The Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is the land-based, long-range turboprop patrol aircraft developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Co. for the PLA Navy.
Y-8海上巡逻机（MPA）是由陕西飞机工业公司为PLA海军发展的陆基远程涡轮螺旋桨推进巡逻机。

The Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is the land-based maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft based on the Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation Y-8 turboprop transport. A small number of the aircraft has been operational in the PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF) since the mid-1980s. This was the first special purpose variant of the Y-8 military transport aircraft being developed. 
中国Y-8海上巡逻机（MPA）是基于陕西飞机工业公司Y-8涡轮螺旋桨推进运输机的陆基海上巡逻和反潜战飞机。少量的飞机自从1980年中期以后在PLA海军空军（PLANAF）中操作。这是第一种Y-8军用运输机发展的专用改型。

PROGRAMME
计划

In 1983, Shaanxi Aircraft Company (now Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation) was requested to develop a special purpose aircraft on the basis of its Y-8 turboprop transport aircraft (Chinese licensed copy of the Soviet/Russian An-12 Cub) that can perform long-range maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and search and rescue (SAR) missions. The development task was officially assigned to Shaanxi in October 1983, with the target set to deliver the first plane to the PLANAF in 1984. The design proposal by Shaanxi was approved in November 1983.
在1983年，陕西飞机公司（现在陕西飞机工业公司）被请求基于它的Y-8涡轮螺旋桨推进运输机（中国得到许可仿造的苏联/俄国An-12“幼狐”（Cub））发展一种专用飞机能执行远程海上巡逻、侦察和搜寻与援救（SAR）任务。发展任务在1983年10月正式地被指定为陕西，同时目标设定在1984年交付第一架飞机给PLANAF。设计方案在1983年11月被陕西核准。

The Y-8 MPA in its new light-grey painting scheme. The Y-8 MPA is based on the airframe of the Shaanxi Y-8, a Chinese licensed copy of the Soviet An-12 Cub 
新亮-灰色涂刷方案的Y-8 MPA。Y-8 MPA以陕西Y-8的机身为基础，一种中国许可仿造的苏联An-12“幼狐”（Cub）。

The Y-8MPA is based on the airframe of the basic variant Y-8 transport aircraft, but fitted with upgraded avionics and various mission equipment for long-range maritime flight. The aircraft is equipped with search radar, omega navigation system, self-defence electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite, optical/infrared cameras, sonobuoys, and sonar receiver. The rear cargo door was removed and replaced by a large mission equipment window for sonobuoys racks and cameras. The rear turret was also removed and replaced by the sonar operator seat.
Y-8 MPA以基本型Y-8运输机的机身为基础，但是为远程海上飞行安装使用升级航空电子设备和各种不同的任务设备。飞机装备搜索雷达、奥米加导航系统、自防卫电子对抗（电子干扰）组件、光学/红外照相机、声纳浮标和声纳接收机。后面的货舱门移除和被一个大的任务设备窗孔代替用于声纳浮标支架和照相机。后面的转塔也移除被声纳操作员座位代替。

Shaanxi achieved to finish the development in less than a year, issuing 11,000 pages of blue prints and conducting over 20 tests. The first Y-8MPA was delivered to the PLANAF in late 1984, and the aircraft received national design certificate in 1985. A Y-8MPA plane conducted five reconnaissance missions to the Xisha (Paracel), Zhongsha, and Nansha (Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea between March and June 1986, covering a total journey of 17,000km. The aircraft obtained a large amount of aerial photos of these islands, which were regarded as highly valuable to support the PLA’s operation in the region later. 
陕西飞机公司在不到一年中完成发展，发出11,000页蓝图和进行超过20项测试。第一架Y-8 MPA在1984年后期被交付到PLANAF，而且飞机在1985年接受了国家设计证明书。一架Y-8 MPA飞机在1986年3月和6月之间的南海西沙（Xisha，Paracel)，中沙（Zhongsha）和南沙（Nansha)岛执行五个侦察任务，覆盖总行程17,000公里。飞机获得了这些岛的很多空中照片，被认为是高度有价值在之后去支援PLA的操作。

The PLA Navy Y-8 MPA are frequently seen flying over foreign warships in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea regions, or loitering close to the coast of neighbouring countries including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
PLA海军Y-8 MPA经常被看到在黄海和东海的外国军舰上空飞行，或在附近国家或地区包括日本、韩国和台湾的海岸巡逻。

Since the late 1990s, the PLANAF Y-8MPA aircraft has been frequently spotted operating in the East China Sea region, chasing foreign warships and flying near foreign airspace. Some of these planes are believed to be fitted with special mission equipment for electronic and signal intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) missions. Both South Korea Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defence Force have sent fighter jets to intercept these Y-8MPA planes in the past to stop them flying too close to their airspace.
自从1990年后期以后，PLANAF Y-8 MPA飞机已经被时常看见在中国海洋区域东部中操作，追赶外国军舰和在接近国外空域附近飞行。一些飞机被相信为装备专用任务装备用于电子和通信情报（ELINT/SIGINT）任务配备。在过去韩国空军和日本空中自卫队两者已经派喷气战斗机去拦截这些Y-8 MPA飞机阻止它们太接近他们的空域附近飞行。

MISSION EQUIPMENT
任务设备

The Y-8MPA has been extensively upgraded with improved avionics and mission equipment. The aircraft is equipped with Litton (now part of Northrop Grumman) APSO-504(V)3 surface search radar accommodated in the under-chin radome. The aircraft is also upgraded with improved radio, inertial navigation system (INS), Omega global navigation system.
Y-8 MPA已经广泛地升级使用改进的航空电子和任务设备。飞机装备Litton（现在诺斯罗普·格鲁门（Northrop Grumman）的部分）APSO-504（V）3水面搜索雷达安装机身下前下方雷达天线罩中。飞机也升级使用改进的无线电、惯性导航系统（INX）、欧米加（Omega）全球导航系统。

Mission equipments include: infrared submarine detecting set, medium-/high-altitude optical camera, low-altitude optical camera, infrared camera, sonobuoys, sonar receiver, UHF radio marker beacon receiver, and five-man/single-man life boats. The aircraft has been added with an additional seat for the radar operator, and the original tail cannon turret on the Y-8 was removed and replaced by the sonar operator cabin.
任务设备包括：红外潜艇探测装置，中-/高空光学照相机，低空光学照相机，红外照相机，声纳浮标，声纳接收机，超高频无线电指点标接收机和五-人/单-人救生艇。飞机已经为雷达操作员增加一个额外的座位，而且在Y-8上的最初在后面的机炮转塔移除被声纳操作员舱代替。

The Y-8 MPA has a large rectangle camera window at its tail. The aircraft may also be fitted with electronic intelligence equipment.
Y-8 MPA在它的尾部有一个大的长方形照相机窗囗。飞机也可能配备有电子情报设备。

Additionally the aircraft is also fitted with self-defence electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite consisting of all-aspect radar warning receiver (RWR) and chaff/flare dispenser.
附加地飞机也配备有自防卫电子对抗（ECM）组件由全-方位雷达告警接收机（RWR）和箔条/曳光弹投放器所组成。

SPECIFICATIONS
规格