Tuesday, April 14, 2009

PLAAF 26th Specialized Division.


Photo of Wuxi airport, Zhejiang province, home to four KJ-2000 (serial number 30071-30074) and four KL-200 AWAC of the 76th EW Regiment, PLAAF 26th Speicalized Division.

The 26th Air Division was commissioned as a fighter Division in December 1952 with elements of the 67th regiment, 23rd Air Division and 70th Regiment, 24th Air Division. It was equipped with 50 Soviet La-9 and La-11 fighters to field three regiments (76th, 77th and 78th)

It was moved to Yunan in April 1966 to boost the Chinese defense during the Indochina war and reassigned back to Shanghai area in March of 1968. During that period, its J-6 fleet scored two kills; one against a KA-3B (serial number 142653) of USN on April 12th 1966 by Laixi Li of the 76th Regiment, A USN F-4 on April 14th 1967 by Yimin Song of the 79th Regiment.

The 26th Division was made famous during the May 2008 Sichuan Earthquake where the 76the regiment served as the joint -airborne command for the overall relief effort, the 77th Recon Regiment provided aerial photos and other mapping needs to the rescuers, and the 78th S&R regiment, with its fleet medical helicopters saved many lives.

AWAC of the 76th regiment also served as the security HQ for the 2008 Olympic Games


78th S&R Regiment










Y-7 of the 77th Recon Regiment

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Soviet fighters designation were La-9 and La-11 (after the designer's name Lavochkin), not Li

snowhole said...

Photo of Wuxi airport, Zhejiang province
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It's Shuofang Airport in Wuxi (although actually closer to the urban area of Suzhou rather than Wuxi). And it's in Jiangsu Province.

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