renamed 1st Fighter Aviation Division. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Large Squadrons has also been renamed into 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiments. From 1979 to 1983, the aircraft of the 1st and 3rd Regiments were systematically upgraded into the Chengdu J-7 and Shenyang J-8 respectively. The division was the first unit in the People's Liberation Army Air Force to adapt the Shenyang J-8. The 1st Regiment was being upgraded with the Shenyang J-8B in 1992 while the 2nd Regiment was upgraded with the Chengdu J-7E. Two types of third-generation aircraft were later incorporated into the division. On 3 February 2009, upgrades made to the division(Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-11/J-11B, Shenyang J-8F) were shown in CCTV-7 Military·Agriculture Channel.[16] The 1st Fighter Aviation Division became the focus of the People's Liberation Army Air Force for upgrades and became one of the most advanced divisions in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Headquartered in Xianyang, the division was split into three sub units: first, second and third regiments. Both first and third regiments are stationed in Anshan while the second is stationed in Chifeng.
1st Fighter Brigade
In the late 2010s, the 1st Fighter Division was reduced in status to a brigade, in line with a PLA-wide changeover to primarily brigade formations. In 2021, the 1st Brigade transitioned to the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter. The China Aerospace Studies Institute of the U.S. Air Force identifies these aircraft as tail numbers 61022, 61023, 61026, 61027, 61120, 61121, 61125, 61127, and 61128.[17]
References
- ^ "空军航空兵第一师某团飞行一大队锻造"尖刀"". 中国新闻网. 2013-11-20. Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ "六师长驾机云端献技". 南都网. 南方都市报. 2009-09-30. Archived from the original on 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ISBN 7-80021-828-7.
- ^ a b "中国空军航空兵部队 为何迟迟没有"空一师"". 凤凰网. 2007-05-28. Archived from the original on 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ "中国空军历史档案". 华夏经纬网. 2002-04-02. Archived from the original on 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ISBN 978-7-5094-1087-5.
- ^ "空一师". 北国网. 2011-07-08. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ISBN 978-7-5459-0729-2.
- ISBN 978-7-5329-4975-5.
- ISBN 978-7-81077-992-0.
- ISBN 978-7-5614-5797-9.
- ^ 空军司令部气象局编. 中国人民解放军空军气象工作回忆录 上. 空军司令部气象局编. pp. 191–192.
- ISBN 7-205-01565-0.
- ^ "空1师(歼击航空兵)". 中国空军网. 2012-03-19. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ "战斗在平流层(图)". 新浪. 2006-09-19. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ "喜!传说中的空一师歼-10正式登堂亮相". 中国网. 2009-02-04. Archived from the original on 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
- ^ Solen, Derek (January 2022). "Third Combat Brigade of PLA Air Force Likely Receives Stealth Fighters" (PDF). China Aerospace Studies Institute.