As well as being the main hub of China United Airlines, Nanyuan is also home to the PLAAF's 102nd Air Regiment of the 34th Transport Division. Indeed, after being established in 1986 as an arm of the civil transport division of the PLAAF, CUA later began the transition to becoming an LCC (low cost carrier) in 2005, with Shanghai Airlines now holding a major stake. With the airlines Tu-154's now transferred fully to the PLAAF, though still retaining the basic CUA livery, the three short-lived A319's would also follow later in 2013-2015, leaving CUA with a current fleet of around 30 B737-700/800's.
With the Tu-154's being the main attraction here, the elusive modified 'spy' Tu-154M/D's were the real goal. Converted into aerial platforms for electronic intelligence and surveillance roles, the first programme (Type-I) in the mid-1990s involved at least one aircraft being fitted with the BM-KZ800 ELINT system, with several fairings housing EW/ELINT equipment under the fuselage. The second programme (Type-II) involved adding a synthetic aperture radar system designed for capturing high-resolution ground mapping images, in addition to the ELINT/SIGINT functions. Identified by the large canoe-shaped fairing under the forward fuselage (similar to that on the US E-8C J-STARS), followed by a smaller fairing under the rear fuselage, the Tu-154M/D's are occasionally involved in missions in the East China Sea ADIZ. Most recently on 25th September, when a reported 40+ PLAAF aircraft were involved in such an exercise, these again included B-4015, which is the aircraft mostly recorded (and photographed here three days earlier)...
https://jamestown.org/program/chinese-m ... china-sea/
http://www.mod.go.jp/js/Press/press2016 ... 925_01.pdf
As well as the Tu-154's and busy CUA operations, also photographed during the visit on 22nd September, was one of the resident modified Learjet 35A's, along with a visiting B737-300, three CRJ-700's and two A319's in the circuit, all from the 100th Air Transport Regiment of the 34th Transport Division based at nearby Xijiao Airbase. Then, located at the NE corner of the airfield are several retired airframes, including the Tu-154M still wearing the full CUA scheme. Extremely discreet photography here, starting with the first sight of a Tu-154M/D and A319 from the hotel room...
Final part to follow, a taste of Hanoi. Cheers, Kevin
