3rd Fighter Aviation Division

The 3rd Fighter Aviation Division was a formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Initially established in 1950. PLAAF fighter divisions generally consist of about 17,000 personnel and 70-120 aircraft. The division is currently headquartered in Wuhu Air Base, Anhui.

The 3rd Division is considered the most elite division in the PLAAF.[1]

Until 2017, the 9th Brigade was known as the 1st Flying Brigade of the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Fighter Aviation Division, at which time the division was abolished and the surviving 7th, 8th, and 9th regiments beneath it were reorganized into independent fighter brigades.[2][3] Thus the 9th Fighter Brigade was established.

  1. ^ You Ji (2012). "Meeting the Challenge of the Upcoming PLAAF Leadership Reshuffle". The Chinese Air Force: Evolving Concepts, Roles, and Capabilities (PDF). National Defense University Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-16-091386-0.
  2. ^ Solen, Derek (January 2022). "Third Combat Brigade of PLA Air Force Likely Receives Stealth Fighters" (PDF). China Aerospace Studies Institute.
  3. ^ Greentown Full of Emotions (January 16, 2019). "实至名归！空9旅率先装备歼20，成中国首个列装五代机作战单位" [Deserved! The 9th Air Force Brigade took the lead in equipping the J-20 and became China's first combat unit equipped with fifth-generation aircraft]. 163.com. Retrieved 2022-12-18.