China makes progress in development of KJ-3000 early warning aircraft to detect US stealth fighter jets
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As reported by Forca Aera on June 2, 2025, a high-resolution image captured the first known prototype of China’s KJ-3000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at an undisclosed airbase, confirming its configuration and serial number 7821. The aircraft appears coated in primer paint and is equipped with a prominent radar dome mounted atop the rear fuselage, a dorsal array of antennas, and an aerial refueling probe above the cockpit.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The development of the KJ-3000 is part of China’s efforts to replace its limited number of Il-76-based KJ-2000 aircraft with a fully indigenous, larger-capacity early warning aircraft for extended operations in contested airspace. (Picture source: X/FaySue6)
This follows the aircraft’s reported maiden flight on December 27, 2024, a day after the test flights of two Chinese sixth-generation fighter prototypes. The KJ-3000 is based on the Y-20B heavy-lift transport platform and powered by four WS-20 high-bypass turbofan engines. It is the only prototype observed as of June 2025 and represents the largest known AEW&C aircraft in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fleet. The development of the KJ-3000 is part of China’s efforts to replace its limited number of Il-76-based KJ-2000 aircraft with a fully indigenous, larger-capacity early warning platform for extended operations in contested airspace.
Several Chinese sources and unofficial diagrams suggest that the radar system provides 360-degree coverage and can detect fifth-generation stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 at distances exceeding 360 kilometers. Some sources claim a general detection range for conventional aerial targets between 600 and 1,000 kilometers, while additional assessments estimate the overall detection range may reach or surpass 3,000 kilometers. The radar is also said to track up to 100 targets simultaneously and detect low-observable targets with radar cross-sections under 0.001 square meters. Chinese academics such as Wang Xiaomo have called for future AEW&C platforms to incorporate features that exceed global standards in all technical domains. Some sources mention the possibility of a dual-band radar system built with Gallium Nitride-based transmitter/receiver modules, although this remains unverified. The aircraft may also be capable of detecting low-flying cruise missiles and other airborne threats below the radar horizon of ground-based sensors.
The KJ-3000 is powered by the WS-20, a high-bypass turbofan engine developed by Xi’an Aero-Engine Corporation. The WS-20 provides greater thrust and lower fuel consumption than the Russian D-30KP-2 engines used on the KJ-2000. The Y-20B airframe offers a maximum payload capacity of 66 tons, 16 tons more than the KJ-2000, allowing it to carry larger radar systems, mission modules, and associated electronics. The aircraft includes a visible ram-air intake at the base of the vertical stabilizer, likely for cooling onboard electronics. The in-flight refueling probe indicates its intended role in persistent surveillance and extended missions. The increased power generation capacity supports the aircraft’s advanced radar and C4ISR subsystems. Compared to the KJ-2000, which relied on four Il-76 platforms acquired from Russia, the KJ-3000 allows for more scalable production using domestic aircraft like the Y-20B. This new AEW&C has been discussed in official state media since 2017 as a long-term solution to replace the Russian-supplied aircraft and expand the PLAAF’s independent AEW&C capabilities.
China’s current AEW&C fleet includes multiple platforms. The KJ-2000 is based on the Russian Il-76 airframe with a non-rotating triangular AESA radar array. It was developed after the cancellation of the Israeli Phalcon project in 1999 and subsequent delays with Russian integration in the early 2000s. The KJ-500, based on the Shaanxi Y-9, is the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’s most numerous AEW&C system and includes both land-based and naval variants. The KJ-200, also known as the Y-8W, is derived from the Category III Y-8 airframe with a redesigned fuselage. The KJ-600 is a twin-turboprop carrier-based AEW&C platform developed for the Fujian aircraft carrier, compatible with electromagnetic catapults. The KJ-700, observed in 2024, appears to be a modified variant of the KJ-500H with mid-life upgrades for ISR missions. Additionally, the WZ-9 Divine Eagle is an unmanned AEW&C platform with a twin-fuselage configuration. The Y-8J, equipped with a British-origin Skymaster radar, is deployed by the Chinese naval aviation arm. Each of these platforms supports different mission profiles, contributing to a multi-layered airborne radar architecture covering both inland and maritime regions.
Reports suggest that the KJ-3000 will perform integrated C4ISR roles in future combat scenarios, coordinating with advanced fighters such as the J-20, J-16, and J-10C. The aircraft is expected to enhance situational awareness, support air and missile defense, and assist long-range precision targeting. Some Chinese media reports claim that the KJ-3000 will eventually be able to carry PL-17 air-to-air missiles, possibly giving it limited self-defense or engagement capability. There are also suggestions of future integration of active electronic attack systems to jam or suppress enemy radars and communications. If deployed alongside unmanned AEW&C assets, the KJ-3000 could extend its situational monitoring beyond 1,000 kilometers and allow real-time tracking of stealth aircraft at the point of takeoff. Although it is not confirmed whether the aircraft includes full stealth countermeasures, some radar experts estimate that the new radar array can detect the radar signatures of aircraft such as the B-21 Raider and unmanned low-RCS systems from extended ranges. The aircraft may also be equipped with high-frequency, very-high-frequency, and ultra-high-frequency communications arrays for long-range coordination.
As of mid-2025, the KJ-3000 remains a prototype platform, but evidence of sustained development momentum includes its rapid emergence following the Y-20B’s service entry and the ongoing series of aerial refueling and special mission variants based on the same platform. The aircraft’s development is consistent with China’s doctrine of establishing redundancy and variety in its AEW&C fleet to match different operational environments and mission durations. In addition to increasing detection coverage, the PLAAF aims to reduce exposure to foreign supply chains by using domestically produced components. The KJ-3000’s potential role in extending China’s air defense network over the Pacific region, particularly across the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, aligns with its broader A2/AD strategy. It is unclear whether the KJ-3000 will be made available for export, although analysts have suggested countries such as Pakistan may show interest based on past acquisitions of Chinese radar aircraft. At present, the aircraft is expected to be retained for national use to fulfill strategic surveillance and airborne command missions, particularly those involving long-range detection of stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, and integrated operations across air, sea, and land domains.
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As reported by Forca Aera on June 2, 2025, a high-resolution image captured the first known prototype of China’s KJ-3000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at an undisclosed airbase, confirming its configuration and serial number 7821. The aircraft appears coated in primer paint and is equipped with a prominent radar dome mounted atop the rear fuselage, a dorsal array of antennas, and an aerial refueling probe above the cockpit.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The development of the KJ-3000 is part of China’s efforts to replace its limited number of Il-76-based KJ-2000 aircraft with a fully indigenous, larger-capacity early warning aircraft for extended operations in contested airspace. (Picture source: X/FaySue6)
This follows the aircraft’s reported maiden flight on December 27, 2024, a day after the test flights of two Chinese sixth-generation fighter prototypes. The KJ-3000 is based on the Y-20B heavy-lift transport platform and powered by four WS-20 high-bypass turbofan engines. It is the only prototype observed as of June 2025 and represents the largest known AEW&C aircraft in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fleet. The development of the KJ-3000 is part of China’s efforts to replace its limited number of Il-76-based KJ-2000 aircraft with a fully indigenous, larger-capacity early warning platform for extended operations in contested airspace.
Several Chinese sources and unofficial diagrams suggest that the radar system provides 360-degree coverage and can detect fifth-generation stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 at distances exceeding 360 kilometers. Some sources claim a general detection range for conventional aerial targets between 600 and 1,000 kilometers, while additional assessments estimate the overall detection range may reach or surpass 3,000 kilometers. The radar is also said to track up to 100 targets simultaneously and detect low-observable targets with radar cross-sections under 0.001 square meters. Chinese academics such as Wang Xiaomo have called for future AEW&C platforms to incorporate features that exceed global standards in all technical domains. Some sources mention the possibility of a dual-band radar system built with Gallium Nitride-based transmitter/receiver modules, although this remains unverified. The aircraft may also be capable of detecting low-flying cruise missiles and other airborne threats below the radar horizon of ground-based sensors.
The KJ-3000 is powered by the WS-20, a high-bypass turbofan engine developed by Xi’an Aero-Engine Corporation. The WS-20 provides greater thrust and lower fuel consumption than the Russian D-30KP-2 engines used on the KJ-2000. The Y-20B airframe offers a maximum payload capacity of 66 tons, 16 tons more than the KJ-2000, allowing it to carry larger radar systems, mission modules, and associated electronics. The aircraft includes a visible ram-air intake at the base of the vertical stabilizer, likely for cooling onboard electronics. The in-flight refueling probe indicates its intended role in persistent surveillance and extended missions. The increased power generation capacity supports the aircraft’s advanced radar and C4ISR subsystems. Compared to the KJ-2000, which relied on four Il-76 platforms acquired from Russia, the KJ-3000 allows for more scalable production using domestic aircraft like the Y-20B. This new AEW&C has been discussed in official state media since 2017 as a long-term solution to replace the Russian-supplied aircraft and expand the PLAAF’s independent AEW&C capabilities.
China’s current AEW&C fleet includes multiple platforms. The KJ-2000 is based on the Russian Il-76 airframe with a non-rotating triangular AESA radar array. It was developed after the cancellation of the Israeli Phalcon project in 1999 and subsequent delays with Russian integration in the early 2000s. The KJ-500, based on the Shaanxi Y-9, is the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’s most numerous AEW&C system and includes both land-based and naval variants. The KJ-200, also known as the Y-8W, is derived from the Category III Y-8 airframe with a redesigned fuselage. The KJ-600 is a twin-turboprop carrier-based AEW&C platform developed for the Fujian aircraft carrier, compatible with electromagnetic catapults. The KJ-700, observed in 2024, appears to be a modified variant of the KJ-500H with mid-life upgrades for ISR missions. Additionally, the WZ-9 Divine Eagle is an unmanned AEW&C platform with a twin-fuselage configuration. The Y-8J, equipped with a British-origin Skymaster radar, is deployed by the Chinese naval aviation arm. Each of these platforms supports different mission profiles, contributing to a multi-layered airborne radar architecture covering both inland and maritime regions.
Reports suggest that the KJ-3000 will perform integrated C4ISR roles in future combat scenarios, coordinating with advanced fighters such as the J-20, J-16, and J-10C. The aircraft is expected to enhance situational awareness, support air and missile defense, and assist long-range precision targeting. Some Chinese media reports claim that the KJ-3000 will eventually be able to carry PL-17 air-to-air missiles, possibly giving it limited self-defense or engagement capability. There are also suggestions of future integration of active electronic attack systems to jam or suppress enemy radars and communications. If deployed alongside unmanned AEW&C assets, the KJ-3000 could extend its situational monitoring beyond 1,000 kilometers and allow real-time tracking of stealth aircraft at the point of takeoff. Although it is not confirmed whether the aircraft includes full stealth countermeasures, some radar experts estimate that the new radar array can detect the radar signatures of aircraft such as the B-21 Raider and unmanned low-RCS systems from extended ranges. The aircraft may also be equipped with high-frequency, very-high-frequency, and ultra-high-frequency communications arrays for long-range coordination.
As of mid-2025, the KJ-3000 remains a prototype platform, but evidence of sustained development momentum includes its rapid emergence following the Y-20B’s service entry and the ongoing series of aerial refueling and special mission variants based on the same platform. The aircraft’s development is consistent with China’s doctrine of establishing redundancy and variety in its AEW&C fleet to match different operational environments and mission durations. In addition to increasing detection coverage, the PLAAF aims to reduce exposure to foreign supply chains by using domestically produced components. The KJ-3000’s potential role in extending China’s air defense network over the Pacific region, particularly across the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, aligns with its broader A2/AD strategy. It is unclear whether the KJ-3000 will be made available for export, although analysts have suggested countries such as Pakistan may show interest based on past acquisitions of Chinese radar aircraft. At present, the aircraft is expected to be retained for national use to fulfill strategic surveillance and airborne command missions, particularly those involving long-range detection of stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, and integrated operations across air, sea, and land domains.
