Y-20 carries pride of nation

Taking the lead

The regiment operates all three variants of the Y-20 — the original Y-20A, the Y-20B with domestically developed WS-20 engines, and the YY-20A aerial tanker. The Y-20B, which entered service in 2024, represents a milestone as every electronic component, every line of software code, and every engine is made in China.

"The Y-20B has achieved full domestic production," said Yang Shushuai, an airborne mechanic whose unit was the first to receive the new variant. "The WS-20 engine is fully independently designed and manufactured. The electronic components are all domestically produced."

For the ground crew, the shift has been demanding. Zhang, who maintains the Y-20B's communication and navigation systems, started his career on the Y-8, where systems were relatively independent. "The Y-20's systems are intertwined. One system can affect many others. The requirements are much higher."

Hao Yingjie, a special equipment technician who also cut his teeth on the Y-8, echoed the sentiment. "The Y-20 is too advanced," he said. Its integrated, computer-driven architecture, he added, demands constant study. "We have to read manuals, learn from designers, learn from manufacturers — through every channel possible."