A YU-20 tanker aircraft releases jamming flares in a flight performance delivered at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force open-day event held in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province from July 26 to 30, 2023. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 
China’s domestically developed large aerial tanker, the YU-20, is a versatile aircraft capable of not only in-flight refueling, but also transporting, airdropping and medical care, an Air Force pilot explained during an ongoing military open-house event.
 
The YU-20 has been a focus of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force open-day event and the Changchun Aviation Exhibition, which is being held in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province from Wednesday to Sunday.
 
In its flight performances, the aerial tanker for the first time flew together with two J-20 stealth fighter jets and two J-16 heavy fighter jets in an in-flight refueling formation in a display for the general public.
 
As a variant of the Y-20 large transport aircraft, the YU-20 aerial tanker is a versatile aircraft that is focusing on aerial refueling, but can quickly switch to transport missions, Wang Yuling, a YU-20 pilot, told the Global Times during the event in Changchun.
 
In addition, the YU-20 can also host a variety of different missions including airdrops, parachuting and medical care, Wang said.
 
The YU-20 is capable of hosting in-flight refueling for main combat warplanes of the PLA Air Force, and while combat aircraft like the J-20 look more powerful than a tanker, Wang said that the two complement each other and need each other.
 
The YU-20 provides support to combat aircraft so they are “well fed” for missions, Wang said.
 
During the event, the YU-20 also performed solo tactical moves including a short takeoff, Afghan landing maneuver and S-maneuver.
 
These are daily training moves with combat significances, including also the release of jamming flares, which was displayed to the public for the first time, Wang said.
 
“Facing battlefield environments that are becoming increasingly complex in the future, we are exploring the boundaries of our capabilities,” he said.
 
The YU-20 has been practicing together with J-20, J-16 and J-10C fighter jets in daily trainings, Wang said.
 
As China’s new-generation aerial refueling equipment, the YU-20 can effectively increase the long-range operability of China’s aviation forces, so far sea operations can become routine, Wang added.