China's Third AEW Program
BEIJING - The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (CPLAAF) has introduced a new airborne early warning aircraft, based on its new Y-8F-600, a development of the Antonov An-12 airframe. The new aircraft is fitted with a conventional E-2C Hawkeye-style rotodome that rotates to give a 360-degree coverage. Little is known about the performance of the radar system fitted on the new Y-8 AEW. The aircraft's rotodome appears to be larger than that of the E-2C Hawkeye. The aircraft has a solid nose, which replaces the original glazed nose on the Y-8 design. A pair of vertical stabilizers is fitted on the tips of the tail-plane to enhance directional stability.
This is the third type of airborne early warning aircraft to be introduced by the CPLAAF in recent years. The An-12 airframe has previously been used for a program based around a linear-shaped, electronically steered, phased-array (ESA) radar that appears similar in shape and size to the Swedish Ericsson PS-890 Erieye. The aircraft made its maiden flight in November 2001. The finalized variant, nick-named "Balance Beam" from the shape of its radar, is based on the Y-8F600 and first flew in January 2005. Assuming the Balance Beam radar has similar performance to the PS-890, it would provide a maximum search range of up to 450 kilometers. As a phased-array radar, the system should be capable of 'spot' modes as well as wide search modes, enabling it to be used for ground mapping and targeting acquisition.
The second type of Chinese AEW aircraft is a very different concept. The Kongjing-2000 (KJ-2000) is based on the Russian-made A-50 (NATO codename: Mainstay) airframe outfitted with the Chinese-made, electronically steered, phased-array (ESA) radar and C3I system. At least three prototypes have been built since 2002. The aircraft is expected to be ready for operational deployment by 2006-07.
The KJ-2000 was originally intended to be equipped with the Israeli Phalcon airborne early warning (AEW) radar and associated C3I system. In May 1997, Israel and Russia reached agreement on modifying one A-50 for $250 million, with the option of three more AWACS for a total cost of $1 billion. Russia secured about 20 percent of the deal. After some delay, in October 1999, Russia transferred an A-50 airframe to Israel for the installation of the Phalcon AEW radar system. By May 2000, Israel had nearly completed work on the aircraft under the designation A-50I. Following pressure from the U.S. government, the Israeli government cancelled the deal with China in July 2000.
In place of the Phalcon radar, the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronic Technology developed its own active phased-array radar using Israeli-made Phalcon radar and other onboard electronic systems retrieved from the unfinished A-50I. Although the radar installation looks like a rotodome, it does not rotate. The KJ-2000's radar antenna modules are placed in a triangular configuration inside the round radome to provide a 360-degree coverage.
The existence of three parallel AEW programs is an excellent illustration of the importance placed by the Chinese armed forces on the capability offered by these aircraft. In particular, AEW capability has been seen by the military as vital to obtain air superiority over the Taiwan Strait. The earliest Chinese AEW prototype flew in the mid-1980s and consisted of a French Tiger radar carried in a Tu-4 (a B-29 derivative). All three of the current programs represent a major advance on that primitive testbed. The latest type of AEW aircraft is significantly less advanced than the earlier two programs and uses older technology. The most likely rationale for its development is that it is an insurance program intended to provide an interim AEW capability in the event of more advanced systems experiencing developmental problems.