A Su-30 fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command waits approval to take off at a military airfield during a night combat sortie on March 20, 2019. (Photo:eng.chinamil.com.cn)

A Su-30 fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command soars into the sky during a combat sortie during a night combat sortie on March 20, 2019. (Photo:eng.chinamil.com.cn)

Pilots assigned to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command open the canopy of their Su-30 fighter jet for an inspection after completing a night combat sortie on March 20, 2019. (Photo:eng.chinamil.com.cn)