PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread

[Roger604]

My guess would be simulator.. the cheap red plastic Wal Mart stool gave it way for me...

I think you hit the nail on the head.

These photos really show a lot about KJ-2000's capability. I think China is about to move beyond KJ-2000, which is circa 2004 vintage for China now. I think the heavy transport Y-20 may be on the horizon (coming operational in a few years) so China is moving into its "second generation" AWACS with Y-20 platform.

 

[Blitzo]

I think you hit the nail on the head.

These photos really show a lot about KJ-2000's capability. I think China is about to move beyond KJ-2000, which is circa 2004 vintage for China now. I think the heavy transport Y-20 may be on the horizon (coming operational in a few years) so China is moving into its "second generation" AWACS with Y-20 platform.

I think they won't go to a "second generation" AWACS, but rather they'll install the KJ-2000's radar on the Y-20 -- the major problem is that the PLAAF doesn't have enough Il-76 platforms so they're stuck with the four they have now and it's not like the current AESA radar is obsolete or aging (though they'll obviously upgrade it as time goes on as per all programs).
Good thing they can keep pumping out KJ-200's to pick up the slack; they seem like pretty capable AWACS themselves.

 

[tphuang]

They can keep upgrading the console and radar performance, but I don't really see any point in changing the radar to something completely different. It seems like KJ-2000 system is working out quite well right now and they are still learning how to fully use it.

Anyway, pictures of new KJ-200 coming out. Looks like this new one (or maybe new batch) has these little antennas at the front which the older ones do not have. The older ones do have some noticeable antennas too, but they are larger and more spaced out.

 

[tphuang]

This is widely posted by now. It is on KJ-200 as its making its appearance in Zhuhai airshow in the coming year. A lot of typical gibberish in here, but it did say that KJ-200 was based on the Y-8C platform making more than 80% change. The project started in the summer 2002 and first flied in January 2005. It says that composite propeller were used for the first time lowering noise level. It says that integrated avionics system using glass cockpit and integrated display were used.

Not much more.

2009年10月1日，蓝天下的机群沐浴着祥和的阳光轻盈地飞越过天安门城楼。空警200作为第二梯队，也在歼11飞机的护航下接受了全国人民的检阅。空警200看似轻盈的身姿，却背负着40万航空人、万余名陕飞人满腔的热血和无悔的付出。那一天，无论是在国庆庆典现场的李广兴，还是在北京某机场协调指挥保障任务的公司党委书记姚建国都难以抑制兴奋和激动之情，此刻，他们最想要做的事，就是和陕飞的每一位员工——这些最可爱的人分享胜利的喜悦。

然而，这在运8C型机基础上进行了80%以上改动量的空警200的成功却历经了一条破釜沉舟之后绝处逢生并最后取得辉煌成就的道路。

2002年盛夏的一个下午，陕飞的会议室里气氛凝重，时任公司董事长、总经理的胡晓峰与公司高层决策者白松柏、李广兴、姚建国、欧阳绍修等正面临着分水岭式的选择。

运8飞机近年来改进改型了20多种新型机，这是否意味着它可以再次接受改型，成为一款全新的预警机？虽然面临着厂房、设备、新技术、新材料缺乏等众多困难，但陕飞的领导成员大多数倾向了借此机会研制一个全新机型，在两年内成功实现空警200首飞的宏伟目标，即使这要冒着巨大的政治、经济和技术风险。

时任运8飞机总设计师的欧阳绍修也陷入了深深的思考。绝不让机遇擦肩而过！强烈的使命感和责任感驱使他做出了肯定的回答。他认为，航空工业本身就是在设计风险和飞行安全的夹缝中求突破、求发展的。运8飞机的每一步改进都是战胜风险的结果。“为了关系着国家和人民利益和安全的空警200而付出，值！”欧阳绍修下定了决心。

一场异常艰巨的战斗打响了。

陕飞将空警200预警机确定为“生命工程”，公司层层签订“军令状”，层层落实责任，倒排进度，誓言要在20个月里实现首飞目标；在项目中尝试并行工程的办法，设计、工艺、工装、零件、部件、总装、技术改造、设备更新等同时进行，高度交叉，又并行作业；广大科技人员也开始“蛰伏”式的生活，他们从家里带了被褥住进了厂房，成箱的方便面堆在屋角，成堆的稿纸堆在桌上，夜以继日地钻研，实在困得不行了就和衣而睡。陕飞公司的领导们也和广大员工一起吃住在现场。

奇迹终于出现了！

陕飞只用了8个月即完成了常规需要2～3年才能完成的图纸设计、工装设计和制造任务；完成了几十项难度极大的大型试验；只用一年时间即完成了通常需要18个月才能完成的样机制造任务。

2005年1月14日，在试飞场，无数双眼睛注视着眼前的空警200。起步、滑行、腾空、一飞冲天！空警200首飞圆满成功！经久不息的掌声为所有的辛苦送上了最真诚的祝福。

在空警200研制的过程中，空军部门的领导、国防科工局领导以及中航工业领导林左鸣、张洪飚、徐占斌、耿汝光等和陕飞共同走过了艰难的历程，并最终迎来了翻天覆地的新机型的成功。

李广兴说道：“现在已经不是过去扛着锄头干活的年代了。我们在产品研制中所要考虑的就是要把用户将来使用的环境考虑得周全再周全，把用户使用的便捷和可行做得完美再完美。我们的目标是向用户提供‘管用、顶用、好用’的飞机。”在空警200身上，凝聚了陕飞和中电科技集团电科院的智慧，在技术进步的基础上，空警200紧跟民航适航要求，不断提升客户意识，努力提高飞机的可靠性、易操作性、使用寿命等各个方面的要求。

空警200也填补了我国国产飞机的多项空白：

首次突破负过载、发动机低空中气动和风车试飞、失速特性等风险科目试飞技术；

国内运输机首次在操纵系统采用助力技术，提高了飞机安全性，减轻驾驶员操纵负担，改善了人机工效；

首次采用复合材料螺旋桨技术，降低噪声，提高飞机高温高原性能；

首次采用了综合航电技术，实现了玻璃化座舱和飞行技术与系统状态参数的综合显示；

按照CCAR-25部适航要求，对运输机、特种飞机风险科目进行挑战性试飞验证，突破试飞禁区，挖掘了载机平台的潜在品质等。

 

[tphuang]

we got a bunch of photos of KJ-200 (no 30171) from Zhuhai airshow. Including one really nice up close photo of the balance beam on the top. I'm guessing its appearance here means that it is open for export and the old Y-8 AEW with a rotating disc has been shelved. It makes sense, since KJ-200 is a lot more advanced and has more appeals to foreign buyers like Pakistan.

 

[tphuang]

Never mind, I've been proven wrong in a couple of hours now that I noticed they have already handed over the first ZDK-03 with the rotating disc to PAF.

It looks like the platform is using the improved Y-8F600 with 6 blade propellers, so it should have better endurance, noise control and cockpit than the previous Y-8s.

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[Blitzo]

Never mind, I've been proven wrong in a couple of hours now that I noticed they have already handed over the first ZDK-03 with the rotating disc to PAF.

It looks like the platform is using the improved Y-8F600 with 6 blade propellers, so it should have better endurance, noise control and cockpit than the previous Y-8s.
[qimg]http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4324/y8aewnov13.jpg[/qimg]

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So looks like PAF have gone for the less capable rotodome...

It's kind of a step back isn't it, seeing as they already have the aesa erieye, or is it a matter of money or china being unwilling to sell KJ-200?
At least Y-8 would have a greater endurance and would have more consoles than the Saab plane platform the PAF currently have though... good on them.

 

[sealordlawrence]

Just out of curiosity, are we sure that the disc actually rotates?

 

[maxx]

We need higher resulotion picture to confirm. It should be otherwise it'd defeat the purpose of having a non-rotatable radome radar only in parallel config (as opposed greater angle coverage, triangular one seen on KJ-2000).

 

[EDIATH]

So looks like PAF have gone for the less capable rotodome...

It's kind of a step back isn't it, seeing as they already have the aesa erieye, or is it a matter of money or china being unwilling to sell KJ-200?
At least Y-8 would have a greater endurance and would have more consoles than the Saab plane platform the PAF currently have though... good on them.

In which case it's hardly a step back, since an Erieye typically functions as AEW while ZDK-03 being used for air command & control.