China inducts its largest homegrown military transport plane

TIL Desk/World/Beijing-China on Wednesday inducted its largest indigenously-built transport aircraft Y-20, a breakthrough in military aviation technology for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that allows the world’s largest force to transport cargo and troops over long distances in diverse weather conditions.

“The Y-20 entering into service marks a crucial step for the Air Force improving its strategic power projection capability,” Air Force spokesperson Shen Jinke said. With a maximum take off weight of 200 tonnes, the Y-20, which officially joined the PLA Air Force in Chengdu, is ideal for transporting cargo and personnel over long distances in diverse weather conditions.

The Air Force needs more and better transport to better fulfil its military responsibilities, including safeguarding national security as well as domestic and international rescue and relief work, Shen said. The Air Force has provided aid and delivered relief supplies to Pakistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Nepal and other countries as they were hit by disasters in recent years.