IL-76 and Y-20: the aircraft detected in Malaysian airspace
FMT takes a look at the functions, capabilities and build of the two aircraft intercepted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force on Monday.
PETALING JAYA: Sixteen People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) planes were detected in Malaysian airspace on Monday, comprising the Ilyushin IL-76 and Xian Y-20 aircraft flying in “tactical formation”.
While the aircraft eventually turned around after being intercepted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), it is understood to be the first time where a significant number of aircraft have flown into the country’s airspace.
Here is a brief look at the functions, capabilities and build of the two aircraft involved:
Ilyushin IL-76
The IL-76 was first developed in the late 1960s by former Soviet manufacturer Ilyushin Aviation Complex Joint Stock Company in Moscow. It was made to meet the Russian air force’s demands for a medium-range and multipurpose, military transport aircraft.
Powered by four D-30KP turbofan engines, this aircraft stands at 14.42m tall and 46.6m long, with a 50.5m wingspan. It is capable of handling a payload of more than 40,000kg over a range of 3,000km to 6,100km, cruising up to 850km per hour with six to seven crew members at a time.
The aircraft was made to transport large amounts of cargo, operate from unpaved runways and cope in harsh weather conditions such as those in Siberia. Its features make it useful to access undeveloped areas, and it has also been utilised as emergency response transport for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Since its service entry in 1974, over 500 IL-76 aircraft have been produced.
Xian Y-20
Built by the Xi’an Aircraft Industry for the PLAAF, the Y-20 is China’s first and largest indigenously-developed heavy military transport aircraft.
While it only accommodates three crew members, this aircraft has a load capacity of some 60,000kg and measures at 44m to 47m in length with a 50m wingspan. With a range of 7,800km, it is said to be able to travel up to 800km per hour. As of the end of 2020, the Y-20 operates on WS-20 engines – the most powerful engine developed by China.
It serves to deliver heavy equipment, but was most recently used for humanitarian purposes when it transported medical personnel and supplies to the city of Wuhan last year, the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Foreign intrusions into Malaysian territory in recent months
Last year, the national audit department revealed that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels had intruded into Malaysian waters in the South China Sea 89 times between 2016 and 2019.
In November 2020, the CCG was also involved in a standoff with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) over hydrocarbon exploration, 44 nautical miles off the coast of Sarawak.
During the same month, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) ordered five merchant ships, from Dominica, Indonesia, Palau, Panama and Liberia which had anchored without permission in local waters near Kota Tinggi, Johor, to leave the country.
In April 2020, the Chinese survey ship Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 was detected close to an exploration vessel contracted by oil firm Petronas, within 200 nautical miles of Sarawak.
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Another two CCG ships were identified to be sailing alongside the vessel several days later, with China saying the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 was only carrying out “normal activities”.