World’s largest transport aircraft by China

 China develops a 120-Tonne transport warplane which can fly the world, Nonstop 

A new Chinese strategic transport aircraft is currently being conceptualised for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, and has the potential to revolutionise the service’s logistical capabilities and provide a truly global operational reach. If developed to specification, the airlifter would offer Beijing direct, independent access to global theatre's, eliminating the need for overseas base infrastructure and signalling a new era in Chinese expeditionary logistics. China is advancing plans for a heavy-lift aircraft which could eclipse the world’s most capable strategic airlifters, marking a bold shift in Beijing’s global military posture. Early concept details disclosed through military-linked research reveal an aircraft with intercontinental reach, massive lift capacity, and a design which departs radically from Cold War-era Western airframes like the US Air Force’s C-5M Super Galaxy.

Details available says that a design with a blended-wing-body configuration is being considered, which merges the fuselage and wing into a single lifting surface. This marks a radical departure from the country’s current heaviest transport the medium range Y-20, and from designs fielded abroad. The details further elaborates on the program’s design goals, including achieving a significantly longer range and cargo carrying capacity, and an improved ability to operate from austere runways. The platform, still in conceptual development, features a blended wing body (BWB) configuration, an advanced aerodynamic structure which integrates wings and fuselage into a single lifting surface. This concept, evaluated by NASA in a technical study, has been considered by Western aerospace firms for years, but China may become the first to field it at full military scale.

The new aircraft is envisioned to have a range of approximately 6,500 kilometres when carrying a full payload, allowing for intercontinental range operations without refuelling. Engineered to carry 120 metric tons of cargo over 6,500 km's, the proposed aircraft would significantly exceed the range of the C-5M, which maxes out at approximately 4,150 km.s. Its maximum take-off weight, projected at 470 tons, places it among the heaviest airlifters ever designed, on par with Ukraine’s An-124 Ruslan, but optimized for 21st-century global operations. The Y-20 has a range of 4,500 km's, which is already among the longest in the world. The new aircraft is expected to have a carrying capacity of 120 tons of cargo, and a maximum take-off weight approaching 470 tons, compared to a 66 ton capacity for the Y-20 which can take off at a weight of around 250 tons. The new aircraft will thus combine a massive carrying capacity comparable to that of the American C-5, with a much longer range over 50 % greater. 

What sets this project apart is its departure from legacy airframe design. The BWB architecture, detailed in NASA’s long-term aerodynamic research, provides improved lift-to-drag ratios, superior internal volume, and greater structural efficiency. While these features have been explored theoretically in the West, China’s military engineering institutions now appear positioned to take them from concept to reality. In its 2025 coverage, Military Watch Magazine outlined critical elements: V-tail stabilizers, wingtip extensions, and top-mounted engines, all optimized to reduce wake turbulence and enhance aerodynamic performance. These enhancements contribute to what Chinese engineers describe as a “Pareto-optimized configuration”, balancing competing systems to maximize versatility.

Key to achieving the ambitious performance requirements of the new aircraft is the use of a blended-wing-body configuration, which increases internal volume for cargo while improving aerodynamic efficiency. The integration of new engines significantly more sophisticated than those powering existing transport aircraft is also expected. Much like the Y-20 has been developed into a refuelling aircraft, the YY-20, and into an airborne warning and control system, the KJ-3000, so too is it highly possible that the new transport may also see specialist variants developed for alternative roles. The C-5M, while capable of transporting 127 tons, has a significantly shorter unrefuelled range. The new design nearly doubles the Y-20’s payload and delivers a 40% greater reach, effectively redefining the operational scope of strategic air mobility. Its capacity to launch from semi-prepared 2,600-meter runways adds another layer of tactical flexibility, supporting austere basing scenarios in contested or remote environments.

The development of a sixth generation fighter with an unprecedentedly long range for the Air Force, and of the country’s first intercontinental range strategic bomber the H-20, both raise the possibility that there could be demand for a higher endurance tanker to provide refuelling support beyond the Second Island Chain. The emergence of this platform comes amid China’s drive to extend influence beyond Asia. The aircraft’s projected reach would allow Beijing to transport armoured vehicles, command systems, or humanitarian cargo to places like East Africa, Central Asia or island chains across the Pacific, without relying on foreign airstrips. The transport design aligns with China’s broader geopolitical strategy, as emphasized in RBC Ukraine’s reporting. Officials in Ukraine highlighted how such an aircraft could support China’s Djibouti base, reinforce Pacific holdings or assist Belt and Road partners during crises.

No prototype of the BWB transport has been shown publicly. Still, detailed modelling and systems research suggest that development is active within China’s advanced aerospace ecosystem. Organizations like AVIC and the Aerodynamics Research Institute are assumed to be leading the effort, though official confirmation remains sparse. The development of the new transport aircraft occurs at a time when the US and Russia are both working on their own new programs to succeed the C-5 and the An-124 respectively, and as China’s own ability to deploy its forces across continents have improved considerably. While China used the Y-20 to deliver humanitarian aid to Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the new model, with double the capacity and intercontinental range, could transform how Beijing projects both hard and soft power. Experts suggest future variants could serve as aerial tankers, AWACS platforms, or mobile command centres, extending utility well beyond traditional cargo roles. As noted, such modular flexibility mirrors the Y-20’s evolution into tanker (YY-20) and airborne early warning (KJ-3000) variants. These would support other strategic systems under development, including the H-20 stealth bomber and proposed sixth-generation fighters.

A significant limitation to China’s global mobility remains its lack of overseas bases, compared to the US network of forward-deployed logistics nodes. That infrastructure gap may limit deployment scale in the near term. Nonetheless, some analysts view the possibility of a dual-use civilian variant, akin to the An-124, as a way to scale production and cost efficiency. Such a model could even open the door to export opportunities, including to Russia, should its domestic programs remain delayed. The C-5 saw production ended in 1989, while the Soviet An-124 ceased production in 2004, allowing the Chinese Y-20 to currently hold the title of the world’s largest transport. A significant possibility remains that like the Soviet An-124, the new Chinese aircraft may also be intended for civilian use as a secondary function, which would allow for a larger production run. The possibility of exports, including to Russia should its own program face delays, also remains significant.