September 29 marked the official launch of the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy alongside the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center located at Ban Keun Airport in Laos, prompting widespread notice and alarmist coverage from select foreign media outlets, Global Times reported.
Opening Operations at Ban Keun Airport
The newly opened facilities at Ban Keun Airport are jointly maintained and operated by China and Laos to train intermediate pilots and help the Lao air force build a modern aviation training pipeline. China’s Ministry of National Defense stated on September 29 that the establishment of the center and the aviation academy aligns with the domestic laws of both nations as well as international law, emphasizing that the institutions are not directed against any third party and aim to deepen practical military cooperation and maintain regional peace.
Satellite Images Show Attack Jets at Ban Keun
International reporting prior to and following the launch highlighted potential future military expansion at the site. Security analysts believe that satellite images published by Reuters on Tuesday reveal over two dozen support vehicles and eight K-8 light attack jets stationed along an uncompleted runway at Ban Keun. Analysts cited by Reuters noted that the aircraft appear to be Hongdu JL-8 planes, also known as the K-8, which are operated by both the Chinese and Lao air forces. According to the annual assessment published by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, Laos currently operates four such aircraft.
Characteristics of the JL-8 Trainer Aircraft
The Hongdu JL-8 is a single-engine jet basic and intermediate trainer that first flew on November 21, 1990, filling a gap in domestic general-purpose training aircraft. Broadcasted in August 2025 by state broadcaster CCTV, comments from Zhang Hong—who serves as general manager and chief designer of the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China—noted that the aircraft performs well and has trained a large number of Chinese fighter pilots. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that the trainer is utilized by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and flight academies in countries including Pakistan to transition students from primary to intermediate training.
Assessing the Strategic Scope of the Training Center
Song Zhongping noted that the choice of trainer aircraft over fighter jets defines the primary mission of the Ban Keun facility. Because Laos possesses relatively weak aviation capabilities and has historically lacked a systematic training infrastructure for pilots and maintenance crews, the center addresses a domestic deficit by enabling independent talent cultivation rather than total reliance on overseas training. Song added that if the location functioned as an overseas combat base, it would deploy a full system of combat capabilities directed at specific regional actors. Instead, the facility’s operational scope focuses on flight safety support, non-traditional security threats such as terrorism and piracy, and humanitarian rescue and disaster relief missions.
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