KJ-2000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KJ-2000

KJ-2000 (Chinese: ??-2000; pinyin: Kongjing Liangqian; literally:
"Airwarn-2000"), NATO reporting name: Mainring is a Chinese Airborne early
warning and control system comprising domestically designed electronics and
radars installed on a modified Ilyushin Il-76 airframe.

The KJ-2000 development program started after the cancellation of the A-50I deal
with Israel and Russia in July 2000, due to strong U.S. pressure regarding the
Israeli radar that was to be mounted. China then went on to develop a domestic
AWACS and the first aircraft made its maiden flight in 2003.

Four KJ-2000 aircraft have been identified so far, but production of new
aircraft will likely be delayed, dependent on the acquisition of IL-76
airframes. Currently, the Russian defense exporter Rosoboronexport has imposed a
significant price hike on all future IL-76s delivered to China and India despite
previous contracts. Both countries are currently in negotiation with Russia
regarding this matter as of early 2008. In March 2011, Russia/China negotiations
reached a new agreement to move production of IL-76s to Chinese owned companies,
in this way it is expected production can be run smoothly to supply China with
new IL-76 airframes, while delivery of Soloviev D-30KP-2 engines is not affected
by recent issues.

Due to unreliable external supplier sources, China has developed a backup known
as the KJ-200 by installing a simplified system on board the Shaanxi Y-8. This
aircraft has a similar configuration to that of the KJ-2000 and is characterized
by the triple tail-fin configuration (one large and two small).


Role
Airborne early warning and control

National origin
China

Designer
NRIET (radar)

First flight
2003

Status
Active

Primary user
People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)

Number built
5

Developed from
Ilyushin Il-76 (airframe)

The Chinese AWACS has a phased array radar (PAR) carried in a round radome.
Unlike the US AWACS aircraft, which rotate their rotodomes to give a 360 degree
coverage, the radar antenna of the Chinese AWACS does not rotate. Instead, three
PAR antenna modules are placed in a triangular configuration inside the round
radome to provide a 360 degree coverage. The multi-function, three-dimensional
pulse-Doppler radar was developed by NII (Nanjing Electronic Technology Research
Institute), and is designed to detect and track airborne and surface targets. It
operates in the frequency range of 1200–1400 MHz. The antenna system consists of
three phased arrays, located in a disk with a diameter of 14 meters (near the
Russian by an AWACS command and control and-50 cone diameter 9 meters, similar
Indian system "Falcon" – 11 meter). Each phased array has a 120-degree field of
view. Maximum range of detection of air targets is 470 km. A-50I of India made
by Israel adopted its design and entered service later than KJ-2000(service
2004) in 2009.

The PLAAF's first AWACS regiment was established at a small and remote airfield
in southern China, for security reasons, during late 2004. The commander
appointed to the regiment was Zhang Guangjian (???), a pilot with over 6,000
hours of flight time on various aircraft including the Il-76. The base was
re-built and re-equipped for handling the KJ-2000, the first of which reached
the base in 2005. A mixed fleet of KJ-2000 and the smaller KJ-200 has been
operated at the base. During 2006 a war exercise was held in north west China,
during which a KJ-2000 and KJ-200 were deployed from the regiment for
evaluation. Finally in 2013 a 24-hour coverage drill was held using three
KJ-2000s that covered NW China, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.

Recent satellite photos show eight new Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and
control, or AEW&C aircraft at the company's factory airfield at Hanzhong,
Shaanxi Province in mid-December 2017. The aircraft were undergoing testing
before delivery to the military. Satellite imagery released by Stratfor has also
revealed the PLAAF has deployed KJ-500s to Lhasa-Gonggar Airport in Tibet. The
KJ-500 has a fixed dorsal rotodome containing three radar arrays each containing
active electronically scanned array or AESA radars arranged in a triangular
configuration to give full 360° coverage. The new radar design supplants the
“balance beam” design used on the earlier Shaanxi KJ-200 AEW&C aircraft.

Specifications

Limited performance parameters of KJ-2000 have been published as follows:
Max speed (km/hr): 850
Max range (km): 5500
Max endurance (hr): 12
Take-off weight (t): 175
Range against fighter sized targets (km): 470
Range against ballistic missiles (km): 1200
Max # of target that can be tracked simultaneously: 100




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