China needs 'more than 1,000' Xian Y-20 transport aircraft | IHS Jane's 360

Zhu Qian's estimate that China requires more than 1,000 Y-20 transport aircraft is not corroborated by any official Chinese government reports or PLA requirements.

However, it does point to a sizable ambition within China's aviation industry to support a significant aerial power projection capability.

Such a high number of transport aircraft might be conceivable if the PLA Air Force decided to make the Y-20 its main platform for aerial refuelling.

The appearance on Chinese military webpages of the fifth prototype of the Y-20 has prompted suggestions that it could enter PLA Air Force service as early as this year.