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People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force

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People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force
中国人民解放军军事航天部队
Founded19 April 2024; 6 months ago (2024-04-19)
Country People's Republic of China
Allegiance Chinese Communist Party
TypeSpace force
RoleSpace warfare
Part of People's Liberation Army
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Hao Weizhong [zh]
Political CommissarLieutenant General Chen Hui

The People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force is an arm of the People's Liberation Army. It was established on 19 April 2024.[1] It is one of two independent space forces in the world.

History

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The PLA Aerospace Force was established on 19 April 2024, severed from the simultaneously disestablished Strategic Support Force.[2][3] The PLAASF consolidates all the PLA's space-based C4ISR systems, as well as administering all the existing launch sites, and all other military satellites and space assets.

The China Daily referred to it as the People's Liberation Army Space Force before its official English name was released.[4][1]

Organization

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The PLAASF is headquartered in the Haidian District of Beijing.

Central staff sections include:

  • Staff department (参谋部)
    • Information and Communications Division (信息通信处)
  • Political Work Department[5] (政治工作部)
    • Cadre Bureau[5](干部局)
    • Innovation Office[6](创作室)
  • Logistics Department[6](后勤部)
    • Engineering Construction Management Office 工程代建管理办公室(创作室)
  • Equipment Department (装备部)
    • Equipment Support Team[7](装备保障队)
  • Relay Satellite Control and Management Center (中继卫星控制管理中心)
  • Test Equipment and Materials Procurement Bureau (试验装备物资采购局)[8]
  • East China Office (华东办事处)[9]
  • Xichang Quality Supervision Station (西昌质量监督站)

Subordinate Units

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Launch Centers

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  • Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (中国酒泉卫星发射中心), MUCD: unit 63600 (a.k.a. Dongfeng Base or Dongfeng Aerospace City). Located in Dongfeng Town in the Ejin Banner of the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, Jiuqian was one of the first aerospace launch facilities ever constructed in China. It is the main base for testing and launching the Long March series of rockets, as well as other missiles, various test satellites meant for low and medium orbits, application satellites, and crewed spacecraft. The base is also responsible for the main spacecraft recovery location.
  • Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (中国太原卫星发射中心): Stationed in Kelan County of Xinzhou City in Shanxi Province, the launch base was constructed in March 1967 under Project 3201 as a response to the breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations. The base was constructed deep in the mountains and deliberately misnamed as part of the Chinese strategy of "backing-up, concealment, and dispersion". The site mostly served as a nuclear missile site and as a detachment of Jiuqian until it was made an independent unit in January 1976. The launch center was opened to international commercial launches in the 1990s with its launch of two U.S. Iridium satellites into orbit.
  • Xichang Satellite Launch Center (西昌卫星发射中心) MUCD: Unit 63790. Headquartered on the Hangtian North Road of Xichang City in Sichuan Province. As of 2022 it also remotely controlled the Wenchang Aerospace Launch Site in Hainan Province.

Control Centers

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Testing, Development, and Training Centers

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  • Luoyang Electronic Equipment Test Center (中国洛阳电子装备试验中心), MUCD: unit 63880. Located at Luoyang in the Henan Province, Base 33 serves as the metrology and instrument measurement center of the PLAASF. It also conducts astronomical mapping and surveying. This base used to be one of the most restricted bases in China and was off limits to foreigners until the 1980s.
  • Astronaut Center of China (中国航天员科研训练中心) aka ACC: located at the Beijing Aerospace City, it is the main training and research center for the Chinese space program's astronauts.
  • Astronaut Corps (中国人民解放军航天员大队): headquartered at Beijing Aerospace City, it is a directly subordinated military unit of the Aerospace Force. As of 2018 it had selected and trained 42 astronauts, and was in the process of training a third batch, which will include civilians.
  • People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force's Aerospace Engineering University (中国人民解放军战略支援部队航天工程大学): not clear what the new name will be after the April 2024 reform.

Equipment

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The PLAASF controls all of China's military satellites, as a well as the BeiDou satellite navigation system.[11] This space force is estimated by the Military Balance 2024[12] to be around 245 satellites, plus perhaps some dual-use civilian satellites.

As is common in all countries with significant space forces, exact data on China's military satellites' functions is hard to come by. The generic "Yaogan" name is used for military satellites, and only sometimes is the actual military designation released (like the "Jianbing" series). Often, launches are disguised and receive civilian designators, at least for a period.

In counter-sat functions, while as of 2024 the PLAASF does control three possible ASAT satellites, it is unlikely it has command of the SC-19 anti-satellite missiles under the PLARF control.

Name of Class Chinese System Type Orbit Number in Service Notes
SatNav: 45 Satellites
BeiDou 2-M 北斗二号-M BDS-2 Navigation MEO 3[12]
BeiDou 2-G 北斗二号-G BDS-2 Navigation GEO 5[12]
BeiDou 2-IGSO 北斗二号-IGSO BDS-2 Navigation IGSO 7[12]
BeiDou 3-M 北斗三号-M BDS-3 Navigation MEO 24[12]
BeiDou 3-G 北斗三号-G BDS-3 Navigation GEO 3[12]
BeiDou 3-I 北斗三号-I BDS-3 Navigation IGSO 3[12]
Communications: 11 Satellites
Shentong 1 神通-1 MilCom MEO 2[12]
Shentong 2 神通-2 MilCom MEO 4[12] Shentong 2-5 launched as SinoSat2E as a secrecy measure
Fenghuo 1 烽火-1 MilCom GEO 2[12] Launched as SinoSat 22/A as a secrecy measure
Fenghuo 2 烽火-2A/C/D/E MilCom GEO 4[12] Launched as SinoSat 1A/C/D/E as a secrecy measure
Meteorology/Oceanography: 8 Satellites
Yunhai-1 云海一号 YHS Atmospheric Observation SSO 2[12] Mixed military and civilian use
Yunhai-2 云海二号 YHS Atmospheric observation (GNSS-RO) SSO 6[12]
Reconnaissance: 92 Satellites
Jianbing-5 (Yaogan-1) 尖兵五号 (遥感1号)

JB-5

ISR -SAR LEO 2[12]
Jianbing-6 (Yaogan-2) 尖兵六号(遥感2号)

JB-6

ISR - IMINT LEO[11] 4[12]
Jianbing-7 (Yaogan-6) 尖兵七号(遥感6号) JB-7 ISR - IMINT LEO[11] 4 [12] Very high resolution
Jianbing-9 (Yaogan-8) 尖兵九号(遥感8号)

JB-9

ISR - IMINT LEO[11] 5[12] Medium resolution
Jianbing-10 尖兵十号/

JB-10

ISR - IMINT LEO 3[12] Decimeter resolution
Jianbing-11/12 尖兵十一号/十二号


ISR - IMINT LEO 3[12]
Jianbing-16 尖兵十六 LEO 3[12]
LKW ISR - IMINT LEO 4[12] Optoelectronic
Tianhui-1/2 天绘一号/天绘二号 Cartography LEO[11] 10[12] Stereoscopic Multispectral and Radar Imaging
Yaogan-29 遥感29号 Space Surveillance LEO[12] 5[12]
Yaogan-34 遥感34号 ISR - IMINT LEO[11] 4[12] High resolution optical/radar
Yaogan-35 遥感35号 Space Surveillance LEO[11] 15[12]
Yaogan-36 遥感36号 ISR - IMINT LEO[11] 15 Optoelectronic
Yaogan-39 遥感39号 LEO 12[12]
Yaogan-40 遥感40号 LEO 3[12]
ELINT/SIGINT: 81 Satellites
Chuangxing-5 (Yaogan-30) 创新五号(遥感30号) CX-5 ELINT LEO 30[12] Launched in triplets
Jianbing-8 J尖兵八号 JB-8 ELINT LEO 15[12] Maritime Surveillance
Qianshao-3 前哨三号 SIGINT GEO 3[12] Part of TJS program
Shijian-6 实践六号 SJ-6 ELINT SSO 10[12] Launched in pairs
Shijian-11 实践十一号 SJ-11 Launch Warning SSO 7[12] IRST
Yaogan-31 遥感31号 ELINT LEO 12[12]
Yaogan-32 遥感32号 ELINT LEO 4[12]
Early Warning: 5 Satellites
Huoyan-1 火眼一号 HY-1 Early Warning GEO[11] 5[12] Part of TJS program
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations: 3 Satellites
Shijian 17 实践十七号 Debris clean up GEO 1 Possible Countersat capabilities
Shijian 21 实践二十一号 GEO 1
Shijian 23 实践二十三号 GEO 1

Personnel

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Commander

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Political Commissar

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Chinese PLA embraces a new system of services and arms: Defense spokesperson - China Military". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Xi Focus: Xi presents flag to PLA's information support force". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Xi Orders China's Biggest Military Reorganization Since 2015". Bloomberg News. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. ^ "President Xi unveils PLA's Information Support Force". Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b "西安交大推人才培养重大改革 成立钱学森学院". 光明网. 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b 陈怀国:〈用故事礼赞初心〉,《求是》2016年第16期
  7. ^ 张光友,曹晔,段国韬,李宝庭,高磊. "一种氧化锌纳米材料及其制备方法与应用". Google Patents. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  8. ^ "战略支援部队航天系统部试验装备物资采购局采购评审结果公示". 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2024.,中国招标网,20201104112119
  9. ^ 上海市拥军优属拥政爱民模范集体和个人名单(2011-2014) Archived 2016-12-12 at archive.today,光明网,2016-07-29
  10. ^ a b c "浙大举行皮星二号卫星任务总结会,浙江大学,2016-09-30". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Satellite Database | Union of Concerned Scientists". www.ucsusa.org. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj The International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS) (15 February 2024). "6 Asia". The Military Balance 2024. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-78004-7.