Shaanxi KJ-200
Airborne early warning and control aircraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The KJ-200 (NATO reporting name: Moth[1]) is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft developed by the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation[2] of China. It is a variant of the Shaanxi Y-8 military transport aircraft and also called the Y-8W. Enthusiasts called it the GX-5.[3]
| KJ-200 | |
|---|---|
| A Shaanxi KJ-200 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airborne early warning and control |
| National origin | China |
| Manufacturer | Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Number built | 11 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 2007 |
| First flight | 2005 |
| Developed from | Shaanxi Y-8 |
Design and development
Development began in 2002 after the United States blocked the sale of the Israeli EL/W-2090 Phalcon radar to China.[4] According to Science and Technology Daily, Ouyang Shaoxiu, Shaanxi's chief designer, was the program's chief designer, and 80% of the Y-8 was modified to create the KJ-200.[5]
The primary sensor is a JY-06 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar[4] mounted in a "plank" or 'balance beam" housing above the fuselage;[6][4] the configuration resembles various uses of the Ericsson Erieye radar system.[7]
The aircraft's first flight was in January 2005. The second aircraft crashed in 2006 due to wing icing; the crash "almost derailed" the program.[4]
Operational history
The KJ-200 aircraft entered service with the People's Liberation Army in 2007.[8] Its first official public appearance was at the 2009 Chinese National Day Parade.[9]
In February 2017, a US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion and a KJ-200 inadvertently passed within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of each other over the South China Sea.[10][11]
Variants
- KJ-200
- Base variant.
- KJ-200A
- Modified KJ-200 with revised nose section and new electronics. First observed in December 2016.[12]
- "KJ-200AG"
- Unofficial designation for KJ-200A with inflight air refueling probe.[12]
- KJ-200H
- Modified KJ-200 for PLA Navy.[12]
- KJ-200B
- Adds satellite communications and new electronics.[8] First observed in 2016. Entered service in 2023.[12]
Operators
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
