China Orders 1,000 Heavy Transport Aircraft "Based On The Experience Of The United States And Russia"
By Tyler Durden
As tensions escalate to dangerous levels in the South China Sea and in eastern Europe, an interesting decision has been made be the Chinese government.
According to Sputnik, back in January the People's Liberation Army Air Force was preparing to develop a new fleet of stealth fighters and heavy transport aircraft. The heavy transport aircraft, the Xian Y-20 transport, was going to be built in order to give Beijing a “fast and reliable platform” to deliver arms and soldiers over long distances.
Model Y-20 Transport
During a technology exhibition in Beijing, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) elaborated on the governments plans for the Y-20. Although originally thought that Beijing would want only 400, “More than 1,000 Y-20s will be needed” said Zhu Qian, head of AVIC's large aircraft development office – the reason? “Based on the experience of the United States and Russia” Zhu says.
Now that's an interesting nugget of information. So due to the fact that the US and Russia are at odds, China needs 1,000 heavy transport aircraft – why would that be, is China planning on getting involved if ever the US and Russia got into a military dispute?
The Y-20 weighs roughly 220 tons, has four turbofan engines, and can carry up to 66 tons of cargo at a range of about 3,230 miles. This means the heavy transport aircraft can reach everywhere in Europe and Asia, the US state of Alaska, Australia, and North Africa.
So to summarize, due to what's happening between Russia and the United States, China has ordered nearly triple the amount of heavy transport aircraft it originally intended so that it could take tanks and other military equipment anywhere in Europe.
Which reminds us of what we reported earlier today. As China sailed a warship by disputed islands that are claimed to be controlled by Japan, Japanese officials also stated that a two Russian vessels were also spotted in the contested zone. Something tells us that there may be a military alliance in the works between Russia and China, and that could present significant problems for the US as it tries to bully both simultaneously.
