The Y-20 and its variants provide a serious demonstration of just how advanced China’s defense industrial base is—and how quickly it operates.
The Chinese call it the “Chubby Girl” because of its wide fuselage. Western observers deride it as a knockoff of a far more famous American aircraft. One way or the other, it’s officially known as the Xi’an Y-20—or the “Kunpeng,” a mythological Chinese beast.
Developed by the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the Y-20 heavy military transport aircraft first took to the skies in 2013 and entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2016. As China’s first indigenously designed and produced strategic airlifter, the enormous cargo plane addresses a critical gap in the PLA’s logistics and power projection arsenal, traditionally reliant on imported Russian Il-76 transport aircraft.
Y-20’s development underscores Beijing’s bigger aim of both modernizing its existing forces as well as creating self-reliant defense technology. This enables the PLA to enhance its global reach, implement rapid deployment, and enjoy operational flexibility in a wide array of domains and mission sets.
The Xi’an Y-20’s Specifications
- Number Built: Unknown (likely at least 80 as of 2025)
- Length: 47 m (154 ft)
- Height: 15 m (49 ft)
- Wingspan: 50 m (164 ft)
- Weight: 100,000 kg (220,462 lb) empty; 220,000 kg (485,017 lb) maximum takeoff weight
- Engines: 4 Shenyang WS-20 turbofan engines, approx. 30,000 lbf thrust each
- Top Speed: Mach 0.75 (556 mph)
- Range: 7,800 km (4,800 mi)
- Service ceiling: 13,000 m (43,000 ft)
- Aircrew: 3
Why China Built the Y-20
Going back to the early 2000s, China recognized the limitations of its aging transport fleet and decided to address these limitations by designing and developing its own heavy-lift platform to support its expanding military ambitions. Formal development began in July 2007 as part of Project 072, with the goal of creating an aircraft comparable to the American C-17 Globemaster III or Russia’s Il-76.
China, a high-tech power and global manufacturing dynamo, leveraged its access to advanced technologies—as well as its somewhat more illicit access to the designs of both the C-17 and Il-76—and rapidly produced the aircraft. Analysts believe that Beijing’s engineers employed 3D printing for certain components and model-based definition (MBD) design techniques, which reduced development time of this plane by as much as 40 percent. These new development techniques then cut down on manufacturing cycles by as much as 30 percent—allowing for structural testing to last 194 days instead of the more traditional 300 days. From there, associative design technology (ADT) and relational database management systems were employed, marking a significant embrace of digital engineering in domestic Chinese aviation.
By 2012, the Y-20’s first prototype was unveiled, with its maiden flight occurring a year later. Initial prototypes used imported Russian Soloviev D-30KP-2 engines. By 2020, as part of China’s ongoing indigenization approach to their military development, the Y-20 began using the domestically made WS-20 high-bypass turbofans. These systems entered service by 2023.
Why Do the Chinese Need Heavy-Lift Aircraft?
Since 2023, production of these heavy-lift birds has drastically increased—with some estimates suggesting over 100 units delivered by 2024, including variants like the Y-20U aerial refueling tanker and an entirely airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) variant last year.
The Y-20 and its variants provide a serious demonstration of just how advanced China’s defense industrial base is—and how quickly it operates, especially when compared to those of its Western rivals.
A four-engine, high-wing aircraft designed for heavy-lift operations under diverse conditions, Y-20’s maximum takeoff weight is around 220 tons. Its gargantuan cargo hold can carry up to 66 tons of equipment, including one Type 99A main battle tank (MBT), two Type 15 light tanks, or large numbers of troops and other equipment.
This bird has an impressive range of 4,847 miles at maximum payload and a cruising speed of around 498 miles per hour. The Y-20 can go nearly 5,000 miles without needing to refuel. And China’s main strategic focus is on the democratic government of neighboring Taiwan, a meager 110 miles across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. With that mission set in mind, the bird is more than enough to get Chinese forces onto the island.
Composite materials reduce the Kunpeng’s weight and improve its durability, while advanced avionics support operations in complex weather and contested environments. The tanker variant mentioned above, the Y-20U, features three refueling points and can extend the operational radius of PLAAF fighters and bombers, addressing a major weakness of China’s military in aerial refueling.
China’s Y-20 revolutionizes the PLA’s strategic airlift for troops, heavy equipment, and supplies—all of which will help to ensure that Beijing becomes the dominant player in places like Taiwan, the South China Sea, and possibly even beyond.
The Y-20 Is a Tool of Soft—and Hard—Power
The Y-20 has been used in more than just military ways. For instance, in 2008, this plane was used in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and, later in 2020, to assist in the delivery of medical supplies to Wuhan and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, China sent the Y-20 on missions to Tonga to supply the island nation with aid after a volcanic eruption. It conducted missile deliveries to Serbia using this bird, too.
By 2030, expanded Y-20 production could transform China’s expeditionary logistics, allowing force projection in Africa and the Middle East—as evidenced by its debut at the Egypt International Airshow in 2024. That growth aligns with the PLA’s broader reforms under Xi Jinping, emphasizing joint operations, high-tech integration, and “strategic air force” status. The Y-20 complements advanced platforms like the J-20 stealth fighter, enhancing overall deterrence and operational readiness.
China is on a quest to become the dominant world power by 2049, the hundredth-year anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Y-20 will be an integral component of that push.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / EarnestTse.
