AWAC capabilities are not as visually obvious as fighter jets, but its implications are also massive, especially in the age of UCAVs.
Need clearer photos, but if KJ-700 is any indication it probably has large side arrays and some kind of large optic aperture too.
In either case it's safe to say KJ-3000 is the most advanced AWAC in history.
Meanwhile USAF is buying Wedgetails, lol
The KJ-700 and KJ-3000 are likely to form a future hi-lo pair in the PLAAF (or even a hi-mid-lo trio, if the "lo" KJ-600 is in the mix for joint PLAAF-PLANAF operations), where the KJ-700 handles the photoelectric detection sets (alongside its radar) while the KJ-3000 handles the super-powerful radar set.
The KJ-3000 should also come with much more powerful and prevalent computational and processing capabilities, given the available internal volume of the aircraft compared to the Y-9-based KJ-500 and KJ-700, if not including some sort of AI-assisted capabilities that would better help its crew to differentiate and track VLO threats.
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the KJ-3000 (and hopefully even the KJ-700) are equipped with the capability to command data-linked AEW/ELINT UAVs that would expand its own detection horizon, and even loyal wingman UCAVs which can be commanded to intercept threats on their own in the future.
