PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread
- Thread starter Sczepan
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So, Y-9 is basically 737-600 size? Probably. I mean most countries would probably use a 737 or A320 as the platform. So, it would probably be the only turbo prop one.
I wasn't aware ZDK-03 has AESA radar. KJ-500 did come out later and have fixed radome as opposed to a rotodome.
It'd be interesting to see if China exports KJ-500 or not. I doubt it. I think they will upgrade ZDK-03 radar to AESA, but it won't be the same as KJ-500. It's quite the game changer for them.
Also, I just checked to see that KJ-2000 operates on L band. My guess is that KJ-500 is probably also operating in similar wavelength due to their similar sizes. As such, I think it should have certain successes tracking F-35 from further out. I'd be curious how good F-35's side stealth is against powerful L band radar. If USAF thinks E-7 will be able to track J-20 from meaningful range, they've probably conducted similar tests against F-35s.
I would be interested to know the rationale behind restarting KJ200A production when KJ500 is available. From Huitong's site:
"A satellite image taken in December 2017 suggested a much improved variant (?) is being tested at CFTE. The first prototype was built by 2016. It appears to feature a SATCOM antenna on top of its forward fuselage, a forward AEW antenna in a bigger nose cone similar to that of KJ-200G, side-looking ESM/ELINT antennas (next generation multi-baseline interferometers) on its rear fuselage, a new ESM antenna on top of its vertical tail fin. Additional ESM antennas are seen underneath the forward and rear fuselage. The new radar system is expected to achieve a near 360° coverage. A recent image (February 2022) indicated that the first has been built for PLAAF and was being prepared for delivery."
Presumably this is based on Y9 rather than Y8 platform?
How do you get 360° coverage with a balance beam design?
You don't.
The size looks slightly smaller, could it be testing for a possible KJ-600 ASW version? or am I out to lunch?
How does E-7 Wedgetail achieve 360 coverage? (serious question, not being sarcastic)
E-7 has a horizontal array on top of the vertical "balance beam" (a "top hat" as some would call it) which would cover the blind spot of the main array. How good is this top array compared to main array that I don't know. Maybe it could eliminate the blind spot or it just turn it into a weak spot.
Listening back on an interview from 2018 Zhuhai airshow.
ZDK-03 was one of the proposed designs that did not get accepted by PLAAF, so it was offered as an export. It's not clear to me if China had offered KJ-500 to Pakistan, since it is the most advanced AWACS platform China has. It's main advantage is fixed radome allowing higher refresh rate. I saw them pitching a mechanically rotated AESA AWACS radar called "B&R Eye". It basically had two radar surface (back to back) and rotates to achieve 360 degree coverage. That would be a possible upgrade for ZDK-03 I think. All projects from 14th institute I think
KJ-500 is said that they have the same ability as Su-35 to beam on a narrow band to detect objects at really long range. Su-35 is said to be able to track 0.01 m^2 target from 90 km out in this mode and 3m^2 target from 350 to 400 km out (just 150 to 200 km range in normal volume search mode). Shilao commented that KJ-500 can track well over 400 km out in volume search mode. The tracking range in narrow band scanning is much further away. If KJ-500 can track 0.01 m^2 target from 200 km out, then it could conceivably track 0.001m^2 target from 110 km out and 0.0001 from 65 km out. Keep in mind that while something like F-35 could have RCS of -40dbsm against X-band radar from frontal sphere, but it may only have RCS of -30dbsm (or even higher) against L-band radar from side. The interview specifically pointed to this scenario of receiving the direction of target by very long range radar (think UHF radar) and correspondingly scanning in a tight band achieving highly accurate tracking. So if given advanced warning of direction of F-35 by other systems, it's not inconceivable that KJ-500 could consistent track something like F-35 from well over 100 km which it can then pass tracking data to shooters that are closer to target aircraft.
ZDK-03 was one of the proposed designs that did not get accepted by PLAAF, so it was offered as an export. It's not clear to me if China had offered KJ-500 to Pakistan, since it is the most advanced AWACS platform China has. It's main advantage is fixed radome allowing higher refresh rate. I saw them pitching a mechanically rotated AESA AWACS radar called "B&R Eye". It basically had two radar surface (back to back) and rotates to achieve 360 degree coverage. That would be a possible upgrade for ZDK-03 I think. All projects from 14th institute I think
KJ-500 is said that they have the same ability as Su-35 to beam on a narrow band to detect objects at really long range. Su-35 is said to be able to track 0.01 m^2 target from 90 km out in this mode and 3m^2 target from 350 to 400 km out (just 150 to 200 km range in normal volume search mode). Shilao commented that KJ-500 can track well over 400 km out in volume search mode. The tracking range in narrow band scanning is much further away. If KJ-500 can track 0.01 m^2 target from 200 km out, then it could conceivably track 0.001m^2 target from 110 km out and 0.0001 from 65 km out. Keep in mind that while something like F-35 could have RCS of -40dbsm against X-band radar from frontal sphere, but it may only have RCS of -30dbsm (or even higher) against L-band radar from side. The interview specifically pointed to this scenario of receiving the direction of target by very long range radar (think UHF radar) and correspondingly scanning in a tight band achieving highly accurate tracking. So if given advanced warning of direction of F-35 by other systems, it's not inconceivable that KJ-500 could consistent track something like F-35 from well over 100 km which it can then pass tracking data to shooters that are closer to target aircraft.