China and Russia signed a contract to purchase 224 D-30KP2 engines, which may be used for Yun -20 production.

[Text/Observer NetworkBlocking open source】 According to the bidding contract signed by the Russian Saturn engine company this year published by the Russian government affairs open website, the company signed two contracts with the Equipment Department of People’s Republic of China (PRC) Military Commission, including a total of 224 D-30KP2 engines, which are scheduled to be delivered before 2020. The contract indicates that the total price of these two contracts is about 657 million US dollars according to the 2010 US dollar exchange rate, with an average price of 3 million US dollars per engine.

Signing a contract with Russia indicates that Yun -20 will enter the stage of mass production.

Screenshots of two contracts posted on the Russian government affairs website.

According to this, it is speculated that most of these engines will be used for the production of Yun -20 strategic transport aircraft and H -6K strategic bomber, in addition to supporting the maintenance of the previously purchased Il -7678 series fleet. According to the Russian network transmission, if the 170 engines in the contract are used for new aircraft, it can at least meet the requirements of manufacturing 40 Yun-20s.

According to the contents of the contract, the Sino-Russian D-30KP2 engine contract was signed in two parts, one of which was 54 engines with a price of 158 million US dollars. According to regulations, 10 units will be delivered in 2017; 12 units delivered in 2018; 12 sets in 2019; 20 in 2020.

The other part is 170 engines at a price of 499 million US dollars. According to regulations, 44 units will be delivered in 2017; 40 sets in 2018; 48 units in 2019; 38 in 2020.

It is reported that China and Russia signed two contracts to purchase D-30KP2 engines in 2009 and 2011, including 55 in 2009 and 184 in 2011. The engines stipulated in the above two contracts shall be delivered before the end of 2015.

At present, China Air Force uses D-30KP2 engines, including Il -76 transport aircraft, Il -78 tanker, H -6K strategic bomber and Yun -20 large transport aircraft newly delivered to the Air Force.

China Air Force acquired more than ten Il-76s from Russia in 1990s. After entering the 21st century, it was once planned to purchase 38 additional Il -76 and Il -78 aircraft from Russia, but because the Russian side could not deliver them, it was finally compensated by D-30KP2 engines. After 2010, China successively obtained about 10 second-hand Il-76s from Russian, Ukrainian and other countries, and continued to serve after renovation and modification.

Using these D-30KP2 engines, China has produced nearly 60 H -6K strategic bombers and equipped its troops, which also met the requirements of the test flight and initial production of Yun -20.

Zhuhai Air Show will show an improved model of Yun -20F-100 transport aircraft with domestic turbofan engine. The fuselage of the aircraft is lengthened and the engine is replaced with domestic turbofan engine.

It is normal for the special aircraft of large transport aircraft to change the engine many times in its life. The picture shows the KC-135E tanker of the US Air Force, which changed the engine model for the first time in the 1980s, from the earliest J57 turbojet engine to TF33 turbofan engine.

In the 21st century, about 136 KC-135 tankers have been replaced by CFM-56 engines, which have doubled the thrust and increased the range by 60% compared with the original J57 engine. Before the new generation KC-46 tankers came into service, they became the best performance tankers of the US Air Force.

At present, in addition to changing the models of engine test platform, aerial tanker and early warning aircraft, the number of Il -76 aircraft undertaking air transport tasks is about 24, which is equivalent to a transport aviation regiment (not fully staffed), and it is far from meeting the demand of China Air Force for strategic delivery capability.

According to the agreement signed with Russia this time, the purchased engines will obviously be used for mass production of new transport aircraft in addition to replacing the engines that have been purchased on the aircraft and need to be replaced. If, as the Russian media said, the first contract of 54 units is mainly used to meet the maintenance of the previously purchased Il -76 and Il -78 fleets, then the remaining 170 engines can meet the requirements of producing 42 Yun -20 aircraft.

Russian D-30KP2 engine

If this goal is achieved, China Air Force’s strategic transport fleet will be completely updated to Yun -20, while the current Il -76 can be changed to Il -78 aerial tanker, making up for the major shortcomings of China Air Force’s lack of tankers at present.

At the same time, a number of Yun -20 aircraft can be changed into airborne early warning aircraft platforms to enhance the strength of China’s early warning aircraft fleet.

This article is an exclusive manuscript of Observer. The content of the article is purely the author’s personal opinion, and does not represent the platform’s view. It shall not be reproduced without authorization, otherwise legal responsibility will be investigated. Pay attention to the observer network WeChat guanchacn and read interesting articles every day.