The Syrian airfield prepare for reception of military aircraft of China
The latest news about fast emergence in borders of Syria of navy of China encouraged Syrians and res[...]
Organizational System
The PLAAF organizational system includes PLAAF Headquarters (ё¥ / ¥SS¥), seven MRAFs (^ЖЙ¥), four branches (Й#), operational units C№i№hPPA), and logistics support units (й’ШЖВнРРА).22 The PLAAF further divides it into two separate systems based on missions (ft#) and work characteristics (Ц^’йШ). The mission-based system is discussed below; the work characteristics system is discussed in the leadership and command section.
The role of PLAAF Headquarters is a crucial one. Unfortunately, no PLA or PLAAF definition or specific information about the overall roles and missions of the headquarters is readily available. Nevertheless, it is safe to assume the role of the headquarters is to conduct “Air Force Building” (Й^Шій).23 Air Force Building includes organizing, manning, educating and training, equipping, providing logistics and maintenance support, and providing operational, political, and support policy guidance for the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of conflict to the PLAAF during peacetime and wartime.24 While the Party Committee system limits the role of the commander during peacetime, during wartime the commander enjoys expanded responsibilities and authorities consistent with his responsibility for implementing the war plan that the Party Committee has already approved during peacetime.
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Table 4-1. PLAAF Grade and Rank System*
* The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) uses the term yizhi liangxian (—ВДМ$т) to refer to one grade with two ranks. Xu Ping, ed., Discussion of Chinese and Foreign Ranks (Beijing: Jincheng Press, January 2002), 199. Although most PLA grades have a leader (ШВД) and deputy leader (ШВД) grade, they are often lumped together. For example, PLA writings refer to the corps level (ЩШ) or division level (ИШ), which includes both the leader and deputy leader grades. |
** The chairman and civilian vice chairman do not wear military rank insignia.
Although the PLAAF and the U. S. Air Force (USAF) are organized completely differently, table 4-2 provides a rough comparison between their headquarters structures.
According to the Air Force Encyclopedia, the PLAAF’s mission-based systems consist of four components.25 These are the department system (ft^ {ф$і|), which is organized into different types and levels;26 the unit system (SPPA ІФФІ);27 the academic institutions system (ІйЙІФФІ); and the scientific research system (ftW$$[|).