PLANAF (Pictures and stuff)

Actually one of the largest air forces in Asia. Close to 600 planes.

From Richard Fisher’s scare report just this July:

NAVAL AIR FORCES

In late 2002 or early 2003 the PLA signed a contract for its first batch of Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK2 and Su-30MK3 attack fighters for the PLAN. These will supplant the long obsolete Xian H-6 (Tupolev Tu-16) bombers and will give the PLAN a long range strike platform that can carry modern precision weapons and new supersonic anti-ship missiles. In an interview last November a Sukhoi official indicated the PLAN could purchase up to forty Su-30s. In addition, about eighty PLA Air Force Su-30MKKs may soon be available for naval strike missions. Recent reports also indicate that, with the help of Britain’s Rolls Royce, China has finally mastered the ability to produce an improved version of the Spey turbofan engine. This will enable greater production of Xian’s JH-7A, a more potent version of the JH-7 already in one PLAN unit near Shanghai. The JH-7A will carry at least two types of supersonic anti-ship missiles, a new indigenous model and the Russian Zvezda Kh-31.