Product photos coming soon
Documents
China Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)
Y-20
China's first indigenous strategic airlifter, comparable in role to the Boeing C-17, built to give the PLA long-range heavy-lift capability for troops, vehicles and outsized cargo. Later production switched from Russian D-30KP-2 engines to the domestic WS-20 turbofan.
In service since 2016 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
920
km/h
7,800
km range
13,000
m ceiling
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2016. Status: active · ~90 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 920 km/h Stronger than 89% of transport aircraft
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 800 km/h Stronger than 69% of transport aircraft
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 7,800 km Stronger than 77% of transport aircraft
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 13,000 m Stronger than 83% of transport aircraft
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 47 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 45 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 15 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 100,000 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 220,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 3
- Cargo payload
Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.
- 66,000 kg Stronger than 79% of transport aircraft
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 180 Top 5% of transport aircraft
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 4x Xian WS-20 turbofans (early aircraft: Soloviev D-30KP-2)
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 138 kN
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 90 Stronger than 61% of transport aircraft
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 27% of transport aircraft
Specifications compiled from public Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 
Airbus Defence and Space C-295 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has a maximum speed of 920 km/h.
What is the range of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has a maximum range of 7,800 km.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 weigh? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 has a combat weight of 220,000 kg.
How many crew does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 require? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 requires a crew of 3.
What engine does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 use? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 is powered by the 4x Xian WS-20 turbofans (early aircraft: Soloviev D-30KP-2).
What is the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 used for? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 is a transport & tanker typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20 cost? +
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-20: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
Similar systems
Boeing
C-17 Globemaster III
Lockheed Martin
C-130J Super Hercules
Airbus Defence and Space
C-295
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)