CHINA'S SPECIAL MISSIONS

摘要

A licensed development of the Antonov An-12 'Cub', the Yun-8 - abbreviated as Y-8 - has matured from an improved copy of the original transport to become a true 'Chinese Hercules', having been developed into a series of specialised versions. THE Y-8 HAS become a; versatile multi-mission platform, much the same as the Hercules. The first of the specialised versions is the Y-8X (from 'Xun' - surveillance), which dates back to 1983, when the Shaanxi Aircraft Company (now Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation) was requested by the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) to develop a version capable of performing long-range maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and search and rescue missions. This type is commonly known as the Y-8MPA - and is often mistaken for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) type, even if it is strictly unarmed.