The new KJ-3000 fighter aircraft will take capabilities to the next level of aerial reconnaissance and strike and will directly challenge U.S. military expansion in the region.
Two side-by-side radar arrays provide 360-degree coverage and track smaller targets from a greater distance with higher resolution, which means early detection and protection against stealth fighter jets and drones. Based on the Y-20 cargo aircraft, the KJ-3000 can fly up to 8000 km at an altitude of 13 km. This is the perfect vantage point for your advanced radars. The rectangular enclosures on the rear fuselage likely conceal a two-band active electronic scanning antenna system, which increases the accuracy of detecting side targets. Additional sensors on the nose, tail and torso strengthen signal intelligence capabilities. An aerial refueling probe placed above the cockpit extends the aircraft’s stay time, ensuring constant coverage.
The KJ-3000 is not just a radar platform, but also a network hub for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) that increases strike accuracy by updating missile guidance during flight. During an exercise in May, China’s destroyer 055 launched a simulated attack under the control of an AEW&C aircraft. It turned out that it is able to coordinate air and electronic warfare operations from hundreds of kilometers away.
According to the Pentagon’s 2024 China Military Force Report, China now operates more AEW&C aircraft than the United States, signaling a strategic shift to dominate the East and South China Seas, the Western Pacific and beyond. As the United States continues to militarize the Indo-Pacific, China’s growing power cannot be ignored.
Translated and edited by L. Earth