Called "the elite of all elite divisions in the PLAAF," the unit flies the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter as the premier fighter aviation unit in the Eastern Theater Command Air Force.

On June 27, 1992, the 9th Regiment received the first batch of 12 Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, 8 SK single-seat aircraft and 4 UBK two-seat trainers.

Upon the arrival of the Su-30's, existing Su-27s were transferred to the 19th Fighter Division of the Jinan Military Region Air Force.

[4][1] The brigade finished transitioning to entirely J-20's in the first half of 2021, fielding a fleet of between 24 and 30 of the stealth aircraft.

[1][5] Tail codes for the brigade's J-20s fall within the range of 62x0x,[citation needed] starting with 62001.