Chinese Xi'an Y-20 Transport Aircraft

Blitzo said:
No, he's just phrasing it in a way that makes it sound like people expected Y-20Bs at that air base in January this year for some reason. There has been no such expectation.
Click to expand...

Well, yes and no ... I think anyone with an interesting in bases, units and new equipment never expected Y-20Bs at this base - aka the 13th TD, 37th AR at Kaifeng - but since the first production Y-20B allegedly flew first in November 2022 and we've seen already grey ones (maybe with serial numbers and as such no longer prototypes) in March 2023, at least I would have expected to see some at another base by late 2023 / early 2024.

So far however there is no hint, which other unit may have got them and there are not that many options.
 
Deino said:
Well, yes and no ... I think anyone with an interesting in bases, units and new equipment never expected Y-20Bs at this base - aka the 13th TD, 37th AR at Kaifeng - but since the first production Y-20B allegedly flew first in November 2022 and we've seen already grey ones (maybe with serial numbers and as such no longer prototypes) in March 2023, at least I would have expected to see some at another base by late 2023 / early 2024.

So far however there is no hint, which other unit may have got them and there are not that many options.
Click to expand...

My view is that:
1. There was no particular reason to expect Y-20Bs at this specific base, by that particular time when the satellite image was taken
2. There are probably Y-20Bs already in service but we just don't have images of it because they keep things close to their chest, and unless you have the satellite imagery resources of a great power tasked to actively finding them, you probably won't be able to luckily spot one by chance at this stage

All of which is to say there's nothing about Y-20B or WS-20s status that can be inferred from that picture.
 
Photo of Y-20BE model made in January.
Since version B is being offered for export I guess all that talk about WS-20 was simple FUD?
IMG_0900.png
 

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