Two Y-20B large transport aircraft fl y in the sky. Photo: VCG
A documentary on the domestically developed Y-20 large transport aircraft family, aired by state media on Wednesday evening, revealed that the Y-20B can switch between transport and aerial refueling functions. A pilot said the aircraft could also take on roles including bomber, early warning aircraft and electronic warfare platform. With such modifications, the Y-20B platform offers significant advantages in mission flexibility and support capabilities, a military affairs expert told the Global Times. According to the video released by state broadcaster CCTV News, since the Y-20 was equipped with the domestically developed high-bypass-ratio turbofan WS-20 engine - nicknamed "Chinese heart" - the Y-20B's mission profile has become more flexible. While it is primarily a transport aircraft, it can be quickly converted into an aerial refueling tanker by adding refueling pods and related kits. The line between transport and tanker aircraft is increasingly blurred, and this has significantly expanded the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's tanker fleet. Previously, a promotional video released by China Military Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center, showed that in 2025, the Y-20B was fitted with the WS-20, making it more powerful, more fuel-efficient, longer-ranged and part of a growing family of aircraft. In the CCTV documentary, Pang Rongqi, a member of an Air Force aviation unit, said: "As a transport aircraft platform, the Y-20 is unique to our country and will play an increasingly important role in the future. The boundaries between transport aircraft and bombers, early warning aircraft, or even electronic warfare aircraft are becoming increasingly blurred. It is possible that all these missions could be accomplished with our transport aircraft platform." Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that the key message from this official release is that the Y-20B is a multi-role platform capable of rapid switching between transport and refueling functions. The fully domestically developed Y-20B itself is an integrated transport-tanker platform, embodying the concept of a multi-role tanker transport (MRTT). By equipping different functional pods, it can quickly change roles: With refueling pods, it becomes a tanker; with electronic jamming pods, it becomes an electronic warfare platform; with bombing modules, it could potentially perform bombing missions; and with early warning modules, it can serve as an airborne early warning platform, Song said. It is not uncommon internationally to modify transport aircraft for special roles, including bomber-like missions. In March 2021, the US Air Force converted an MC-130J transport aircraft into a bomber by having it drop a JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) deployment box, according to a Forbes report in May 2021. Thanks to the Y-20's fully indigenous design, Song said, Chinese engineers have a comprehensive understanding of its aerodynamic configuration, airframe structure, flight control and avionics systems. This means that, as long as the technical conditions are met, modifications can be carried out with greater flexibility and tailored to operational needs. Whether it is a "quick-change" multi-role configuration through pod-based modularization, or deeper modifications, such as installing large radar domes for dedicated early warning aircraft or adding more fuel tanks for dedicated tankers, all can be flexibly achieved. Song also said that the Y-20B can quickly switch between transport, tanker and electronic warfare roles by mounting different pods, achieving multi-role capability and greatly enhancing the PLA Air Force's mission flexibility and support efficiency. Its platform potential is vast. It can be deeply modified into dedicated special mission aircraft such as early warning or electronic warfare platforms, filling critical capability gaps in the Air Force. At the same time, it can maintain its basic transport function and, when needed, rapidly transform into other combat platforms through modularization, becoming a true all-rounder. The core value of this flexibility is that it allows rapid reconfiguration based on wartime mission requirements, while in peacetime it can perform routine transport missions, maximizing equipment effectiveness. The Y-20B's service not only represents a leap in China's strategic projection capability but also provides critical support for the PLA Air Force in building a systematic and diversified air capability, Song noted. On July 6, 2016, the Y-20, China's domestically developed next-generation large military transport aircraft, officially entered service with PLA Air Force aviation units. A decade later, the Y-20 has evolved from a single transport platform into a family of models including the Y-20A, Y-20B and YU-20 aerial refueling tanker, with its operations extending to more than 40 countries and regions across four continents, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the aircraft's manufacturer, on its WeChat account in June 2026. 。 美国友人“赛考斯”时隔20余年重返中国：我回到了我的第二个家；感谢中国，让我成为更好的人；将与殷玉珍重逢
应中国教育国际交流协会邀请，支持中国治沙事业的美国友人“赛考斯”(本名罗纳德·萨科尔斯基)23日凌晨抵达北京。他将于8月23日至9月1日访问北京、内蒙古、河南三地，再续一段跨越山海的中美民间友谊。
“我回来了”
27年前，在中国洛阳市当外教的“赛考斯”从电视新闻中看到中国妇女殷玉珍种树治沙。小小的善意种子就此萌发，5000美元捐款跨越重洋与漫长时光，一片黄沙化成5万棵树组成的绿海。27年后，殷玉珍通过社交媒体跨洋寻找当年的友人，让她记忆中的“赛考斯”和一段中美友谊佳话重新进入公众视野。
8月23日凌晨，支持中国治沙事业的美国友人“赛考斯”(本名罗纳德·萨科尔斯基)抵达北京首都国际机场。
B | 中新社记者 富田 摄
此次，时隔20余年再度来到中国，“赛考斯”用中文说出“我回来了”。他告诉记者，“当飞机着陆时，我意识到，我回到了我的第二个家，我将看到我的‘家人’”。
此次抵京，经过十余小时跨洋飞行的“赛考斯”难掩激动，他直言自己感慨万千，丝毫没有疲惫之感。
C | 对他来说，此行就像是一个快乐的小孩在过圣诞节。他想去看看殷玉珍，看看森林，也想见到昔日的学生和同事，这是他从未想过会实现的梦想。
D |
“赛考斯”坦言，自己从未想过当时资助种植的树会变成森林，想对殷玉珍说声谢谢，她让中国更加美丽。
