(Original title: We are in the battle position report | Air Force Aviation Y-20 Unit – “Great Country Kunpeng” flies thousands of miles in the sky)
The People’s Air Force stands at a new historical starting point. It is necessary to thoroughly implement the Party’s idea of strengthening the army in the new era, thoroughly implement the military strategic policy of the new era, keep in mind the original mission, carry forward the glorious tradition, be brave in innovation and transcendence, and strive to build the People’s Air Force into a world-class air force in an all-round way, and constantly create new and greater achievements!
——Xi Jinping
Air Force Air Force Yun-20 Unit——
“Kunpeng of the Great Power” flies thousands of miles into the sky
PLA Daily reporter Li Bingzheng Li Jianwen special correspondent Zhang Lei special correspondent Long Deyong
Fighter returns. (File photo) Photo by Liu Chuan
In late June, two Y-20 planes arrived at Kabul International Airport carrying the earthquake relief materials provided by the Chinese government to Afghanistan, showing China’s responsibility to the world.
With the strength of the good wind, send me to the blue sky. The Yun-20 is known as the “big country Kunpeng”. It is a new generation of military large transport aircraft independently developed by my country. It has the characteristics of long range, heavy load and fast speed. If a country is likened to a giant, air transportation and long-range delivery are the “extended arms” of this giant, and are the basic operational styles and core capabilities of the air force of a major power.
On November 8, 2019, when President Xi attended the theme event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Air Force, he emphasized that the People’s Air Force is standing at a new historical starting point. It is necessary to thoroughly implement the Party’s idea of strengthening the army in the new era, thoroughly implement the military strategic policy of the new era, keep in mind the original mission, carry forward the glorious tradition, be brave in innovation and transcendence, and strive to build the People’s Air Force into a world-class air force in an all-round way, and constantly create new and greater achievements!
The “Kunpeng” was born, marking a key step in the strategic delivery capability of the People’s Air Force. The Y-20 unit of the Air Force Aviation Corps steered the “Kunpeng” to spread its wings, flew across the north and south of the river, over the sea and the ocean, and spread the dream of a strong country and a strong army in front of the world’s eyes with new tracks of bravery and high flying.
“Kunpeng” flutters its wings – trains a pair of steel arms to guard peace.
Teng Hui, chief of staff of a division of the Air Force Aviation and the first batch of Y-20 pilots, still clearly remembers the shining moment of the first flight of the “Kunpeng”. Running on the runway, leaping lightly into the sky… Teng Hui was still excited every time he recalled this scene. He told reporters that since then, our army has the first large-scale transport aircraft with “national brand name” in the sequence of transport aircraft.
In order to allow the “Kunpeng” to fly high and long voyage as soon as possible, the Yun-20 unit insists on arming officers and soldiers with Xi Jinping’s idea of strengthening the army, focusing on missions and tasks to deepen actual combat training, and using diversified tasks to lead the construction of strategic delivery capabilities.
Battles should be fought jointly, and soldiers should be trained systematically. That year, the Y-20 carried out airborne airdrop training with the airborne troops for the first time. The crew members and the officers and soldiers of the airborne troops cooperated closely and successfully completed the task, marking the further improvement of the PLA’s strategic delivery capabilities and long-range airborne combat capabilities.
Pointing to a flight training arrangement plan, Li Yan, head of a regiment of the Y-20 unit, told reporters that in recent years, they have carried out joint training with the airborne troops on a regular basis, and constantly tempered their combat capabilities. The regiment’s large aircraft group, mainly the Y-20, carried out airdrops under the conditions of no meteorological data, no air-to-air markings, and no ground guidance, achieving new breakthroughs such as the largest aircraft group flying in the open sea and the lowest flying altitude at sea.
In 2021, a regiment of the Yun-20 unit will participate in the “Golden Dart-2021” penetration surprise test for the first time. The reference Yun-20 unit has precise operation and close coordination. With its excellent performance of punctual arrival, precise landing and precise airdrop, it stood out from dozens of reference units of various models and won the “Golden Dart” and “Winning Unit” in one fell swoop. “Two awards.
In 2021, in the “Peace Mission-2021” SCO joint anti-terrorism military exercise, the Yun-20 flew over unfamiliar airspace and arrived at the foreign training ground on time, successfully completing a cross-border long-distance delivery actual combat training.
In April of this year, several Y-20s of the Air Force took off from an airport of a regiment and traveled through many countries and regions in Eurasia to deliver supplies to Serbia. Li Yan, the head of the regiment, said that the “big country Kunpeng” flew directly to the destination in the hinterland of the Central Plains for nine days and completed transnational long-distance delivery.
When the hero returns to his hometown, the mountains and rivers are safe. On September 27, 2020, the Yun-20 was first tasked with transporting the remains of the seventh batch of Chinese People’s Volunteers in South Korea to return to China. Escorted by two fighter jets, pilot Xu Yanjun and crew members drove the Yun-20 through clouds and fog. Looking at the majestic rivers and mountains under the wing, Xu Yanjun’s heart was surging: “In those days, the martyrs swore to defend their homeland, defend the country, and bloody battlefields; now, we are driving the ‘Kunpeng’ to defend the airspace, and we must live up to our trust and guard peace!”
“Kunpeng” flutters its wings – practicing the purpose of serving the people and protecting life.
“It’s Yun-20! The People’s Liberation Army is here!” In April this year, in order to support Shanghai in its epidemic prevention and control, several “Kunpeng” aircraft of the Air Force set off on successive expeditions, and airlifted the military’s medical forces from all over the country to Shanghai.
“As an important air transport force, when the motherland and the people need it most, the Y-20 has a duty to charge ahead!” Zhang Lei, a super pilot who flew the Y-20 to Shanghai, is no stranger to such a scene-
In February 2020, Zhang Lei immediately drove the Yun-20 carrying military medical staff and relief supplies to Wuhan Tianhe Airport, boosting people’s confidence in fighting the epidemic. This is the first time that the Y-20 has participated in a non-war military operation, and it is also the first time that the People’s Air Force has deployed large and medium-sized transport aircraft in active duty in a large-scale system to perform emergency airlift missions.
During the anti-epidemic action in Wuhan, a special “Yun-20 ticket” caused heated discussions on the Internet. On the front of the ticket is the departure time and other information, and on the back is a warm reminder and a blessing “Salute to the most beautiful soldier in white”. Countless netizens have praised this “hard core ticket”. Zhang Lei sighed: “At that moment, it seemed that the people of the whole country were with us, and they were all members of the ‘Kunpeng’ team!”
In order to help Wuhan, Zhang Lei and his comrades-in-arms have been dispatched many times, flying to airports in Shenyang, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Urumqi and other places for emergency air transport, writing the mission of “Kunpeng, a great country”.
“Kunpeng” flutters its wings – conveys the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and helps each other.
In the honor room of a regiment of the Yun-20 unit, a handful of gray-black volcanic ash was placed in a conspicuous position. “This handful of volcanic ash is the testimony of our first flight of the ‘Kunpeng’ to Oceania, which demonstrates the ability and responsibility of the Chinese military in fulfilling its mission.” Zhou Han, the captain of the second flight brigade of the regiment, introduced to reporters that in January this year, Hong Kong in Tonga The sudden eruption of the submarine volcano on the Aha Apay Island caused serious disasters to the local people. Two Chinese Air Force Y-20 planes, loaded with dozens of tons of emergency and post-disaster reconstruction supplies such as drinking water and tents, travelled across the equator and international date change for the first time. The line reached the western part of the South Pacific Ocean, overcame the adverse effects of strong convective weather and volcanic ash over the Pacific Ocean, and sent the deep friendship of the Chinese people to Tonga.
“Standing at a foreign airport more than 10,000 kilometers away from the motherland, when I saw the four characters of ‘Chinese Air Force’ on the fuselage, I thought that we had completed the task entrusted by the party and the state, and a sense of honor and mission was born spontaneously.” Recalling that paragraph Experience, Zhou Han is full of pride.
Coincidentally. In the honor room of a regiment of the Y-20 unit, a track map marked with a small red flag is particularly eye-catching: Tonga, Russia, South Korea, Maldives, Laos, Solomon Islands, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka… Y-20 Air Machinery Master Kong Jianzhao proudly introduced the transnational routes to reporters, slowly showing the magnificent picture of the “big country Kunpeng” flying to the world.
The “big country Kunpeng” flew high, built an emotional bond with the people of the world, and became the strategic symbol of the People’s Air Force to fly and strengthen the army. The officers and soldiers of the Y-20 unit of the Air Force Aviation Corps have led the expeditions once more and once more, and they have lived up to their missions once more and once more.
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Mission track writing strong military responsibility
Undertook military transportation tasks, actively participated in international rescues, honorably reviewed at the military parade, and transported the remains of volunteer martyrs back to China…
Since its installation, the “Great Power Kunpeng” Yun-20 has not only been deeply integrated into the actual combat training system, but has also emerged in emergency operations such as emergency rescue, disaster relief, and humanitarian relief.
The higher and farther flight trajectory reflects the imprint of the era of building an army politically, strengthening the army through reform, strengthening the army with science and technology, strengthening the army with talents, and governing the army according to law. The Navy’s new generation of warships has been intensively listed, and the main fighters of the Air Force have entered the “20” era represented by the Y-20 and J-20 at an unprecedented speed. Multiple types of Dongfeng series missiles have been installed in the army… Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in Under the leadership of Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, the construction of the people’s army equipment system has achieved an overall leap forward, and the achievements of modernization are encouraging.
The wind is strong and the sails are far and wide, and the heroic division is striding on a new journey. Standing at a new historical starting point, the people’s army should defend the country with stronger capabilities and more reliable means, with a sense of urgency to seize the day and a sense of responsibility, not forgetting its original aspiration, keeping in mind its mission, living up to its heavy trust, and making unremitting efforts. Sovereignty, security, and development interests provide strategic support for the realization of the Chinese dream and the dream of a strong military.
This article was published in the People’s Liberation Army Daily on August 2201Version
