By Li Yun, Jia Qilong and Yue Wenwan
WUHAN, Feb. 18 -- Eight transport aircraft attached to the air force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) successfully transported the fourth batch of medical staff and supplies to Hubei Province on February 17，2020.
During this emergency airlift, three types of large and medium-sized transport aircraft were mobilized, including four homemade cargo plane Y-20s, one Il-76 and three Yun-9s.These aircraft first arrived at seven airports across the country to get the medical support personnel and supplies loaded in fast speed. Then, they took off again without any delay and landed at Wuhan Tianhe
It is known that, as of press time, the air force has dispatched a total of 30 transport aircraft for four consecutive massive airlift operations since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The PLA’s airlift to Wuhan of this time shows an example of precise and efficient emergency air transport, said Military expert Du Wenlong. He also summarized three highlights of this operation:
The first is the high intensity of the assignments. This delivery mission involving eight large and medium-sized transport aircraft of three types is carried out only three days after the last mission, which involved 11 aircraft of three types. This indicates that the air force has greatly improved its readiness in various fields such as operation commanding, materials management, flight maintenance, etc.
The second is the high precision of the missions’ execution. The accurate landing of military aircraft from seven different airports within 21 minutes is the result of precise air dynamic command, efficient control, and accurate calculations. This is a clear evidence of the air force’s strong air coordination and command support capabilities.
The third is powerful ground support capability. The ground conditions of the seven airports are totally different, and it is a challenge to complete loading and military aircraft maneuver orderly and timely. However, they fulfilled the task with powerful ground support capabilities.
