China increases Kazakhstan’s troop mobility with incoming delivery of new Y-8F-200WA transport aircraft
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On July 22, 2025, Jet Photos user AMM In Kumul published images confirming the incoming delivery of three Shaanxi Y-8F-200W aircraft, bearing tail numbers 04, 05, and 06, to the National Guard of Kazakhstan. The delivery raises Kazakhstan’s National Guard fleet of Y-8 aircraft to six. Two more aircraft are scheduled for future delivery. The aircraft are identified as Y-8F-200W or Y-8F-200WA, depending on the batch, and this transfer is among the first documented serial deliveries of Chinese military transport aircraft to the armed formations of a former Soviet republic. The images published on July 22 support earlier reports on deliveries taking place throughout 2025.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The first aircraft delivered under the deal was tail number 01, which arrived in September 2018. It had conducted its maiden flight in China on June 14, 2018, before departing from Yulin Airport near Chengdu, stopping for refueling in Ürümqi, and landing in Astana on September 26. (Picture source: Chinese MoD)
The delivery follows a long-term acquisition program formalized in a 2018 agreement between Kazakhstan and Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation for eight aircraft. The first unit, bearing tail number 01, was delivered in September 2018 after its first flight on June 14 of the same year. It departed Yulin Airport in Chengdu, stopped for refueling in Ürümqi, and arrived in Astana on September 26. The second aircraft, number 02, was delivered in December 2023, and the third, number 03, in April 2024. With the addition of numbers 04, 05, and 06 in 2025, the total reaches six aircraft delivered. Photos show the new aircraft in the livery of the National Guard of Kazakhstan, and local press previously noted the ceremonial nature of the deliveries, including the reception of Chinese test pilots. While both Y-8F-200W and Y-8F-200WA appear in reporting, the differentiation between the two may reflect configuration adjustments across batches.
The Y-8F-200WA, also known as Shaanxi Y-8F-200W Pegasus, is a modernized variant of the Chinese Y-8 transport aircraft, which itself is based on the Soviet Antonov An-12. The Y-8 was developed through reverse engineering after the withdrawal of Soviet assistance during the Sino-Soviet split. Initial flight of a Chinese-assembled model took place in 1974, and serial production followed in 1981 under Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The Y-8F-200WA features a stretched fuselage and is designed for export. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 61,000 kg, a cargo capacity of 23 tons, and four WJ-6 turboprop engines each generating 4,250 hp. The aircraft cruises at 550 km/h, with a range of approximately 3,440 km. The internal cargo bay is 13.5 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2.4 meters high. It can carry 96 troops, 82 paratroopers, or 60 wounded on stretchers. Early versions of the Y-8 carried tail-mounted 23 mm cannons, but these have been removed in later variants and exports.
Kazakhstan’s National Guard continues to maintain Soviet-designed aircraft such as the An-74, which remain in service alongside the new Chinese acquisitions. In October 2021, Ukraine’s State Aircraft Repair Plant No. 410 conducted repairs and returned an An-74TK-200 to the National Guard. Kazakhstan’s Air Force has also expanded its long-range transport capabilities with Western platforms. In December 2024, the first Airbus A400M was delivered to Kazakhstan. A second aircraft is expected in 2026. This European cooperation is supported by a memorandum of understanding between Kazakhstan and Airbus Defence that includes terms for joint maintenance and deep overhauls. The memorandum also outlines the creation of a local support facility for the C295 fleet, which is already in Kazakh service. This combination of platforms reflects Kazakhstan’s multi-vector approach in military aviation procurement.
The Y-8 series is one of China’s most extensively modified military aircraft platforms. It includes variants for electronic warfare, airborne command and control, maritime patrol, anti-submarine operations, and psychological operations. The Y-8F-200WA exported to Kazakhstan is a cargo transport version derived from civilian and military production lines. Other customers of the Y-8 family include Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, and Venezuela. The aircraft is in active production, with over 169 units reportedly built by 2010. Its export variants, including the Y-8F-200, Y-8F-300, and Y-8F-400, differ in systems integration, pressurization, avionics, and cargo capacity. The Y-8F-600, which was not exported to Kazakhstan, eventually served as the design basis for the more modern Y-9 platform.
The selection of the Y-8F-200WA by Kazakhstan may be influenced by economic and logistical considerations. Kazakhstan’s defense budget limits its ability to purchase higher-cost platforms such as the Lockheed Martin C-130J or Embraer KC-390. The Y-8F-200WA offers compatibility with Soviet-style infrastructure, short takeoff and landing capabilities, and a relatively high payload-to-cost ratio. According to Chinese sources and images from Kazakh media, the National Guard has employed these aircraft for internal deployments and winter flight training. The aircraft’s high-mounted wings and rugged landing gear allow it to operate from semi-prepared runways and austere airfields across Kazakhstan’s large and sparsely populated territory.
The Y-8F-200WA fleet is expected to remain in service in Kazakhstan for an extended period, serving in a variety of roles including logistics support, troop transport, and humanitarian operations. Once the final two units are delivered, the eight-aircraft fleet will represent one of the largest Chinese-built military airlift capabilities in Central Asia. The aircraft are expected to complement Kazakhstan’s strategic A400M fleet and tactical Soviet-era airlifters. The continued integration of Chinese transport aircraft may indicate a shift toward long-term industrial and technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the defense sector. With Antonov’s production capabilities affected by conflict in Ukraine, China’s role in providing medium-lift aircraft to the region is likely to increase.
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On July 22, 2025, Jet Photos user AMM In Kumul published images confirming the incoming delivery of three Shaanxi Y-8F-200W aircraft, bearing tail numbers 04, 05, and 06, to the National Guard of Kazakhstan. The delivery raises Kazakhstan’s National Guard fleet of Y-8 aircraft to six. Two more aircraft are scheduled for future delivery. The aircraft are identified as Y-8F-200W or Y-8F-200WA, depending on the batch, and this transfer is among the first documented serial deliveries of Chinese military transport aircraft to the armed formations of a former Soviet republic. The images published on July 22 support earlier reports on deliveries taking place throughout 2025.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The first aircraft delivered under the deal was tail number 01, which arrived in September 2018. It had conducted its maiden flight in China on June 14, 2018, before departing from Yulin Airport near Chengdu, stopping for refueling in Ürümqi, and landing in Astana on September 26. (Picture source: Chinese MoD)
The delivery follows a long-term acquisition program formalized in a 2018 agreement between Kazakhstan and Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation for eight aircraft. The first unit, bearing tail number 01, was delivered in September 2018 after its first flight on June 14 of the same year. It departed Yulin Airport in Chengdu, stopped for refueling in Ürümqi, and arrived in Astana on September 26. The second aircraft, number 02, was delivered in December 2023, and the third, number 03, in April 2024. With the addition of numbers 04, 05, and 06 in 2025, the total reaches six aircraft delivered. Photos show the new aircraft in the livery of the National Guard of Kazakhstan, and local press previously noted the ceremonial nature of the deliveries, including the reception of Chinese test pilots. While both Y-8F-200W and Y-8F-200WA appear in reporting, the differentiation between the two may reflect configuration adjustments across batches.
The Y-8F-200WA, also known as Shaanxi Y-8F-200W Pegasus, is a modernized variant of the Chinese Y-8 transport aircraft, which itself is based on the Soviet Antonov An-12. The Y-8 was developed through reverse engineering after the withdrawal of Soviet assistance during the Sino-Soviet split. Initial flight of a Chinese-assembled model took place in 1974, and serial production followed in 1981 under Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation. The Y-8F-200WA features a stretched fuselage and is designed for export. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 61,000 kg, a cargo capacity of 23 tons, and four WJ-6 turboprop engines each generating 4,250 hp. The aircraft cruises at 550 km/h, with a range of approximately 3,440 km. The internal cargo bay is 13.5 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2.4 meters high. It can carry 96 troops, 82 paratroopers, or 60 wounded on stretchers. Early versions of the Y-8 carried tail-mounted 23 mm cannons, but these have been removed in later variants and exports.
Kazakhstan’s National Guard continues to maintain Soviet-designed aircraft such as the An-74, which remain in service alongside the new Chinese acquisitions. In October 2021, Ukraine’s State Aircraft Repair Plant No. 410 conducted repairs and returned an An-74TK-200 to the National Guard. Kazakhstan’s Air Force has also expanded its long-range transport capabilities with Western platforms. In December 2024, the first Airbus A400M was delivered to Kazakhstan. A second aircraft is expected in 2026. This European cooperation is supported by a memorandum of understanding between Kazakhstan and Airbus Defence that includes terms for joint maintenance and deep overhauls. The memorandum also outlines the creation of a local support facility for the C295 fleet, which is already in Kazakh service. This combination of platforms reflects Kazakhstan’s multi-vector approach in military aviation procurement.
The Y-8 series is one of China’s most extensively modified military aircraft platforms. It includes variants for electronic warfare, airborne command and control, maritime patrol, anti-submarine operations, and psychological operations. The Y-8F-200WA exported to Kazakhstan is a cargo transport version derived from civilian and military production lines. Other customers of the Y-8 family include Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, and Venezuela. The aircraft is in active production, with over 169 units reportedly built by 2010. Its export variants, including the Y-8F-200, Y-8F-300, and Y-8F-400, differ in systems integration, pressurization, avionics, and cargo capacity. The Y-8F-600, which was not exported to Kazakhstan, eventually served as the design basis for the more modern Y-9 platform.
The selection of the Y-8F-200WA by Kazakhstan may be influenced by economic and logistical considerations. Kazakhstan’s defense budget limits its ability to purchase higher-cost platforms such as the Lockheed Martin C-130J or Embraer KC-390. The Y-8F-200WA offers compatibility with Soviet-style infrastructure, short takeoff and landing capabilities, and a relatively high payload-to-cost ratio. According to Chinese sources and images from Kazakh media, the National Guard has employed these aircraft for internal deployments and winter flight training. The aircraft’s high-mounted wings and rugged landing gear allow it to operate from semi-prepared runways and austere airfields across Kazakhstan’s large and sparsely populated territory.
The Y-8F-200WA fleet is expected to remain in service in Kazakhstan for an extended period, serving in a variety of roles including logistics support, troop transport, and humanitarian operations. Once the final two units are delivered, the eight-aircraft fleet will represent one of the largest Chinese-built military airlift capabilities in Central Asia. The aircraft are expected to complement Kazakhstan’s strategic A400M fleet and tactical Soviet-era airlifters. The continued integration of Chinese transport aircraft may indicate a shift toward long-term industrial and technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the defense sector. With Antonov’s production capabilities affected by conflict in Ukraine, China’s role in providing medium-lift aircraft to the region is likely to increase.
