China’s air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People’s Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities.
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The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force’s Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker.
The J-10 – seen as China’s answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India’s military near the disputed Kashmir region last month.
According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield.
Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot’s training.
“Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,” Song said. “Now it’s moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.”
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He said the programme would help pilots to develop “a long-range operational mindset early in their careers”.
“It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military’s ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.”