China''s air defence radar network to provide comprehensive coverage

According to senior Chinese military officers, who spoke to Xinhua, a network of all-weather air defence radars, capable of providing seamless surveillance over all Chinese territorial airspace is now in place.

According to Xinhua, the Chinese People''s Liberation Army (PLA), which has manufactured and deployed air defence radars ever since 1950, has traditionally relied upon them as the "first line of air defence".

According to the Xinhua report, air defence is considered to be amongst the "high-tech intensive arms" of the PLA. It cited a senior PLA officer as saying that 85 per cent of the officers in the air defence arm held bachelor degrees or above.

The report also cited the officer as saying that the detection ability and overall capacity of the PLA''s air defence radar network was "very close" to those of developed countries.

With the PLA''s modernization, the air defence radar arm would also provide support to the air force''s offensive missions, and to other PLA services, the officer said.