民兵积极参加战备执勤、边海防地区军警民联防、哨所执勤和护边控边等行动，常年在边海防线上巡逻执勤。

　　保卫空防安全

　　空军是保卫国家空防安全的主体力量，陆军、海军和武警部队按照中央军委的指示担负部分空防任务。平时，国家防空实行空军—军区空军—防空部队指挥体制，空军根据中央军委意图对担负防空任务的各种防空力量实施统一指挥。中国空防体系由侦察监视、指挥控制、空中防御、地面防空、综合保障和人民防空六大系统组成。中国已建成集侦察预警、抗击、反击和防护于一体的空防力量体系，具有以各种对空探测雷达和预警机为主体，以技术侦察、电子对抗侦察为补充的空情获取手段；以歼击机、歼击轰炸机、地空导弹、高炮部队为主体，以陆军防空兵、民兵预备役防空力量和人民防空力量为补充的抗击手段；以各种防护工程和防护力量为主体，以专业技术防护力量为补充的综合防护手段。

The militia takes an active part in combat readiness duties, joint military-police-civilian defense efforts, post duties, and border protection and control tasks in the border and coastal areas. Militia members patrol along the borders and coastlines all year round.

Safeguarding Territorial Air Security

The PLAAF is the mainstay of national territorial air defense, and in accordance with the instructions of the CMC, the PLAA, PLAN and PAPF all undertake some territorial air defense responsibilities. In peacetime, the chain of command of China' s air defense runs from the PLAAF headquarters through the air commands of the military area commands to air defense units. The PLAAF exercises unified command over all air defense components in accordance with the CMC's intent. China's air defense system is composed of six sub-systems of reconnaissance and surveillance, command and control, aerial defense, ground air defense, integrated support and civil air defense. China has established an air defense force system that integrates reconnaissance and early warning, resistance, counterattack and protection. For air situation awareness means, air detection radars and early warning aircraft are the mainstay, supplemented by technical and ECM reconnaissance. For resistance means, fighters, fighter-bombers, ground-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery troops are the mainstay, supplemented by the strengths from the PLAA air defense force, militia and reserves, as well as civil air defense. For integrated protection means, various protection works and strengths are the mainstay, supplemented by specialized technical protection forces.

　　空军日常防空基本活动，主要是组织侦察预警力量，监视国家领空及周边地区空中动态，随时掌握各种空中安全威胁；组织各级指挥机构，保持以首都为核心、以边境沿海一线为重点的常态化战备值班，随时指挥各种空防力量行动；组织日常防空战斗值班兵力，进行海上空域警巡、边境反侦察和境内查证处置异常不明空情；组织航空管制系统，监控飞行活动，维护空中秩序，保障飞行安全。

保持常备不懈的战备状态

　　战备工作是军队为执行作战和非战争军事行动任务而进行的准备和戒备活动，是军队全局性、综合性、经常性的工作。提高战备水平，保持常备不懈的战备状态，是有效应对多种安全威胁、完成多样化军事任务的重要保证。人民解放军建立正规的战备秩序，加强战备基础性建设，搞好针对性战备演练，周密组织战备值班和边海空防巡逻执勤，随时准备执行作战和非战争军事行动任务。部队根据执行任务需要进入等级战备，战备等级按照戒备程度由低级到高级分为三级战备、二级战备、一级战备。

The PLAAF organizes the following routine air defense tasks: reconnaissance and early warning units are tasked with monitoring air situations in China's territorial air space and surrounding areas and keeping abreast of air security threats. Command organs at all levels are tasked with assuming routine combat readiness duties with the capital as the core, and border and coastal areas as the key, and commanding air defense operations at all times. Routine air defense troops on combat duty are tasked with carrying out air vigilance and patrols at sea, conducting counter-reconnaissance in border areas and verifying abnormal and unidentified air situations within the territory. The air control system is tasked with monitoring, controlling and maintaining air traffic order so as to ensure flight safety. 

Maintaining Constant Combat Readiness

Combat readiness refers to the preparations and alert activities of the armed forces for undertaking operational tasks and MOOTW, and it is the general, comprehensive and regular work of the armed forces. It is an important guarantee for coping with various security threats and accomplishing diversified military tasks to enhance the capabilities of combat readiness and maintain constant combat readiness. The PLA has a regular system of combat readiness. It improves infrastructure for combat readiness, carries out scenario-oriented drills, and earnestly organizes alert duties, border, coastal and air defense patrols and guard duties. It keeps itself prepared for undertaking operational tasks and MOOTW at all times. Based on different tasks, the troops assume different levels of readiness (Level III, Level II and Level I, from the lowest degree of alertness to the highest).