| Shaanxi KJ-2000 | |
|---|---|
 A KJ-2000 in flight at the 2014Zhuhai Air Show | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airborne early warning and control |
| National origin | China |
| Manufacturer | Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation CETC (avionics) NRIET (radar) |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) |
| Number built | 5[1] |
| History | |
| First flight | 2003[2] |
| Developed from | Ilyushin Il-76 |
TheShaanxi KJ-2000 (Chinese:空警-2000;pinyin:Kōngjǐng Liǎngqiān;lit. 'Airwarning-2000',NATO reporting name:Mainring) is a Chinese second-generationairborne early warning and control (AEW&C)aircraft developed by theShaanxi Aircraft Corporation, and is the first AEW&C system in service to thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force. It is built upon a modified RussianIlyushin Il-76airframe using domestically designedavionics and a fixedradome featuring threeactive electronically scanned array (AESA)radars each covering a 120-degreesector,[3] unlike therotating radome on the comparableE-3 Sentry serving theUnited States Air Force.
The KJ-2000 is a second-generation AEW&C aircraft developed in China, after the ill-fatedKJ-1 AEWC project was cancelled as theChinese economic reform in the late 1970s mandated cuts inmilitary spending. As themodernization of the People's Liberation Army became a clear necessity, especially after the display ofNATO technological dominance in theGulf War, thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force felt increasing need to obtain operational AEW&C systems to maintain evenair parity, let aloneair superiority against potential foreign hostilities.
The KJ-2000 development program started after the cancellation of theA-50I deal withRussia andIsrael in July 2000 due to strong American pressure against the export of the IsraeliEL/M-2075 Phalcon radar that was to be mounted. Denied of import options, China then went on to develop a domesticAWACS and the first aircraft made itsmaiden flight in 2003.[2]
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 exporterRosoboronexport has imposed a significant price hike on all future Il-76s delivered to China and India despite previous contracts. Both countries were in negotiation with Russia regarding this matter as of early 2008.[4] In March 2011, Sino-Russian 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 ofSoloviev D-30KP-2 engines is not affected by recent[when?] issues.[4]
However, due to the unreliability of external suppliers, China has developed a backup design known as theKJ-200 by installing a simplified system on board the smallerShaanxi Y-8 airframe, the Chinese domestic variants ofAntonov An-12tactical airlifter. The KJ-200 has a similar configuration to that of the KJ-2000 and is characterized by the triple tail-fin configuration (one large and two small), but with a "balance beam" lateral-scanning array similar to theSaabErieye instead of a disc radome. China also went on to develop theShaanxi Y-9, an enlarged upgrade of the Y-8 that later served as the basis of the third-generationKJ-500 AEW&C aircraft; and theXian Y-20, a largestrategic airlifter that is being developed for AEW&C modification.
The Chinese AWACS has aphased array radar (PAR) system carried in a disc-shapedradome. Unlike the AmericanE-3 Sentry and the RussianBeriev A-50, two AWACS aircraft comparable in size and both with a 9-metre-diameter (30 ft) rotating radome (rotodome) to provide 360‑degree scanning, the radome of the Chinese AWACS is stationary. Instead, the three PAR modules are placed in anequilateral triangle configuration inside the 14-metre-diameter (46 ft) round radome, each covering a 120-degreespherical sector to provide full 360‑degree coverage.
The multi-function, three-dimensional pulse-Doppler radar was developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET), asubsidiary of theChina Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). It is designed to detect and track airborne and surface targets,[5] operating in the frequency range of 1200–1400 MHz, and has a maximum aerial detection range of 470 km (290 mi).
A new variant with a fixed next-generation radar was reportedly spotted in 2013.[6]
The PLAAF's firstAWACS 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 smallerKJ-200 have been operated at the base.[7]
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.[7]
Since Il-76s are supplied by Russia and as the numbers are limited, China is seeking to replace the Il-76 platform currently used by the KJ-2000 with theY-20.[8]
Limited performance parameters of KJ-2000 have been published as follows:
Data from[9]
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
Related development
Related lists
