Chinese military reconnaissance aircraft disguised as civilian aircraft deployed to the Spratly Islands.

The presence of reconnaissance aircraft disguised as transport planes could help China accelerate its illegal militarization of the South China Sea.

A Chinese Y-8X maritime patrol aircraft. Photo: Military.china

On April 17, a Chinese Navy Y-8 transport aircraft, numbered 9271, illegally landed on the runway of an artificial island illegally constructed by China at Fiery Cross Reef in Vietnam's Spratly Islands, according to China News.

According to Chinese state media, the Y-8 aircraft that landed on Fiery Cross Reef was simply a military transport plane, intended to fly three sick workers back to Sanya City, Hainan Island, for treatment.

The Shaanxi Y-8, or Shaanxi Y-8, is a medium-range transport aircraft manufactured by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation of China. It is a licensed-production variant of the Russian An-12 military transport aircraft.

In terms of aerodynamic design, the Y-8 is a copy of the An-12 transport aircraft. The Y-8 is equipped with four turboprop engines, arranged similarly to the thrust-generating propellers on the Russian Tu-95 and An-12 aircraft.

Since its maiden flight on December 25, 1974, the Y-8 has become one of the most popular military and civilian transport aircraft in China, produced in over 30 different variants, including those for export.

However, information on the Chinese military's APL-Chine website indicates that the Y-8 with serial number 9271 is one of four Y-8X variants (9261, 9271, 9281, 9291), a type of reconnaissance, maritime patrol, and electronic warfare aircraft used by Beijing, and not a transport aircraft.

In the early 1990s, to support its plan to enhance the navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance missions, Beijing developed the Y-8G patrol aircraft variant, equipped with a more powerful radar and specialized electronics designed by both China and the West.

A large box is mounted under the nose of the Y-8X to house the antenna. Photo: APL-Chine

The Y-8X reconnaissance aircraft is an upgraded variant of the Y-8G, developed with the primary mission of reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol.

The Y-8X is 34.02 m long, has a wingspan of 38 m, is 11.16 m high, has a maximum speed of 662 km/h, can fly to an altitude of 10,400 m, and has a maximum range of 5,620 km.

The Y-8X's flight crew consists of the flight crew.5 people and2-4 military personnel are responsible for operating the reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems.

The Y-8X version, based on the Y-8 airframe, is equipped with advanced electronic warfare equipment such as the AN/APS-504, capable of detecting surface ships within a range of approximately 300 to 450 km, the Omega Navigation global positioning system, and advanced optical and infrared reconnaissance systems.

The most easily distinguishable difference between the Y-8X and the Y-8 is dA large box is mounted under the nose of the aircraft, which can house a specialized antenna. A satellite communication antenna is located in front of the vertical tail fin, allowing the aircraft to directly send information via satellite to the command center at the rear.

The Y-8 that illegally landed on Fiery Cross Reef had a large white box under its nose. Photo: Sina

In addition, the Y-8X is equipped with a sonar system for anti-submarine warfare missions.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior advisor on Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), believes that when deployed on the 3,000-meter runway on Fiery Cross Reef, the Chinese Navy's Y-8X aircraft will be capable of locating and tracking ships and aircraft operating within a radius of up to 1,600 kilometers.

Besides the operations of the Y-8X aircraft, the presence of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, particularly high-frequency radar systems on the newly constructed artificial islands illegally built in Vietnam's Spratly Islands, will help China gather intelligence and monitor other important targets to further militarize the South China Sea, Glaser emphasized.

The U.S. military also voiced its opposition yesterday to China's deployment of military aircraft to illegally constructed artificial islands in the Spratly Islands. "We are aware that a Chinese military aircraft landed on Fiery Cross Reef on Sunday, in what China describes as a humanitarian operation to evacuate three sick workers," Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told CNN yesterday. "It is unclear why the Chinese used a military aircraft rather than a civilian one."

"We urge China to reaffirm that it has no plans to deploy or rotate military aircraft at outposts in the Spratly Islands, in compliance with China's previous assurances," Davis said.

See more:By militarizing the South China Sea, China could be shooting itself in the foot.

According to VNE