PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread

[ismellcopium]

pretty good clip and stuff coming out on KJ500A here

says it can search out stealth aircraft from long range out. Can direct electronic warfare aircraft to attack the other side. Forms a kill chain with J-20. And has been used in exercise to assist 4th gen against 5th gen (not a surpise really). Says it has electronic reconnaissance and spectrum sensing capabilities.

I'm assuming that last part is about the ability to passively connect electronic emissions from across the spectrum. It would always make sense for ESM to be a huge part of this aircraft and for it to gather it from front and side antennas.
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here is the part about KJ-500A improvement over KJ-500. Specifically mentioned the improvement in radar, allowing for deep searches against stealth target.

here is a much longer video

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I thought the only difference of the (few) KJ-500As is the refueling probe?

 

[tphuang]

I thought the only difference of the (few) KJ-500As is the refueling probe?

if you are doing the hard work of adding refueling probe to give it more station time, you are also going to make interior changes so that operators and pilots are more comfortable on those flights. If you are doing all of that, why would you not also make major upgrade to power generation (since fuel is less of a constraint now) and upgrade all the radar and passive sensors?

 

[Maikeru]

Do we know if the KJ500As are upgraded KJ500s, new builds, or both?

 

[qwerty3173]

Do we know if the KJ500As are upgraded KJ500s, new builds, or both?

Most likely upgrades since building KJ700 is probably the new priority.

 

[ismellcopium]

if you are doing the hard work of adding refueling probe to give it more station time, you are also going to make interior changes so that operators and pilots are more comfortable on those flights. If you are doing all of that, why would you not also make major upgrade to power generation (since fuel is less of a constraint now) and upgrade all the radar and passive sensors?

Weren't KJ-500s still being produced after the As came out though? Though I guess the newer batches could've upgraded their radars too.

Anyone know how KJ-700 production's going, has it taken over yet? Still none of them seen with IFR probes?

 

[tphuang]

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here is the CCTV clip about KJ-500A against stealth and the kill chain

空警-500A具备电子侦察与频谱感知能力，可引导电子战飞机实施杀伤；同时，可以与歼-20等战机形成“隐身战机突防+预警机指挥”的杀伤链，曾在演习中助力四代机对抗五代机。据介绍，我国的预警机在不断优化和迭代，目前正在向智能化的下一代演进

Weren't KJ-500s still being produced after the As came out though? Though I guess the newer batches could've upgraded their radars too.

Anyone know how KJ-700 production's going, has it taken over yet? Still none of them seen with IFR probes?

Why would you not upgrade the electronics now that they are available and tested.