China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft

AVIC Y-30 (artist's impression)
-----------------------------------------------



The AVIC Y-30 is a proposed medium lift transport aircraft. If developed, it would have a payload of 30 tons, in between that of the Lockheed Martin C-130J and Airbus A400M.

At the 2014 Zhuhai Air Show, Chinese officials proposed that the WJ-16, a turboprop engine currently under development, could power the Y-30. According to analysts, this engine would give the Y-30 a power-to-weight ratio higher than that of the C-130J.

If put into development soon, the Y-30 could enter production by the late 2020s

The PLAAF has been hoping to acquire a transport aircraft that could sit between the heavyweight Y-20 and the much lighter weight Y-9.

If successful, the Y-30 could also pose a significant challenge to the Embraer KC-390 and Airbus A400M on the commercial market.

Franklin said:

Does China have or is working on something like the AC-130 gunship ?

Click to expand...

There have been rumors but no evidence.

SinoSoldier said:

Is there a need for such a contraption?

China would be better off building a low-level, heavily-armed CAS aircraft like the A-10 but with the Type 1130 rotary cannon and a full complement of TY-90/HJ-10/CM-502KG.

Click to expand...

.... First. The type 1130 would be unnecessary heavy, better for the 7 barrel type 790.
Second AC130 and A10 are different missions and justifications.

AC130 is an antiinfantry weapons system. It was originally designed to protect firebases, support special operations and destroy enemy infantry formations. To do that it is armed with modified artillery and anti-aircraft guns because these are far cheaper to shoot. Can be carried in far more numbers by the transports they are built from vs Missiles and rockets. Not over time missiles and rockets have been added to AC130 but that is more to do infantry short range air defences.

A10 is a tank buster it was designed to break Armored formations and do as much damage as possible to a conventional army.
To a lesser extent it also allows scouting.

Franklin said:

Does China have or is working on something like the AC-130 gunship ?

Click to expand...

What for? China doesn't plan to invade third-world countries.

Lethe said:

What for? China doesn't plan to invade third-world countries.

Click to expand...

I think that a platform like that would be useful even in defending the country. China is very weak at CAS at the moment. China doesn't have anything like the A-10 or the SU-25. And all the Q-5's have been decommissioned last year.

Franklin said:

I think that a platform like that would be useful even in defending the country. China is very weak at CAS at the moment. China doesn't have anything like the A-10 or the SU-25. And all the Q-5's have been decommissioned last year.

Click to expand...

The A-10 and Su-25 will get slaughtered in any conflict against peers. The most effective fire-support against peer opponents is artillery and the PLA is miles ahead of the US Army in that regard.

AC-130 and the like are something against opponents of generations behind, useless against peers of the same generation regardless offensive or defensive because it will be slaughtered by fixed wing fighter aircraft.

jobjed said:

The A-10 and Su-25 will get slaughtered in any conflict against peers. The most effective fire-support against peer opponents is artillery and the PLA is miles ahead of the US Army in that regard.

Click to expand...

Miles away my be literally true bot not quite as advanced as you may think. The US has a world class MLRS system, already begun trails of a 52 caliber 155mm version of the M777 if they add an SPH in the same class the artillery advantage is gone. But if you focus only on hammers everything looks like a nail.

In a conventional war what can take the wind from a Antiarmor aircraft, is the advancement of stand off antitank weapons. Bombs and missiles that can be deployed by mainline fighters like the J10, J11 and even drones. If you also have a competent Attack Chopper formations you can take away some of the need.

Transport Gunships are more common these days primary in antiinsergency. They are not for "Invasions". They are tooled for asymmetrical warfare. In particular they offer a highly accurate platform to employ weapons in close to special operations and assets via use of airborne artillery.

Franklin said:

China is very weak at CAS at the moment. China doesn't have anything like the A-10 or the SU-25. And all the Q-5's have been decommissioned last year.

Click to expand...

The Q-5 was replaced with the JH-7. The Chinese also have attack helicopters like the Z-10 and Z-19. Also, like others said, China has better artillery than average.

As for the turboprop based medium lift aircraft it seems like a waste of resources to me since they can just use regular civilian jet engines and make something like the An-178.

空中加油操控台/Air Refueling Control Console

Hendrik_2000 said:

空中加油操控台/Air Refueling Control Console

Click to expand...

LOL, they should at least get the pasted on pictures right, the middle one shows a boom type which China does not operates, while the right hand pic shows a drogue type station.