In 1986 the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) requested a new carrier to replace its ageing Tu-4 to carry and launch the WuZhen-5 (WZ-5, also known as ChangHong-1) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Shaanxi began to develop the Y-8E UAV carrier based on its Y-8 turboprop transport aircraft in October 1988. The first prototype was finished in March 1990, and the first UAV launch test was carried out successfully in October of the same year. The aircraft entered service with the PLAAF in late 1990.
Y-8E carrying a WZ-5 UAV under its wing (Credit: Chinese Military Aviation)
