Breaking news
PLA Ground Force takes delivery of its first Y-9 airlifter.
| 2016
| a | |||
|
|
|||
|
World Defense & Security News - China
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
PLA Ground Force takes delivery of its first Y-9 airlifter
|
|||
|
According to the Chinese state-owned online media army.81.cn, the People's Liberation Army Aviation received its first Y-9 medium size military transport aircraft. The aircraft was officially inducted in PLA Ground Force's inventory after it landed at an undisclosed airbase at 9:28 AM on Dec. 23, 2016.
|
|||
|
|
|||
 The first Y-9 medium range military airlifter delivered to PLA Ground Force(Credit: army.81.cn) |
|||
|
|
|||
|
The development of Y-9 began in 2001 to produce a C-130J-class transport to replace the older Y-8, itself based on the Soviet Antonov An-12 medium size transport aircraft.
In its tactical transport variant, the Y-9 has a payload of 25,000 Kg a range of 5,700 km (3,700 nm) and a ceiling of 10,400 m (34,120 ft). It is capable of carrying 98 armed soldiers or paratroopers, or 72 seriously wounded patients plus three medics. The aircraft is powered by four WJ-6C turboprops (5,100ehp each) with JL-4 6-blade propellers made of composite materials, which improve its high temperature and high altitude performance. They give it a maximum speed of 650 km/h, and a cruising altitude of 8-9,000 m. Its avionics suite includes i.a. communication system, navigation system, radar system, EFIS, integrated engine indication system, flight management system (FMS), autopilot (AP), and GPS / inertial navigation equipment. The Y-9 has now become the platform of choice for "special mission" aircraft of the PLA as five different variants have been identified in addition to the new GX-11 / Y-9G EW aircraft that was revealed in early 2015. |
|||