 |
| Sightings of the KJ-600 AEW&C Aircraft For The Chinese Navy Are Widespread |
Beijing - Although it is reported that it has carried out its maiden flight since August 28, 2020, clear sightings of the Xian KJ-600 AEW&C Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft are not yet available. Recently, a slightly clear photo of the aircraft, which is often referred to as a competitor to the Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye from the United States, appeared, which was published by Weibo. It can be seen that the plane is still covered with base paint.
The KJ-600 aircraft was developed specifically to fill the Chinese Navy's (PLA Navy) Type 003 (Fujian) new aircraft carrier. Its development is concurrent with the Shenyang J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter jet. The Type 003 aircraft carrier, which weighs 85,000 tons, is equipped with the Catapult-Assisted Take Off Barrier Arrest Recovery (CATOBAR) system which is fully capable of handling KJ-600 operations from the top of its deck.
Meanwhile, on other Chinese Navy aircraft carriers, namely Type 001 and Type 002 (Liaoning and Shandong), the role of early warning aircraft is performed by the Changhe Z-18J AEW helicopter. However, this helicopter's capabilities are very limited, carrying a smaller radar, has a low speed and only covers a radius of about 200 km.
While the KJ-600 fixed wing early warning aircraft can cover around 400 to 500 km. Of course, the presence of the KJ-600 will provide a broad view and significantly increase the Type 003's comprehensive combat capabilities.
The KJ-600 aircraft is capable of carrying a radar dish on the upper midsection, similar to that installed on other Chinese KJ-2000 and KJ-500 early warning aircraft. The KJ-600 is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar which allows it to spot stealth aircraft such as the US F-22 and F-35 as well as the Russian Su-57.
It is estimated that this aircraft is manned by 5-6 personnel including the pilot, copilot, and flight crew who operate the radar and combat control system.