Air Force to put whole country under its wing

The Chinese Air Force aims to expand its effective combat zone to cover the entire country, signaling that it has become an all-around, modern, combat-ready force, a spokesman said on Friday.

China's most advanced stealth fighter jet, the J-20, and the newest military transport aircraft, the Y-20, have recently entered formation training, Senior Colonel Shen Jinke said at a ceremony ahead of Saturday's 68th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

The new planes are important parts of the Air Force and are fully capable of combat, he said, adding that many pilots are capable of flying the new J-20, as well as previous models such as the J-16 and J-10C fighter jets.