China Leading Strategic Airlift Fleet Expansion | 中国领跑全球战略运输机机队扩张

当前的全球战略运输机机队的规模形于冷战时代，美国和俄罗斯的战略运输机机队占全球机队的70％，而且全球范围内有93％的战略运输机都是这两个国家制造。

The current global fleet of strategic airlift aircraft has its roots firmly placed in the Cold War era, with the U.S. and Russia accounting for 70% of the global fleet and have produced 93% of the strategic airlifters in service around the world today. 

但是在过去的20年中，全球投送能力的需求已逐渐扩展到这两个冷战大国以外。例如在中国，对重型装备空运的需求激增。

But over the last 20 years, requirements for global projection capabilities have gradually expanded beyond the two Cold War super powers. In China, the demand for heavy airlift has exploded. 

在1990年代，中国只有规模相对较小的伊尔-76运输机机队，随后多次尝试将机队扩大，直到2000年代初。同时，中国还着手研发本国的战略运输机。如今，运20已成功为中国人民解放军进行服务，这使中国拥有了世界上增长最快的战略运输机机队。

Having operated a relatively small fleet of Il-76s in the 1990s, Beijing made repeated attempts to expand the fleet through the early 2000s—with mixed success—while the development of an indigenous strategic airlifter was pursued. Now, with the results of that developmental effort in service with the People’s Liberation Army in the form of the Xian Y-20, China possesses the fastest-growing strategic lift fleet in the world.

到2020年代末，在全球服役的战略运输机机队里面中国将占18％，而目前这一比例为11％。

By the end of the decade, China will account for 18% of the strategic airlifters in service globally, up from 11% at present.