Derek Solen

Derek Solen is a senior researcher at the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute. He was a civilian intelligence specialist in the U.S. Army. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

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PLA Air Force Increases Flexibility of Combat Support Units

12.15.2023 Derek Solen

In early November, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published photographs of army helicopters taking off from an “air force station” of the Eastern Theater...

Publication China Brief

The PLA Reconceptualizes Control of the Air

07.21.2023 Derek Solen

Introduction Some Western analysts argue that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) use of the term “command of the air” belies outdated views of control...

Publication China Brief China

PLA Blows Hot and Cold over U.S. Air Force’s Multirole Heavy Aircraft

12.22.2022 Derek Solen

Introduction In mid-November, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published an article evaluating the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) recent efforts to use its heavy aircraft...

Publication China Brief China

PLA Air Force Remedies Self-Defeating Training Culture

07.15.2022 Derek Solen

Introduction It is a truism that organizational culture can be a decisive factor in determining a military’s fate on the battlefield, but its intangibility and...

Publication China Brief China and the Asia-Pacific