SECTION 8
HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE, AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

When the PLAAF was founded in November 1949, an Air Force Engineering Department (kongjun gongcheng bu) was established to manage aircraft maintenance, and the PLAAF's Engineering College in Xian was established in September 1964. In September 1969, the Engineering Department was abolished and its Field Maintenance Department (waichang bu) was subordinated to the Headquarters Department as the Aircraft Maintenance Department (jiwu bu). However, due to the problems encountered with aircraft maintenance, the current Aeronautical Engineering Department (hangkong gongcheng bu/konggong) was established as a first level department on 1 May 1976. 

The Aeronautical Engineering Department has a director (Maj Gen) and two deputy directors (Maj Gen). One deputy director is .responsible for the Field Maintenance and Procurement Departments, and the other deputy director is responsible for the Factory Management Department, Political Department, and the General Office.

 

Whereas the PLAAF's Political Commissars Headquarters, Political, and Logistics Departments each have a higher level PLA department (GSD, GPD, arid GLD) the Aeronautical Engineering Department does not have an equivalent higher level general department. However, it works closely with the GLD and the GSD's Equipment Department.                     

The Aeronautical Engineering Department is responsible for the following missions:

 - All aircraft and engine maintenance, repair, and procurement 

- Aviation maintenance/repair research at two research institutes 

- Aviation maintenance/repair regulations

 - Aircraft ground support equipment

 The Logistics Department, not the Aeronautical Engineering Department, is responsible for maintenance of equipment belonging to AAA, SAM, radar, communications, and airborne troops/units. Although the Aeronautical Engineering Department is not responsible for SAMs or AAA maintenance, it is responsible for air-to-air missiles. Aircraft and engine maintenance is carried out at three levels as follow: 

- Aviation Repair Factories (hangkong xiuli chang) are responsible for major overhaul (fanxiu). These factories are directly managed by either HqAF or by HqAF and the MRAF Headquarters together.

 - Central Repair Factories (zhongxin xiuli chang) are responsible for major (daxiu) and intermediate (zhongxiu) repairs, and are managed by the MRAF Headquarters. 

- Air Divisions and flying academies have Repair Factories (xiuli chang), which are responsible for intermediate and minor (xiaoxiu) repairs, and are managed by the Air Division or academy. 

Maintenance personnel are trained in several ways, depending upon their rank (officer or enlisted). Officers are trained at the Aeronautical Engineering College (kongjun gongcheng xueyuan) in Xian, or at the two Maintenance Technical Training Schools (hangkong jishu zhuanye xuexiao/ hangzhuan xuexiao) in Xinyang or Changchun. In the 1970s, three maintenance schools (hangkong xiuli gongcheng jigong xuexiao) were established in Jilin, Changsha, and Yanliang. From 1982-1985, these changed to Aviation Engineering Schools (hangkong gongcheng xuexiao), which trained intermediate level specialized staff and workers. In August 1986, eight Aviation Maintenance Training Regiments (hangkong jiwu xunlian tuan) were established to train new enlisted maintenance troops. The Aeronautical Engineering Department works closely with the Schools Department and provides the curriculum and instructors for these schools. 

The Aeronautical Engineering Department has at least six second level departments/offices/divisions.  

GENERAL OFFICE

The General Office (ban on shi) has at least two subordinate divisions/ offices. All of the staff actions from the other second level departments within the Aeronautical Engineering Department must first go through the General Office before reaching the director.

 - Secretariat Division (mishu chu)

 - Translation Office (fanyi shi)

POLITICAL DEPARTMENT 

The Political Department (zhengzhi bu) is responsible for all personnel, propaganda, and political matters for the Aeronautical Engineering Department. 

FIELD MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

The Field Maintenance Department (waichang bu) is responsible for all first and second level maintenance at the aviation division/base level, and works closely with the PLAAF First (Maintenance) Research Institute in Beijing. This department also has directly subordinate repair and spare part factories (xiupei chang) for second level maintenance in each Military Region. There are at least seven divisions and subordinate offices. 

- Aircraft Division (feiji chu) 

- Bomber Office (hongzha ke)

 - Fighter and Ground Attack Office (qianqiahg ke)

 - Transport Office (yunshu ke)

 - Helicopter Office (zhisheng ke)

 - Aircraft Service Life and Reliability Office (feiji dinashou he kekaoxing ban aongshi)

 - Plans Division (jihua chu)

 - Avionics Division (dianzi chu)

 - Armament Division (iunxie chu)

 - Quality Control and Safety Division (zhiliang anquan chu/zhian chu)

 - Special Equipment Division (teshe chu)                       

 - Training Division (xunlian chu) 

PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

The Procurement Department (dinghuo bu) procures all PLAAF aviation equipment from domestic and foreign suppliers and, like the USAF AFPRO system, is responsible for all factory and MRAF procurement representatives (the Scientific Research Department also has some plant representatives). It has at least two subordinate divisions/offices. 

- Training Division (xunlian chu) 

- An A-5 Program Office (qiang wu gongcheng bangongshi), which is similar to the F8-2 Program Office, supports the integration of the French CSF Thomson avionics equipment into PLAAF's A-Ss (designated the A-SK) at the PLAAF's Hangzhou Jianqiao airfield. 

FACTORY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

The Factory Management Department (gongchang guanli bu/gongguan bu) is responsible for all aircraft and engine depot level repairs and major modifications, and works. closely with the Repair Research Institute in Nanjing. The department has several distribution warehouses located throughout China (such as Beijing, Dalian, and Shanghai), where items like engines are sent after being repaired. The equipment is then returned directly to a unit or given to the Logistics Department's supply depots for distribution. The Factory Management Department has at least six subordinate divisions. 

- Technical Division (jishu chu) 

- Production Planning Division (shengchan jihua chu) 

- Finance Division (caiwu chu) 

- Quality Control Division (zhiliang chu)

 - Air Materiel. Division (hangcai chu)

 - Training Division (xunlian chu)  

The Factory Management Department has 21 repair factories which employ 40,000 workers, all of whom are civilians. All of the factories are under the factory management responsibility system, which increases the autonomy of the factory managers, reduces emphasis on planned quotas, and allows the factories to produce goods outside. the plan for sale on the market. The factories are also allowed to retain some of the profit for reinvestment and for worker bonuses. 

Each factory has a public name, a two digit PLAAF designator, and a four digit General Logistics Department designator. Most, if not all, of the factories are located near a PLAAF airfield. 

Between 1955-1959, the PLAAF took over the Bureau of Aviation Industry's (hangkong gongye ju) 411, 521, and 531 Factories, which later became the 5701, 5703, and 5704 Factories. In April 1955, the PLAAF also took over the Soviet Air Force's Aviation Repair Factory in Luda, which later became the 5706 Factory. The Shenyang MRAF's Special Equipment Repair Factory (tezhong shebei xiuli chang), which later became the 5705 Factory, changed to HqAF management. An Armament Factory was formed in Nanjing, which later became the 5311 Factory. This particular factory designed the aiming system for the A-5 in 1970. 

After 1955, the Guangzhou, Beijing, and Lanzhou MRAF Central Repair Factories were modified or expanded as overhaul factories, and were named the 5718, 5721, and 5722 factories, respectively. In addition, the Air Corps' Major Repair Points (daxiu dian) were merged into the 5714 and 5706 aircraft repair factories. 

In 1960, the 5702 Factory was built. Beginning in 1965, the 5707, 5708, 5710, 5711, 5712, 5713, 5715, 5716, 5719, and 5720 aircraft, engine, and radio repair factories were built. 

In order to provide timely supply of equipment and materials for the factories, equipment warehouses and supply depots were also build in Shanghai, Luoyang, Chengdu, and Beijing. 

A list of the Factory Management Department's factories, including their GLD designator, location (city and province), and names) (English and Chinese) is shown below (some factories have more than one name and some of the identifiers for the factories are not known): 

Designator        Location

            Name

 

5701                        Chengdu, Sichuan

                Jinjiang Aircraft & Engine Overhaul FactoryJXiongying Machinery Factory (Jinjiang

                jiqi chang(Xiongying jixie chang) 

5702                        Wugong, Shaanxi

                Xichuan Aircraft & Engine Overhaul Factory (Xichuan jixie chang)

5703                        Shanghai

                Shanghai Aircraft Factory (Shanghai feiji zhizao chang)

5704                        Jilin, Jilin

                Shuangji Aircraft & Engine Overhaul Factory (Shuangji jixie chang)

5705                        Shenyang, Liaoning

                Songliao Aeronautical Instrument, Electrical, Radio & Radar Overhaul Factory

                (Songliao dianzi yiqi chang)

5706                        Dalian, Liaoning

                Changfeng Aircraft & Engine Overhaul Factory (Changfeng jixie chang)

5710                        Liuhe, Jilin

                Liuhe Aircraft & Engine Overhaul Factory (Liuhe jixie chang/Longgang jixie chang) 

5712/5714 Wuhan, Hubei

Lingyun Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Lingyun jixie chang) 

5713                        Gucheng, Hubei

                Shijing Aero-Engine Overhaul Factory (Shijing jixie chang)

5715                        Nanjing, Jiangsu

                Jinling Optical Instruments Factory (Jinling guangxue yiqi chang) (AKA 5311 Factory)

5716                        Zunyi, Guizhou

                Renjiang Machinery Factory (Renjiang jixie chang)

5718                        Guilin, Guangxi

                Changhong Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Changhong jixie chang)

5720                        Wuhu, Anhui

                Wuhu Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Wuhu jixie chang)

5721                        Huolo, Hebei

                Haishan Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Haishan jixie chang)

5722                        Tianshui, Gansu

                Lantian Machinery Factory (Lantian jixie chang)                             

   ----  Guiyang, Guizhou

 Qianying Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Qianying jixie chang)

 ----  Dangyang, Hubei

 Xiongfeng Aircraft Overhaul Factory (Xiongfeng jixie chang).

 ----  Changsha, Hunan

 Changkong Aircraft & Engine Overhaul Factory (Changkong jixie chang)

 ----  Luoyang, Henan

 Dancheng Aeronautical Radar & Radio Overhaul Factory (Dancheng wuxiandian chang)

 ----   Jincheng, Shanxi

 Jinxiang, Aero-Engine Overhaul Factory (Jinxiang jixie chang)

 ----  Pengxian, Sichuan

 Chuanxi Aero-Engine Overhaul Factory (Chuanxi jiqi chang)

 ----  Shenyang, Liaoning

 Xingguang Aeronautical & Industrial Gas Factory (Xingguang jixie chang)

 The Factory Management Department is also represented as part of Poly Technologies Incorporated (Baoli Keji Youxian Gongsi/Baoli Gongsi), which is the General Staff Department's import/export arm. In 1984 the China Dongfang Aircraft Support Corporation, which in reality is the Factory Management Department and its 21 factories, was established and then changed its name to Poly Technologies Incorporated Aircraft Support Division (PASD). In 1988 PASD and the nine major Chinese state-owned aviation overhaul and repair factories jointly founded Poly Aircraft Support Incorporated (PASI). According to the May 1988 issue of Hangkong Zhishi (Aerospace Knowledge), PASI/PASD has relations with 30 countries and regions. In the past few years, PASI/PASD had overhauled over 200 aircraft and 2,000 engines for these countries/regions. In addition, it has provided spare parts and has contracted for repair of three aviation equipment, repair, and production lines. 

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION

The Administrative Division(guanli chu) performs the same functions for the Aeronautical Engineering Department as the Administrative Bureau does for the Headquarters Department.

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