At least 10 Y-20B transports equipped with the domestic WS‑20 high‑bypass turbofan are now assigned to the 37th Regiment, 13th Transport Aviation Division, Central Theater Command Air Force HQ, according to recent public material.
37th Regiment: at least 10 Y-20B with WS‑20
The 37th Regiment, 13th Transport Aviation Division, Central Theater Command Air Force HQ is reported to have "at least 10 Y-20B domestic WS‑20 high‑bypass turbofan" aircraft in its ranks. That specific phrasing comes from the public note accompanying the imagery and summary published on June 28, 2026. The designation Y-20B and the engine type WS‑20 are named explicitly in that source.
Unit footprint: 28 Y-20 Heavy Transport as of Oct 11th
The same unit is listed as "Home to 28 Y-20 Heavy Transport of the PLAAF as of Oct 11th." That figure — 28 Y-20 Heavy Transport assigned to the regiment — appears alongside the more recent count of Y-20B airframes with WS‑20 engines, establishing two discrete data points published in the public material: the current presence of at least ten Y-20B with WS‑20, and the earlier statement that the regiment is home to 28 Y-20 heavy transports as of Oct 11th.
Public presentation: PR photos and an "elephant walk"
The published material that reported the numbers carried the headline framing "Just PR Photos" and referenced an "elephant walk." Those terms were used directly in the public posting. The combination of a specific aircraft count, a named engine type, and a descriptive headline indicates that the information was presented as a visual and unit-focused disclosure in the public domain.
What this means for PLAAF logistics, Central Theater Command planners, and defense analysts
- PLAAF logistics and unit leadership: The published count — at least 10 Y-20B with WS‑20 at the 37th Regiment and a recorded 28 Y-20 heavy transports as of Oct 11th — is an explicit inventory snapshot that unit logisticians and maintenance planners can use for internal accounting and asset tracking.
- Central Theater Command planners: The material names the unit as part of the Central Theater Command Air Force HQ. Those planners have, in the public record cited here, an identified transport regiment with both the Y-20 heavy transport inventory and a stated subset of Y-20B airframes with WS‑20 engines.
- Defense analysts and open-source observers: The combination of a dated inventory figure (28 Y-20 as of Oct 11th) and a contemporaneous statement of at least 10 Y-20B with WS‑20 in one regiment provides two concrete datapoints for tracking unit composition over time and for correlating public imagery with unit-level claims.
Concluding observation: concentration of Y-20 assets at a single regiment
The public material documents a concentrated presence of Y-20 family transports at the 37th Regiment, providing two explicit figures: one describing the regiment as home to 28 Y-20 Heavy Transport "as of Oct 11th," and a contemporaneous statement that the regiment "now has at least 10 Y-20B domestic WS‑20 high‑bypass turbofan." Those tagged numbers and the appearance of PR photography framed as an "elephant walk" form the core of the public record cited here.
Source: https://china-defense.blogspot.com/2026/06/just-pr-photos-10xy-20b-elephant-walk.html
