After the foreign media's heated discussion on the KJ-700, China's latest generation of large early warning aircraft - the KJ-3000 has once again become a global focus through new images. This early warning aircraft based on the Y-20 platform marks the rapid expansion and technological upgrade of China's early warning aircraft fleet. The KJ-3000 not only surpasses the KJ-2000, KJ-500, and KJ-700, but also strengthens China's anti-access/area denial capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region through its advanced performance and strategic deployment, laying a solid foundation for future war victories.

The KJ-3000 is based on the Y-20B and is equipped with domestically produced WS-20 high bypass turbofan engines, significantly enhancing its range, loiter time, and high-altitude combat capability. New images show that the aircraft is equipped with a large circular antenna dome, an aerial refueling probe, and a tail-mounted ram air inlet for cooling advanced electronic equipment. Its radar system may employ a dual-sided active electronically scanned array (AESA), compared to the triangular three-side AESA configuration of the KJ-2000, the radar size is larger, and the detection range is expected to reach 600 kilometers, with stronger target tracking capability, higher resolution, and a significant leap in "downward viewing" functions for detecting low-flying stealth targets and cruise missiles.

Compared to the revolutionary progress of the KJ-500 and KJ-700 in detecting stealth aircraft, the radar system of the KJ-3000 has achieved a disruptive breakthrough in anti-jamming capability, target resolution, multi-target tracking efficiency, cross-platform information fusion and processing. This enables it to effectively counter fifth-generation stealth fighters and high-speed missiles, providing a broader coverage and faster response for China's integrated air defense system. It should be noted that the KJ-3000 will inevitably integrate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) functions and may serve as a network node, integrating data from air, sea, and land domains, providing key support for distributed operations.

China's early warning aircraft fleet has far surpassed the U.S. Air Force, and the addition of the KJ-3000 further strengthens this advantage. Its high-altitude long endurance capability allows it to cover mainland China, the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and further areas in the Indo-Pacific, supporting the anti-access/area denial strategy, significantly enhancing China's power projection capability in strategic locations. In future wars, situational awareness is the key to victory. The KJ-3000 enhances the accuracy of hypersonic missiles and long-range attack weapons by providing real-time high-precision target data, while also providing precise guidance for surface-to-air missiles and fighter jets, enhancing the ability to intercept enemy stealth fighters and missiles.

Compared to the U.S. E-3 Sentry currently in service, the KJ-3000 leads by two to three generations in radar performance. Compared to the problematic E-7, it is at least one and a half generations ahead.

China adopts a multi-track strategy to develop its early warning aircraft fleet, with the KJ-3000 complementing the KJ-500 and KJ-700 based on the Y-9. The turboprop-based KJ-500 and KJ-700 are suitable for operations in rudimentary or forward airfields, frequently active in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea islands, while the KJ-3000, with its high-altitude long endurance capability, is suitable for extensive strategic patrols, covering broader battle zones. With greater power generation capacity and more crew members, the KJ-3000 will be a strategic-level airborne command center and the most important aspect of the irreplaceability of large early warning aircraft.

The export potential of the KJ-3000 should not be overlooked. Pakistan has successfully used the ZDK-03 early warning aircraft provided by China in conflicts with India, achieving significant results. The KJ-3000, with its advanced performance and autonomous supply chain, is expected to attract more international buyers, further expanding China's influence in the global military aviation market. Of course, China is more likely to export the KJ-500.

The unveiling of the KJ-3000 marks China's technological and strategic leadership in the AEW&C field. Its disruptive radar performance, long endurance capability, and networked warfare functions make it a core pillar of the Chinese Air Force. All of these will greatly enhance China's winning capability in future wars, helping our military reshape the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. In the era of hypersonic missiles, "detect and destroy" is becoming a reality, and having an early warning aircraft lead means China's air force has gained a decisive advantage in strategic games.



Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525717335450190399/

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