Y-12 transport aircraft assigned to an air transport brigade under the PLA airborne troops take off in sequence during a joint transportation training exercise that involves multiple types of transport aircraft on May 21, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Li Zhuojun)

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) airborne troops recently took delivery of new Y-12 transport aircraft that boasts significantly enhanced power, avionics and handle ability, with experts saying on Sunday that the aircraft is expected to host training missions for paratroopers and potentially carry out special forces tasks.

Pilots affiliated with an aviation transport brigade attached to the PLA airborne troops recently had their first session of flight training with the new warplanes, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

The report showed that the aircraft is the Y-12 lightweight cargo plane, and the flight training took place not only above land, but also above islands.

"The new aircraft enjoys very obvious optimization in terms of the cockpit environment, power, instrument panels and handling," Hu Yongsen, a pilot in the brigade, said in the CCTV report.

"After takeoff, I had a much faster speed when climbing thanks to the more powerful engines, and was able to perform all kinds of tactical maneuvers better than before," Hu said.

For the PLA airborne troops, the Y-12 will be used to replace its older counterpart, the Y-5, and will be used mainly in basic training missions for paratroopers, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The lightweight Y-12 is an outstanding platform for this purpose, because it is more cost-effective than medium-sized transport aircraft like the Y-8 and Y-9, as well as large transport aircraft like the Y-20 and Il-76, Fu said. The latter planes will be used in more advanced training, large-scale exercises and real combat.

In addition, the Y-12 could also be used to carry special forces units in special operations, Fu said.

Earlier this month, the defense authority on the island of Taiwan claimed that a civilian version of the Y-12 from the Chinese mainland approached Dongyin Island, a Taiwan-administered island not far from the Chinese mainland, on February 5.

This incident sparked heated discussion, as the aircraft was spotted and reported first by local residents, and the Taiwan military reacted only after their reports, leading to questions on the Taiwan military's air defense capability.

Fu said that the Y-12 is a multi-role aircraft that can also serve civilian purposes, like acting as a passenger plane, conducting maritime surveillance for law enforcement units or carrying out aerial surveys.

It depends on what kinds of equipment the Y-12 is fitted with, Fu said.

Taiwan secessionists have guilty consciences so they see everything from the mainland as a threat, mainland analysts said. 

In a similar development, Taiwan media hyped on Sunday that high-altitude balloons from the mainland recently flew to the island of Taiwan. But the island's defense authority said the balloons were for the purpose of meteorological research instead of military use.