RAND’s report on PLAAF SAM training

Bonny Lin, Cristina L. Garafola from RAND have written this report on China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) surface-to-air missile (SAM) unit training.

Chinese KS-1 SAM mobile launcher
By Max Smith (Own work (Own photo)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Key findings are:

  • SAM training intensity varies across China’s former seven Military Regions; SAM units near the capital and coasts appear to be most active.
  • PLAAF SAM units follow a yearly training cycle; training peaks during the summer and early fall.
  • Progress is uneven; capabilities may vary significantly among similarly equipped units.