The 5th Aviation Division (People's Republic of China) (中国人民解放军空军航空兵第五师, Unit 94590) is the first

attack aircraft An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...

division of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, and a unit of the Central Military Commission's strategic reserve, founded on December 5, 1950. Established on December 5, 1950 at Kaiyuan,

Liaoning Province Liaoning () is a coastal provinces of China, province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and i ...

, it was part of the Jinan Military Region Air Force. The division was based in Weifang,

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

. It consists of the 13th Air Regiment (located in Weifang); 14 Air Regiment (based in Ming, composed of Xi'an JH-7 and the Nanchang Q-5, at

Xinyang Minggang Airport Xinyang Minggang Airport , or Minggang Air Base, is a dual-use civil and military airport serving the city of Xinyang in Henan Province, China. It is in the town of Minggang in Pingqiao District, about from downtown Xinyang and from the city ...

); and the 15th Air Regiment (in Weifang). The division has participated in the National Day military parade, the Sino-Vietnamese War, the round to Yunnan, hydrogen bomb tests, and the test flight on the Tibetan plateau.

History

In accordance with the Central Military Commission's approval (telegraphed on November 19, 1950), the PLA Air Force commanded the establishment of the 5th Aviation Division on November 25, 1950. The 5th Aviation Division would consist of the 13th and 15th Air Regiments, formerly the 13th Air Regiment and the 15th Supply Squadron, which had both been under the 617th Group of the 206th Independent Infantry Division. The 13th Air Regiment had been formed on August 1, 1950 as part of the 617th Group of the 206th Independent Infantry Division when it received 35 top students from the 1st and 3rd aviation academies. Its equipment started with Ilyushin Il-10 planes left in Xuzhou after the withdrawal of the Soviet Volunteer Group. It became the PLA Air Force's first unit of attack aircraft, and on November 25, 1950 it moved from Xuzhou to Kaiyuan. The first division commander was Ma Yong, and the first political commissar was Ma Zeying. The 5th Attack Division was still listed by the IISS ''Military Balance'' in 2014 with two regiments, one of Q-5E and one of JH-7A.IISS 2014, 238. Around May 2017 the 15th Air Regiment (serials 11x6x) was reorganised as the 15th Aviation Brigade.

References

{{People's Liberation Army Divisions Aviation Divisions of the People's Liberation Army Military units and formations established in 1950 Military units and formations disestablished in the 2010s