Arlington, VA, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to announce the launch of its new China Airpower Tracker, the authoritative platform for assessing the progress and status of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) airpower capabilities. The online tool merges open-source intelligence with expert curation from the Mitchell Institute. This forms an indispensable resource for Pentagon leaders, Members of Congress and their staffs, allies and partners, journalists, and the broader national security community.
What makes this resource fundamentally unique is the pairing of quantitative and qualitive assessments of the PLAAF, combined with unclassified overhead satellite imagery that allows users to see actual basing locations, production sites, and more. This resource helps users transform a generalized understanding of the PLAAF to precise, informed insights.
“Close review of commercial satellite imagery and open-source intelligence reveals the extraordinary investment and speed with which China is building up new warfighting capacity and capability,” said J. Michael Dahm, the Mitchell Institute’s Senior Resident Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies. “The PLA is building a new island base in the South China Sea, and its air force is on pace to have more fighter aircraft than the U.S. Air Force by 2028.”
Leveraging live open-source intelligence, the China Airpower Tracker presents an interactive map that visualizes how the PLAAF is currently arrayed at its airbases and surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites across China. The map is categorized by platform, providing operating base locations of China’s fighters, bombers, transports, special mission aircraft, UAVs, and surface-to-air missiles across the People’s Republic of China.
The map is fused with the Tracker’s extensive almanac, which catalogs the PLAAF’s core weapons and platforms, and their technical data. Each entry also includes links to related coverage and reports from Air & Space Forces Magazine and the Mitchell Institute, providing key, real-time context on China’s airpower capabilities.
The site will be updated regularly with new analysis, timely assessment of real-world PLAAF developments, and additional tools to better understand this important topic. Explore the new China Airpower Tracker at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/china/.
About the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
The Mitchell Institute is the only U.S. think tank focused on airpower and space power. It is an independent, nonpartisan research organization e providing innovative, insightful, fact-based research, analysis, and policy options to inform decision-makers, experts, and the public on exploiting air and space to achieve national security objectives. Mitchell provides deep analysis of issues, strategy, and technology through research reports and policy papers on a wide range of subjects. Mitchell conducts cutting edge workshops, wargames and thought leadership led by some of the world's foremost experts on aerospace issues. Mitchell also engages top air and space leaders with its internationally acclaimed webinar series and influential weekly podcast series that both cover timely air and space issues.
About AFA
The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 130,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air Force and Space Force as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.
Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies mitchell@afa.org
