Chinese air force pilots have carried out formation flight training with the country's latest J-20 stealth fighter jets and the Y-20 military transport aircraft, a military spokesperson said today.
The J-20, China's fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet, made its maiden flight in 2011 and was officially commissioned into military service in September this year.
Some pilots are able to fly several new models of fighter jets, including the J-20, J-16 and J-10C, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force Shen Jinke was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
To train pilots to fly the new jets, the air force has established aviation schools across the country and forged cooperation with prestigious universities like Tsinghua University, Shen said a ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of the PLA Air Force, which falls tomorrow.
It has also sped up capacity building in anti-missile air defence, setting the precedent of shooting down an enemy plane with ground-to-air missiles and equipping the army with Chinese-developed HQ-9 anti-aircraft missiles, Shen said.
The air force has also expanded the reach of its activities from land to sea, moving towards development of a modern strategic force with whole-territory combat capabilities, he added.
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