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PLAAF & PLANAF special mission aircraft - Y-8GX-family

Wow, a rarely seen Y-9G or GX-11 ... but is this really 51017 or 51817???
Or am I wrong?

I must correct myself ... after closer inspection it looks more like 31x17 and therefore 20th Specialised Division within the STC.

Y-8GX-11 Y-9G 51x17 - ETC Brigade better.jpg
 
they only ever converted the nose of 1x KJ-200 to the KJ-200A standard?
 
they only ever converted the nose of 1x KJ-200 to the KJ-200A standard?
What you see is not what you get.

From Huitong:-
Compared to the original design, this new version (KJ-200A? S/N 30672) features a nose mounted AEW radar antenna, which could give the aircraft a better coverage in the forward hemisphere. As the result the chin mounted weather radar has been removed. It is possible that all remaining KJ-200s will be upgraded to the KJ-200A standard. The latest satellite image (December 2017) suggested a much improved variant (KJ-200B?) is being tested at CFTE. The first prototype was built by 2016. It appears to feature a SATCOM antenna on top of its forward fuselage, new side-looking (L-band?) radar antennas on its forward fuselage, side-looking ESM antennas on its rear fuselage, a new EW antenna on top of its vertical tail fin. The new radar system onboard KJ-200B is believed to achieve a 360° coverage.
 
New aircraft ‘to gather intel in S.China Sea’
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/3/7 20:58:42

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A shotscreen of the new type of electronic warfare aircraft shown in CCTV report Photo: Sina Weibo

China has reportedly developed a new type of electronic warfare aircraft with extra antenna installations.

A military expert said that it would gather intelligence on whatever comes near the South China Sea and East China Sea to gain an advantage in case of conflict. A photo of the aircraft was featured in a China Central Television (CCTV) report on Wednesday, which called the warplane "a new type of special mission aircraft," without giving an exact designation.

The aircraft appears to have been developed from the Y-9, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The Y-9, a medium-sized tactical transport plane with a maximum range of about 4,000 kilometers, has been modified, including as early warning aircraft, reconnaissance plane and anti-submarine aircraft, CCTV reported in 2018.

But the new variation is unlike the others: It has what seems to be a hemispheric radar dome under its chin, two large antennas on each side of the plane, an antenna on each side of the tailfin and an electronic warfare pod on top of the tailfin.

The devices on the plane mean it could effectively monitor enemies' radio communication and intercept their radar signals, Wei said.

It can also deliver electronic suppression, supporting China's aerial strike units by jamming and paralyzing hostile air defense systems, the report said.

However, Wei believes that the aggressive role is better left to electronic warfare aircraft modified from a fighter jet instead of from a transport plane, because the latter is more vulnerable and flies slower.

One important role the new aircraft could play is to gather intelligence and electronic data in the South China Sea and East China Sea on whatever comes near, according to Wei. With the pre-knowledge of hostile electronic signals, China can launch pointed electronic suppression and jamming in case of a conflict, which brings a significant advantage, he said.

The new aircraft could replace the GX-4, an older electronic warfare plane developed from the Y-8 transport plane, because the Y-9 platform can fly longer and carry more devices, experts said.

An airplane with the same traits was photographed years ago, but was grounded and painted yellow, which usually means it was in development. Military observers called it the GX-11.
 
PLAAF operating ECM variant of Y-9 aircraft

Andrew Tate, London
- Jane's Defence Weekly

12 March 2019

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Chinese broadcaster CCTV showed images in early March of an ECM variant of the Shaanxi Y-9 aircraft. Source: CCTV/PLAAF

State-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has shown images of an electronic countermeasures (ECM) variant of the Shaanxi Y-9 four-engined, turboprop aircraft painted in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) colour scheme: an indication that this version is now in service.

The new variant features distinctive blisters forward and aft of the wing on both port and starboard sides of the fuselage, which are assessed to house the antennas for the jamming suite. Other elements of the suite are likely to be housed in the pod on top of the tailplane, flat panel antennas either side of the tailplane, the chin radome, and in the rear fuselage section.

Images showing a developmental version of this aircraft, painted in yellow primer, first appeared in 2014.

The Shaanxi Y-8/Y-9 airframe has been used for a range of special mission aircraft referred to as Gao Xin (GX). Although there is no official confirmation, it is believed this variant is the Y-9G/GX-11.

The Y-8's airframe, which is based on that of the Russian-made Antonov An-12 'Cub', has been produced by the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation since 1972. Further development led to the Y-9, which first flew around 2010.

The Y-9 upgrade included a digital avionics suite, more powerful WJ-6C engines, and six-bladed composite propellers. Cruising speed is assessed at about 300 kt (556 km/h) and endurance around 10.5 hours.

The new Y-9 variant shown by CCTV in early March is potentially a replacement for the Y-8G/GX-4 ECM variant that first flew around 2004. Up to eight Y-8G/GX-4s are believed to be in service with the PLAAF, although one is thought to have crashed in 2018.

The Shaanxi plant near Hanzhong, where the Y-9 is built, has been expanded significantly since 2010 and is assessed to be capable of producing up to 16 aircraft annually.

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