Like the U.S. C-130 Hercules, the Shaanxi Y-8 four-engine turboprop transport aircraft has been developed into many special purposes variants. The PLA Air Force was known to be have been using the Y-8 for special electronic warfare (EW) missions including electronic intelligence (ELINT) and offensive electronic countermeasures (ECM) in the past, but little was known about these programme until an electronic warfare variant Y-8 was first spotted in operation in Summer 2004.

像美国C-130“大力神”，陕西Y-8四发动机涡轮螺旋桨式运输机已经发展许多专用改型。PLA空军据知已经使用Y-8用于专门电子战(EW)任务，包括电子情报 (ELINT)和电子干扰(ECM)，但是少知道这些计划直到在2004年夏天首次看到一架在运行中的电子战改型Y-8。

 

While detailed information regarding the onboard mission equipment is not available, it is believed that the new EW/ELINT variant Y-8 is equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment to monitor enemy electronic activities. The aircraft may also be capable of launching offensive jamming against enemy communications and radar systems.

虽然无法得到机载任务设备的详细信息，一般相信新的 EW/ELINT改型Y-8装备大规模阵列extensive array尖端收集情报设备去监控敌人电子活动。飞机也能够发射对抗敌人通信和雷达系统的攻击性干扰。

 

There has been rumour suggesting that some of the mission equipment may come from the U.S. Navy EP-3 ELINT aircraft, which made an emergence landing in Hainan Island in April 2001 after colluding with a Chinese fighter, but this cannot be confirmed. The PLA may well be capable of developing its own indigenous EW/ELINT system as a result of the country’s booming electronic and telecommunications industry.

已经有传闻一些任务设备可能来自美国海军EP-3 ELINT飞机，在2001年8月和一架中国战斗机空中相撞后在海南岛紧急降落，但是这不能够确认。PLA能够采用国家紧急发展电子和通讯工业的方式发展它自己本国的EW/ ELINT系统。