So as far as I can gather, there's the three known Y8x planes, with western avionics, solely for MPA roles.
Then there's the four known Y8j planes, again with western avionics. Their skymaster radars being really a variant of searwater radar for mpa purposes - it seems fair to assume these four are nowadays also primarely used as mpa planes.
Then there are six kj-200. Although primarely for air surveillance, there is enough evidence on western counterparts (USN e2 being designed for maritime surveillance for decades, saab's erieye boasting strong maritime surveillance capability and recent usaf e-3 modernization that includes maritime surveillance mode) that such planes can indeed be counted upon to serve as long range identification platforms.
Then there is the possibility of four Y8jb planes. Usually credited with elint role, but the shape and size of their chin radome seems unusual for that sort of sensor. Can anyone point out a western counterpart, an elint plane with such sensor layout? One can speculate that the Y8jb planes are in fact also meant for active radar surveillance?
Then there's, of course, the new mpa plane, y8q. Right now, allegedly two have been put in service.
That'd mean some 15 planes probably capable of long range identification of maritime targets (some doing it better than others, of course) with a slight possibility of four more (the y8jb) joining that group.
Question now is what else is, realistically, capable of joining them? jh7a? su30mk2? While their radars may be powerful enough on their own, proper SAR modes are something that has been put on western planes from 1990s onwards. ISAR modes are something that, as far as i can read in manufacturer's brochures, is something that is so far an option and hasn't really been inplemented in tactical combat plane radars in numbers. So perhaps some jh7b with brand new radar may be counted upon to have a powerful enough radar for such role, but existing planes seem like too much of a long shot to assume they have such capabilities. Of course, radars on existing jh7a could have been improved and various modes could have been added but without any sources that'd be a pure assumption.
Where I am on the fence is h6g. Their radars should, technologically, be no worse than what jh7a has. But since they're much bigger, and the platform that carries them is bigger, both the processing power and antenna resolution should be pretty decent. Adding to that that h6g is a high loiter time platform (compared to jh7) and the array itself seems to be housed in such a way it can rotate through front 180 degrees, if not a bit more, the whole plane seems to me geared towards some secondary maritime surveillance role. And from there it's basically a matter of software to get some half decent identification mode.
Anything else i've forgotten, that has to do with airplanes and their long range identification role?
