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All the PLA's paratroop units belongs to the PLAAF. The 15th Airborne Corps traces its lineage to an infantry army in Deng Xiaoping's Second Field Army and made its name in the defense of Shangganling. Americans called Shangganling the Heartbreak Ridge. The United States Army 1 Cavalry Division fought on the American side during this campaign. The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was reckoned by some to be the bitterest engagement of the Korean War. It was probably instrumental in turning US public opinion against the war.

According to some reports, in the 1960s when then commander of the PLAAF, General Liu Yalou was asked to create an airborne army, he picked the 15 Army because he had been impressed by its performance in Korea. We should also note that there have been some disagreements as to who won the Shangganling campaign. It is probably because at the last phase of the campaign, the 12 Army was sent to replace the 45th Division of 15 Army. Nevertheless, Mao Zeadong took a personal interest in this formation.

During the restructuring of the PLA in 1985, the 15 Army was reduced to three brigades. In the 1990s, the PLA's concept of People's War was replaced by the Limited High-Intensity War concept. This in turn resulted in a return to a divisional structure with an all-over increase of 25% in the 15 Army's strength. It is now more appropriately referring to it as the 15th Airborne Corps.

In 1985, most of the soldiers in the 15 Army were ordinary paratroopers trained for general supporting duties in a combined army campaign. Only 17 percent of them were specialized paratroopers. However, this percentage has now risen to 43 percent and ordinary paratroopers have dropped from 53 percent to 23 percent. The purpose of this increase in the percentage of specialized paratroopers was to make the 15th Airborne Corps into a combined arms force rather than just a mobile infantry force. Thus making it more capable of conducting independent operations in a limited but highly technological focused conflict.

According to You Ji's "The Armed forces of China", the 15th Airborne Corps has been elevated to the status of a strategic force. It is a departure from the PLA traditional airborne force concept. Doctrinal modernization change allows the 15th Airborne Corps to acts as a principal force employed for independent campaign missions in future wars. It is now accepted that the airborne troops should be used for pre-emptive attack on the enemy's key military targets in the rear area in order to paralyze or disrupt its preparation for an offensive. This kind of large-scale mission cannot be conducted without having a total control in the air. Also, a single-lift capability of 50,000 men is required for this type of missions. Currently, the PLAAF can only lift one division of 11,000 men with light tanks and self-propelled artilleries.