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China Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)
Y-9
A medium tactical transport derived from the earlier Y-8 (itself based on the Soviet Antonov An-12), built by Shaanxi Aircraft with modernized turboprop engines and avionics. It also serves as the airframe basis for several PLA airborne early-warning and electronic-warfare variants.
In service since 2012 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
650
km/h
5,700
km range
10,400
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 2012. Status: active · ~100 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.
- 650 km/h Stronger than 25% of transport aircraft
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 550 km/h Bottom 6% 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.
- 5,700 km Stronger than 50% of transport aircraft
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 10,400 m Stronger than 17% of transport aircraft
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 36 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 38 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 11.3 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 35,700 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 77,000 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.
- 25,000 kg Stronger than 21% of transport aircraft
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 98 Stronger than 45% of transport aircraft
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 4x WoJiang WJ-6C turboprops
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 5,100 hp
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboprop
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 100 Stronger than 68% 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-9? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 has a maximum speed of 650 km/h.
What is the range of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 has a maximum range of 5,700 km.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 weigh? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 has a combat weight of 77,000 kg.
How many crew does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 require? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 requires a crew of 3.
What engine does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 use? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 is powered by the 4x WoJiang WJ-6C turboprops.
What is the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 used for? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 is a transport & tanker typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9 cost? +
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) Y-9: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)