KJ-2000

The KJ-2000 (Chinese: 空警-2000; pinyin: Kōngjǐng Liǎngqiān; lit.: '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.[2]

KJ-2000
A KJ-2000 in flight at the 2014 Zhuhai Air Show
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[1]
Developed from Ilyushin Il-76 (airframe)

Development
KJ-2000 in 2008

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.[3]

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).

Design

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 14-metre-diameter (46 ft) disc. In contrast, the Russian Beriev A-50 and American Boeing E-3 Sentry use a 9-metre-diameter (30 ft) disc. Each phased array has a 120-degree field of view. Maximum range of detection of air targets is 470 km (290 mi). A-50I of India made by Israel adopted its design and entered service later than KJ-2000(service 2004) in 2009.[4]

KJ-3000

A new variant with a claimed fixed next generation radar was spotted in 2013.[5]

Operational history

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 (张广建), 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.[6]

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.

Since IL-76s are supplied by Russia and the quantity is limited, China seeks to replace the IL-76 platform currently used by the KJ-2000 with the Y-20. [7]

Operators
People's Republic of China

Specifications

Limited performance parameters of KJ-2000 have been published as follows:[8]

  • 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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See also
  • Airborne Early Warning and Control

Related development

Related lists

  • List of AEW&C aircraft
  • List of aircraft produced by the People's Republic of China

References
  1. "Capabilities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to Carry Out Military Action in the Event of Regional Military Conflict" (PDF). SAIC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-13.
  2. "KJ200_1". SinoDefence. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  3. "IL76 russia china export agreement2011". AirForceWorld.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  4. "Kongjing-2000 (KJ-2000) Mainring". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  5. "China's AEW&C KJ-3000 air-to-surface combat aircraft – China Daily Mail". China Daily Mail. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  6. John Pike. "China holds airborne early warning drill targeting Japan: report". Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  7. "China to Develop AEW&C Aircraft on Y-20 Transport Plane Platform". Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  8. "央视曝空警-2000试验平台 公开雷内部达结构". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
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