XAC (Xi’an Aircraft Corporation) has not fallen behind CAC and SAC exposing new aircraft this year, and has now flown its Y-20B-based KJ-3000 Airborne Early Warning aircraft.
Right on the heels of two new stealth fighters debuting and the launch of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, XAC (Xi’an Aircraft Corporation) has now unveiled the KJ-3000. The KJ-3000 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft is based off of the Y-20B, the latest evolution of the Y-20 series of cargo aircraft. The ‘KJ’ stands for 空警 or Kōngjǐng, which literally means ‘Air Police’.
Although the photos only started circulating on Dec. 26, 2024, it is reported that it conducted its maiden flight back on Nov. 29, 2024. Rumors about the development of this aircraft have been online for some years, although its existence was never confirmed.
Le KJ-3000 (?), un nouvel AWACS chinois dérivé du Y-20B (lui-même une variante du Y-20 équipée de moteurs chinois WS-20), aurait effectué avec succès son vol inaugural le 29 novembre 2024. pic.twitter.com/dA9pY6q86g
— East Pendulum (@HenriKenhmann) December 27, 2024
The aircraft
The Y-20B is an upgraded variant of XAC’s Y-20, and is differentiated from the previous variants by incorporating four Shenyang WS-20 high bypass turbofan engines, instead of the Russian D-30KP-2. There are also rumors that the Y-20B is an MRTT (MultiRole Tanker Transport) as standard configuration, although this is not confirmed and only some Y-20Bs are seen equipped with wing air refueling pods.
Interesting detail noted by lcloo/SDF to differ between
a Y-20A and Y-20B (especially interesting in case the engines are too blurry):
„I went through every individual aircraft in the photo, and found that only Y20B (all five of them) has a white painted spot as in circled.“ pic.twitter.com/uAJFuprQF2
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 14, 2024
Recent satellite imagery shows that the Y-20B has already entered service with the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force), with at least five units seen at Kaifeng Air Base in Henan province. The Y-20A series also has an already active, dedicated A2R (Air-to-Air Refueling) variant already called the YY-20A.
The new KJ-3000 is an AEW&C aircraft designed to detect fighters and other aircraft and provide comprehensive situational awareness to the operator. As a modern AEW&C aircraft, it is also expected to have basic EW/ELINT (Electronic Warfare/Electronic Intelligence) capabilities, and track low observable fast maneuvering cruise missiles as well.
The KJ-3000 is likely to feature advanced radar technology, with the potential presence of a conformal antenna that offers 360-degree radar coverage. Among the possible options are modern dual-band AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar antennas installed in the rotodome.
Ok, it goes on and on and on: second surprise this morning, the new KJ-3000 (?) AEW performed its maiden flight at XAC and from what can be seen on the first few small & blurry images, it is as expected a Y-20B-based design featuring a large rotodome but also a bulge on the tail. pic.twitter.com/MTp9A6dfDh
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 27, 2024
The KJ-3000’s development is under Beijing’s efforts to modernize its AEW&C capabilities, and to replace older systems like the KJ-2000s in the coming future. Using the domestically produced Y-20 airframe, the KJ-3000 is set to become the largest AEW&C aircraft in the PLA inventory.
The KJ-3000 was a long-rumored project, with photographs of alleged wind testing models circulating online in 2022 and its radome being tested in the past. However, not much is known about the capabilities of the new aircraft or its detection ranges.
Well … according to some rumours, the PLAAF’s next-gen AEW platform – successor to the KJ-500 and complement to the larger KJ-3000 – will be named KJ-700.
Interesting are the changes at this site: in the middle is supposed to be the KJ-3000’s radar right the KJ-700‘s one. pic.twitter.com/u6QkLJeI35
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 17, 2023
Key Takeaways
Although the pictures available are very grainy and have very little detail, there are still a few key takeaways.
First and foremost, the new aircraft very obviously features a large, circular radome on the top of the fuselage, in keeping with the traditional shape of AEW aircraft like the U.S. E-3 Sentry and Russian A-50 Mainstay. Notably, previous PLA (People Liberation Army) AEW&C aircraft have radomes that don’t rotate like the American counterparts. It is unclear from the current photos whether or not the KJ-3000’s radome will rotate.
The design also features a large bulge on the bottom of the tail. It is unclear from available photos whether there are fairings to the side, like the already active KJ-500 or the KJ-700 currently under development, but it is a possibility. Although subtle, the bulge most likely features conformal antennas and/or radars which would improve all-round long-range detection.
There are rumors that Gallium Nitride (GaN) Microwave Transistor Technology is being used in the KJ-3000s radars, although this is not simply verifiable.
The PLA’s AWACS Force
The PLA already has many fixed-wing AEW aircraft in its inventory – some estimates look at 61 aircraft. The PLAAF and PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) both operate the KJ-200, while the PLAAF also has the KJ-500 and four larger KJ-2000s, the latter of which is based off of the Russian Il-76MD design.
The KJ-200 and KJ-500 are both based off of the Y-9, China’s domestic transport aircraft roughly comparable to the U.S. C-130J. In addition, an equivalent to the U.S. E-2, the KJ-600, and a smaller, Y-9-based KJ-700 are being tested for the PLAN and PLAAF respectively.
Smaller, turboprop-powered KJ-200 and KJ-500 aircrafts are especially tailored to operations from austere airfields due to their relative lightness, and are a common feature at China’s island outposts, as well as routine operations in the Taiwan Strait. In the future, it is possible that the smaller KJ-700 would complement the larger and more powerful KJ-3000.
The PLA, being trained by the Soviets, uses the “ground controller” doctrine of coordinating fighters and tactical assets. This means that the pilots of the forward combat aircraft are given orders and data from the base, and thus decision making is concentrated at the command level. This leads to the fact that each controller is only able to coordinate or ‘control’ fewer airplanes effectively in a tactical scenario.
Currently, PLA doctrine is to use AEW&C aircraft as an extension for ground control and radar sites, which is why they have such a large fleet of AEW&C aircraft and a large AEW&C-to-fighter ratio compared to other militaries like NATO. Their doctrine requires higher density of command assets because they allow their lower ranks less autonomy.
