In the world of military aeronautics, fighter jets often attract media interest. Transport devices are sometimes wrongly perceived as less technological, or less strategic, in the exercise of air power. The efforts made by the Europeans to design the A400M and the A330 MRTT show that, in reality, neither of these paradigms is founded.
As such, the heavy transport aircraft of Chinese design Y-20, is as revealing of the technological progress of the Chinese aeronautical industry as it is of its geopolitical ambitions, endowing the PLA with a means of projection. heavy comparable to the American C-17. And they do not intend to stop there. Thus, the Chinese authorities announced, during a press conference, that the device would soon be derivative in specialized versions, including an in-flight refueller version, and an Awacs version.
Until now, Chinese forces mainly used aircraft of Russian origin to carry out these missions. In addition, the immense payload capacity of the Y-20 will make it an aircraft with immense autonomy, as well as a very large refueling capacity.
It is interesting to note that, in either case, it involves developing equipment that is very useful for power projection. Like the LHD Type 075 currently under construction, the Chinese forces are now intensively strengthening this capacity, considered until recently secondary by the Chinese command.