China is developing new equipment for nuclear warfare.
China's aviation industry once exposed a new model of the Y-20, this new aircraft based on the Y-20 can clearly see several bulges above the fuselage and belly, most likely a command antenna.
If these two packages are command antennas, then this "new Y-20" is likely to be an air command aircraft, which can play an important role as a "strategic air fortress" in wartime.
Suspected Chinese air command aircraft
Air command aircraft
The air command aircraft is a type of aircraft that began to appear and develop during the Cold War.
It is positioned as a model that takes off in the sky to command the remaining military forces of the country in the event of a nuclear war and the possibility of a nuclear attack on all parts of the country's territory.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were both preparing for a nuclear war, and they were both preparing to continue the war with each other when their homeland could be attacked by a nuclear attack at any time.
So the air command aircraft was born, the United States developed the E-4 air command aircraft in the 70s of the last century, and the Soviet Union developed the Il-80 air command aircraft in the 80s of the last century.
The platform for the E-4 air command aircraft is a Boeing 747-200B airliner.
E-4 air command aircraft
Beginning in 1973, the United States began production of the E-4A air command aircraft, producing 3 units.
By 1980, the United States began production of the E-4B air command aircraft, producing 1 aircraft. By 1985, the United States began to upgrade the previous three E-4A air command aircraft, all of which were upgraded to E-4B air command aircraft.
The E-4 air command aircraft is divided into 3 levels and can accommodate up to 94 crew members. Inside the airframe are various office areas, command rooms, and communications centers, which are responsible for directing military forces on the ground in special situations, including nuclear warfare.
In addition, the tail fairing of the command aircraft contains a very low frequency (VLF) communication towed antenna, which can be placed up to a maximum length of 8 kilometers, and can emit electromagnetic wave signals, so that the nuclear submarine can passively receive relevant information and be used to command the nuclear submarine under the sea surface.
Structure diagram of the E-4 air command aircraft
In order to improve the survivability of the command aircraft, the entire fuselage of the entire fuselage is reinforced, which can resist the shock wave generated by the nuclear explosion to a certain extent.
In order to ensure that the communication equipment will not be completely paralyzed in the complex electromagnetic environment under the nuclear explosion, the E-4 air command aircraft has a total of 13 sets of communication equipment and 46 sets of antennas, which have a considerable degree of redundancy.
On the Soviet side, after the Il-86 civil airliner was put into service in 1980, it began to develop an air command aircraft based on the Il-86, which the Soviet Union called the "Il-86VKP project", which was later the Il-80 air command aircraft.
Compared with the United States E-4 air command aircraft, the Soviet Il-80 command aircraft is similar in overall design ideas.
Il-80 air command aircraft
All of them are reinforced to ensure that it can withstand the impact of nuclear explosions, as well as a number of sets of communication equipment and communication towed antennas that can contact underwater nuclear submarines.
And whether it is the United States E-4 air command aircraft or the Soviet Il-80 air command aircraft, there is a refueling equipment that can be refueled in the air.
The two air command aircraft can continue to cruise in the air for about 12 hours without in-flight refueling.
If refueling is carried out in the air, then these two air command aircraft can continue to cruise in the sky for more than 72 hours, which can basically cover the duration of a major battle.
Il-80 air command aircraft and its escort group
China's air command aircraft
With the experience of the United States and the Soviet Union, China's air command aircraft can naturally use the mature experience of the Soviet Union and the United States.
For example, to resist nuclear shocks, multiple communication systems, and towed antennas for several kilometers, the Chinese "Y-20 command plane" that the US and Soviet air command planes have will also have.
One of the most notable is the towed antenna. This thing is a device that connects nuclear submarines, which is very important in a nuclear war.
Contact nuclear submarines using towed antennas
In the event of a nuclear war, it is necessary to carefully discuss which cities to carry out nuclear strikes on the enemy and how many nuclear missiles to use in each city, and it is necessary for the command headquarters to issue relevant orders.
If there is no command system, then the ICBMs will naturally be fired indiscriminately. But with an air command aircraft, there are conditions for issuing relevant orders for nuclear submarines.
After the command issued a more detailed order, it was natural to get a better effect of a nuclear strike.
As a nuclear facility hidden underwater, nuclear submarines are difficult to be destroyed by the enemy's first round of nuclear strikes, so they often become the last nuclear force of a country. In this way, it seems that towing the antenna is necessary.
Conceptual diagram of a submarine-launched missile for a nuclear submarine
Why is China only developing an air command aircraft now?
As for why China is only now starting to develop an air command aircraft, the main thing is that there is no suitable platform.
An air command aircraft requires a lot of equipment, and it also needs to provide sufficient power for these equipment, which will have a very large weight.
Like the E-4 air command aircraft in United States, in order to power all the equipment, eight 150 kVA generator sets are installed on it.
The weight of 1 set of 150 kVA generator set is usually between 1.5 tons and 2 tons, and we calculate it as 1.5 tons, and these 8 sets are 12 tons.
Generator sets
Together with various other equipment, the minimum weight is 50 tons. This weight can only be carried by large transport planes or passenger planes with a take-off weight of 200 tons, like the mainland's Y-8, with a maximum take-off weight of about 60 tons, which cannot be carried at all.
Before the Y-20 entered service, China had only a few second-hand Il-76s bought from former Soviet countries. These Il-76 transport planes are not enough for transportation alone, and there is no basis for building air command planes at all.
As for building passenger planes, first, China does not have 200-ton large passenger planes, and second, because of the purchase agreements and other reasons that China buys passenger planes, it is difficult for you to build air command aircraft.
After all, there is an arms embargo on United States, and if you use passenger planes to build air command planes today, United States tomorrow you will have a reason to announce that you will no longer sell civilian airliners.
Chinese Boeing airliner
The most important thing is that the modification of air command aircraft with passenger aircraft also requires a lot of technology.
In the last century, China did not have the level of aviation industry at all, so naturally it was unable to build an air command aircraft.
When China builds the Y-20, it means that China's technology has reached that level, and only then will there be a technical basis for building an air command aircraft.
And as the Y-20 is a 200-ton transport aircraft designed and produced by China itself, China knows all kinds of technical details on it.
Using the Y-20 as a platform to build an air command aircraft, the mainland can completely carry out "customized design".
Y-20 transport aircraft
If you use another country's transport aircraft to transform it into an air command aircraft, if you don't fully understand this one, there may be some minor problems on it.
Resources:
[1] The Paper · "Nuclear Watch|Russia Develops New "Doomsday Aircraft" to Promote the Modernization of Nuclear Command System
[2] Zhengguan News · "Doomsday Plane" will be unveiled! What are the highlights of this year's military parade on Red Square in Russia? 》