The Lanzhou Military Region Air Force (MRAF), headquartered in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, is one of the seven MRAFs under of the PLA Air Force. It is the air component of the Lanzhou Military Region (MR), responsible for the air defence of northwest part of the country. The Lanzhou MRAF is under the dual leadership of the Headquarters Air Force (HqAF) and the Lanzhou MR. The commander of the Lanzhou MRAF is concurrently a deputy commander of the Lanzhou MR.
The aviation element of the Lanzhou MRAF includes the 6th Fighter Division based at Yinchuan (Ningxia) and Tianshui (Gansu), 36th Bomber Division based at Wugong (Shaanxi) and Lintong (Shaanxi), 37th Fighter Division based at Urumqi (Xinjiang), 4th Independent Air Regiment based at Wugong (Shaanxi), 5th Flying College based at Wuwei (Gansu) and Hami (Xinjiang), and Aerial Survey Regiment based at Huxian (Shaanxi).
Additionally, the Lanzhou MRAF controls two major weapon and aircraft testing units. The Air Force Test Flight Regiment, which supports the flight test missions of the China Flight Test Establishment (CFTE), was originally based at Yanliang (Shaanxi), but was relocated to the Dingxing Airfield in Shuang Cheng Tzu, Gansu Province in 2000. The Air Force Air-to-Air Missile Regiment and the Air Force Surface-to-Air Missile Test Base were merged to become the Air Force Missile Test Base, also based at the Dingxin Airfield.
Aircraft deployed by the Lanzhou MRAF include: H-6A and H-6E (two regiments), J-11 (one regiment), J-8B (one regiment), J-7B (two regiments), and J-7E/G (one regiment). The 4th Independent Air Regiment is equipped with a number of Y-8E UAV carrier and WZ-5 URAV. The Air Force Flight Test Regiment is equipped with a wide range of aircraft for flight testing. The Air Force Missile Test Base is equipped with a small number of J-7B and JJ-7.
Major airbases of the Lanzhou MRAF include: Wugong (Shaanxi), Lintong (Shaanxi), Yinchuan (Ningxia), Hetian (Xinjiang), Korla (Xinjiang), Wujiaqu (Xinjiang), Diwobao (Xinjiang), and Dingxin (Gansu).
The air defence troops of the Lanzhou MRAF include a SAM/AAA division and an SAM regiment (HQ-2). Some reports suggested that the indigenous HQ-9 may have been deployed by the Lanzhou MRAF, but this cannot be confirmed.
Command and control elements of the Lanzhou MRAF include the Xi'an Command Post, Urumqi Command Post, Hetian Command Post, two radar brigades and a communications regiment.
