| 9th Fighter Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 第9航空旅 | |
.jpg) A Chengdu J-20 similar to those of the 9th BDE | |
| Active | c.2017–present |
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Branch |  People's Liberation Army Air Force |
| Type | Air brigade |
| Role | Fighter |
| Size | 24–30 aircraft |
| Part of | Shanghai Base, Eastern Theater Command Air Force, Eastern Theater Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Wuhu Air Base, Wuhu, Anhui, People’s Republic of China |
| Nickname(s) | "Wang Hai Brigade" |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Interceptor | Chengdu J-20 |
The 9th Fighter Brigade (9th BDE, Chinese: 第9航空旅; pinyin: Dì 9 hángkōng lǚ), sometimes called the 9th Air Brigade is a fighter brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) based at Wuhu Air Base in Wuhu, Anhui province. Called "the elite of all elite divisions in the PLAAF," the unit flies the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter as the premier fighter aviation unit in the Eastern Theater Command Air Force. Until 2017, the 9th Brigade was known as the 1st Flying Brigade of the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Fighter Air Division, at which time the division was abolished and the surviving 7th, 8th, and 9th regiments beneath it were reorganized into independent fighter brigades.[1][2] Also known as the Wang Hai Brigade, the unit and its ancestors were each the first PLAAF unit to operationally employ the Chengdu J-7, Sukhoi Su-27, Sukhoi Su-30MKK, and Chengdu J-20.[2] The brigade's MUCD is not publicly known.
- ^ Solen, Derek (January 2022). "Third Combat Brigade of PLA Air Force Likely Receives Stealth Fighters" (PDF). China Aerospace Studies Institute.
- ^ a b 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.