The US and Chinese militaries' focus on long-range operations has been demonstrated in recent weeks by the hit of important milestones in the development of new refueling aircraft.
A Y-20 aerial-refueling plane was one of 27 Chinese military aircraft that flew into Taiwan's air-defense identification zone, a security zone that is not territorial airspace.
The Y-20 tanker, a strategic airlifter operated by China's military, was flown for the first time on November 28.
A Chinese Y-20 variant.
Taiwan Ministry of Defense.
The Y-20 tanker can refuel fighter jets, like the stealthy J-20, and larger aircraft like the H6 bomber, five of which took part in the November 28 flight.
The US Navy said that the newest refueling aircraft, the MQ-25 Stingray, had arrived aboard the George H.W. Bush for its first test period.
The Navy awarded an $800 million contract for the MQ-25 in August of last year, and it took its first flight a year later.
It was the first aircraft to conduct aerial refueling with another aircraft during a test flight in June 2021.
A test aircraft is loaded onto a ship.
The US Navy.
Jamie Cosgrove, a spokeswoman for the Navy's program executive office for drones, said that multiple days of testing aboard the carrier will provide an early evaluation of the program.
Cosgrave told Insider that the non-flight testing will involve the MQ-25 being driven around the flight deck while at sea to check its handling qualities. Taxiing into and connecting to the catapult will be one of the maneuvers.
The Navy plans to acquire 72 MQ-25s, each able to carry 15,000 pounds of fuel at a range of 500 nautical miles from a carrier, adding roughly 300 nautical miles to the Super Hornet's range.
Different aircraft with the same mission.
The Y-20 is at the Airshow China.
AP Photo/Kin Cheung
China has roughly 30 aircraft that are older Soviet-designed and have the H6 variant. According to Chinese state media, the Y-20 tanker can carry 90 tons of fuel, similar to the capacity of the Il-78 but greater than the HU6 which carries less than 30 tons of fuel.
The H6K bomber could threaten US warships even further east of Taiwan if the tanker were to be used, according to a senior international defense researcher at the RAND Corporation.
The Y-20 tanker will improve the Chinese air force's ability to operate beyond the First Island Chain from bases in mainland China, according to the US Defense Department.
Replacing Soviet-designed engines with Chinese-made ones will improve the lift and range of the Y-20 tanker.
The Y-20 tanker is a new capability for the Chinese military, but they have experience with aerial-refueling. It will take some time for the PLA to be proficient with the new platform.
The Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia is testing an RQ25 aircraft.
US Navy/MCS2 Sam.
The Navy wants to give it more missions, such as intelligence-gathering and airstrikes, while the MQ-25 is focused on refueling.
The Navy intends to have the MQ-25 operational around the year 2025, and the aircraft will go through additional testing on land and on carriers, including with carrier launch and arresting systems.
If carriers have to operate farther from targets because of the threat posed by China's anti-ship missiles, the opportunities it provides to the air wing may be limited.
The Navy may not be able to accompany other aircraft on missions far from the carrier if they only acquire 72 MQ-25s.
Kevin Chlan, a Super Hornet pilot, said in a December interview that a dedicated refueling asset would still be a relief for F/A-18s that have had to double as tankers.
The F/A-18 isn't suited for tanker duties because they burden pilots and aircraft, according to a fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
"I think it's a great implementation to make it easier to put outlying platforms onto the flight deck in a mission set that otherwise takes up a ton of overhead from your fighters," he said.
