The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is slowly gaining strength as deliveries of advanced Russian and indigenously developed combat aircraft start to appear, supported by an increasingly capable air-defence and support apparatus. Air force chiefs though, keen to accelerate modernisation to enable an expanding range of missions, are hampered by lengthy delays in testing and developing key aircraft projects. Like other PLA services, the PLAAF's primary focus is Taiwan and air force chiefs are seeking to narrow the gap in air superiority that Taipei enjoys.
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