INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
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IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNIST CHINA'S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Directorate of Intelligence6
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM*
Improvements in Communist China's Air ueiense System
SUMMARY
Peking is making substantial efforts to improve its air defenses, with special emphasis on theof its southern borders and of its advanced weapons facilities in western China. Programsin the past two years include expansion of the air defense establishment in West China, new airfield construction there and elsewhere in China, and the resumption of production ofFarmer) fighter aircraft. All of these programs are being pushedteady pace.
Accent on West China's Air Defense Capabilities
Obviously concerned over the safety of their advanced weapons centers and perhapshreatuarter where no threat had existed before, the Chinese in recent years haverogram to upgrade the Vest China Air Defense District. This district- covers almost the entire western half of China, its area includes the Shuang-cheng-tzuTest Range and the Lop Nor Nuclear Test Site; its borders include the entire Sino-Indian borderarge portion of the Sino-Soviet border. (See map)
One of the first steps to strengthen the West China Air Defense District was the establishmentigh-level air defense authority there. In the fall4 Communist China's 9th Air Army wasat Urumchi and placed in control of air defenses for all of Slnkiang Province. This air army controls and coordinates flight activity at Ha-mi, Ho-tien, and Chang-chi-airfields. The headquarters at Urumchi, the sector headquarters at Ho-tien, and the West China district headquarters at Sian are all outstationsoint operations radio net controlled by air force headquarters in Peking.
Air surveillance capabilities of the West China district have also been increased. In5 air surveillance sector headquarters at Sumukuerh, on the southwest slope of the mountains facing Kashmir, was moved back across the mountains to Ho-tien. The purpose of this move probably was to consolidate sector responsibilities at the recently reconstructed Ho-tien airfield, which has assumed an increasingly important role in district air operations.
During the Last half5 at leastew radar stations were activated in the West China This increased byercent the number of air surveillance radar stations in this part of China. Most of the new stations are in the Ho-tien, Lhasa, and Cheng-tu sectors, providing additional coverage
of the Sino-Indian border.
MIG-19 (Farmer) Production and Deployment
mainstay of the Chinese jethas been for years, and still is, the aging
Fresco). owever, the Chinese have gradually been re-equipping units with high-performanceFarmers). This has followed the resumption of series production at thelant at Shen-yang in northeast China, Current production there is estimated to beo ISper month.
throughout China has increased from lesso. f these are stationed at airfields in the South and Southwest Air Defense Districts adjacent to North Vietnam. Othernits are at airfields in Northeast, North, and East China. It is estimated that thus far6 aboutewave been delivered to tactical units throughout China.
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Jet Fighter Base Construction
Perhaps the most striking evidence of Peking's growing emphasis on air defense is its program of airfield construction and rehabilitation. Though this has been evident throughout China, most of the improvements have been in western China and in the regions adjacent to North Vietnam. Over the past four years someirfields capable ofat least limited jet fighter operations have been built, reconstructed, or improved. Most of this work has been done since tbe middleSee list of airfields)
Before the current program got under way, Sinkiang Province had no airfields able to handle jet operations. It now has four such fields, three of them with runways ofeet. Altogether, nine airfields capable of sustaining jet fighter operations have been added to the West China Air Defense District. These airfields couldarge force of tactical aircraft,et fighters or light bombers.
In the South and Southwest districts the airfield capacity has increased byourth. The installations at Ning-ming, Ping-yuan, and
begun after the4 Tonkin Gulfobviously planned to fill gaps in the air defense of the critical border with Vietnam. Each of the nine new airfields in this area is or
will be capable of servicing jet aircraft units up to regimental size.
10r In addition to the new airfields built ln western and southern China, irfields have been constructed in other parts of China. The only area in which no new fields have been added in the last two years is the Southeast Air Defense District adjacent to the Taiwan Strait.
Prospects
Peking's concern over the vulnerability of its advanced weapons development centers in West China will continue. Since the Chinese do not have sufficient surface-to-air missile equipment tothese widely dispersed centers, they willcontinue to expand jet fighter operations in this remote area and to increase their radar coverage of the border regions.
The Chinese will also almost certainlyto push airfield construction in southern China where the airfield density is still well below that in North and East China.
Recently China has begun to look beyond its southern borders into North Vietnam itself. China and North Vietnam have for some time been sharing Eir warning and weather data, and since last August Chinese antiaircraft artillery units have been in North Vietnam protecting Chinese engineer units there The activity of these engineer units includes the building of two airfields in northwest North Vietnam. Although these airfields probably are being built for North Vietnamese use, they could be intended also for contingency use by the Chinese.
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