Chinese War Eagles Become Regulars on the International Airshow Stage

【Global Times Report by Reporter Guo Yuandan】From Russia to Malaysia, from the UAE to Pakistan, from Thailand to Singapore, from Saudi Arabia to Egypt... In recent years, the Chinese Air Force has flown abroad more than ten times, becoming a "regular guest" at international airshows.

One of the main forces of the Chinese Air Force participating in foreign airshows is the August 1st Aerobatic Team, known as China's "Blue Sky Honor Guard." The August 1st Aerobatic Team is the most eye-catching "business card" of the nation and the military on the international stage. In 2013, the August 1st Aerobatic Team made its first appearance abroad at the Moscow Airshow. Since then, the Chinese Air Force has increasingly become a regular participant in international airshows. In 2015, the August 1st Aerobatic Team attended the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia for the first time, marking an important public appearance of the Chinese Air Force in Southeast Asia, competing and exchanging with flight demonstration teams from multiple countries. In 2017, the August 1st Aerobatic Team participated in the 15th Dubai International Airshow in the UAE, making its debut in the Gulf region. In 2020 and 2026, the August 1st Aerobatic Team appeared at the Singapore Airshow on two occasions.

During the first Egypt Airshow in 2024, the Y-20 large transport aircraft accompanied the aerobatic team abroad, achieving a combination of "demonstration aircraft + large military transport aircraft" for the exhibition, breaking the traditional model of the August 1st Aerobatic Team performing abroad with only a single aircraft type.

Behind the Chinese Air Force flying farther and higher is the continuous updating and iteration of domestically produced main battle aircraft and the leap in long-range support capabilities. An unnamed Chinese military expert told Global Times reporters that the iterative upgrades of the new generation of domestically produced fighter jets have laid a solid equipment foundation for the Air Force to carry out overseas missions across continents. The new demonstration aircraft represented by the J-10C has achieved significant improvements in maneuverability, range, and overall reliability, making it fully capable of long-distance cross-national transitions while completing high-intensity aerobatic flight tasks.

“At the same time, with the gradual commissioning of the Y-20 large transport aircraft and the YU-20 aerial refueling aircraft into the troops, the long-standing shortcomings in strategic delivery and aerial refueling capabilities that have constrained long-range operations have been strengthened. Tasks such as long-distance routes and large-scale overseas deployments, which were previously extremely difficult, can now be carried out regularly,” the expert stated.

In addition to hardware strength, the frequent and regular execution of overseas missions has also allowed the Chinese Air Force to accumulate rich practical experience in foreign missions. The expert noted: “Facing unfamiliar airspace conditions and foreign airport support systems, the Chinese Air Force has formed a mature flight scheduling and cross-border maintenance process. Whether in arid desert environments or high-humidity coastal areas, various complex overseas working conditions can be handled with ease. Once the aircraft arrive in the mission area, they can quickly complete maintenance and adjustments, seamlessly connecting flight demonstrations, ground static displays, and other tasks.”

Furthermore, the expert believes that the Chinese Air Force has the capability and confidence to participate more in international airshows in the future. “International airshows are an important platform for defense forces from various countries to exchange and learn from each other. Through this external window, we hope to draw on the strengths of others and absorb beneficial experiences from other countries, while also looking forward to showcasing China's development to the world and allowing China to better understand the external world, demonstrating our advanced military technology development achievements.” This military expert believes that as China increasingly participates in international airshows, countries will continue to see the new face of the People's Liberation Army's equipment development, aptly describing the progress of the PLA with the saying, 'A soldier's absence of three days calls for a new appraisal.'”