The people's liberation army of China should soon receive its own tanker aircraft, which Xian developed on the basis of the first Chinese heavy military transport aircraft Xian Y-20.
According to the publication Ordnance Industry Science Technology from XI'an, in Shaanxi province in northwestern China, photos of the Xian Y-20 military transport plane, which is flying along with the Chinese fifth-generation Chengdu J-20 fighter, have appeared on Chinese social networks.
The new tanker aircraft is equipped with a hose-cone system, in which suspended refueling units are installed on the flying tanker, and the refueling aircraft are connected to it by a receiving rod. It is noted that the Xian Y-20 can work together not only with the Chengdu J-20, but also with the Xian H-6 bomber, which will significantly increase the range of both combat vehicles, says Global Times.
Initially, the Xian Y-20 will be used in parallel with the Soviet Il-78 tanker aircraft and the outdated Chinese HU-6 air tanker, and then gradually the Chinese will completely switch to domestic aircraft.
Xian Y-20 has been under development since 2006. According to reports, about a dozen Xian Y-20 flight samples have been collected. In addition to the version of the tanker aircraft, the novelty will also receive a version of long-range radar detection.