PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread

tphuang

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

i'm not sure, but my current belief is that it does rotate. I'm not sure if China is unwilling to sell the balance beam, but I don't think it makes sense for PAF to get something exactly the same as Erieye (they could just get more Erieye). Anyways, PAF is getting a dirty cheap deal with these AEWs.
 

zoom

Junior Member
This is what's stated on this very site here >
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Radar

The primary radar system housed in the radome is an three-sided electronically steered phased-array (ESA) developed by Nanjing-based 14 institute. Unlike the Russian A-50 or U.S. E-3, which rotate their rotodomes to give a 360 degree coverage, the KJ-2000's radar antenna does not rotate. Instead, three ESA antenna modules are placed in a triangular configuration inside the round radome to provide a 360 degree coverage.
 

Maggern

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This is what's stated on this very site here >
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I don't think the KJ-2000 was the system in question...

PS: Related question on rotating vs. stationary.....would having three antennae instead of two mean you would have a less powerful radar (given the powerplant was of a certain size and capability)? Or would that difference be equaled by the extra power demand of a rotating disc? If so, is the question in principle to have either two really powerful antennae give you partial coverage at any given time or to have three less powerful ones give you almost full, constant coverage?
 
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no_name

Colonel
I believe that with electronically steered antenna you can focus beams into much narrower bands so power density is greater than if you have to spread coverage out and mechanically steer them.

Also three is the minimum number you need for three dimentional all round coverage on a non moving platform, I believe.
 

zoom

Junior Member
I don't think the KJ-2000 was the system in question...

Thanks for pointing out my silly mistake.Don't you think it is rather strange to export a rotodome system when their experience is with fixed discs ? I don't know of any Plaaf rotodome ever being in operation.I'm sure they have the know-how.
 

duskylim

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Dear Sirs:

If you go to huitong's website and open his page the page on the ZDK-03, you will find both the picture of the final, delivered model (in typical yellow primer) with the Pakistani Air Staff posing in front, AND if you click on the link, a picture of the initial prototype (painted white with light and dark blue stripes).

For me the key points are:

the prototype uses an earlier model of the Y-8, with four-bladed propellers vs the ZDK-03's six-bladed ones;

the ZDK-03's airframe is clearly the same or is similar to that of the KJ-200, however, it is also clear that the triple tail fins were first tested on the prototype and later used on the KJ-200 and the ZDK-03;

there is a APU in the lower left fairing of the prototype's landing gear similar to that of the KJ-2000 and KJ-200. It is not apparent from the picture whether there is one on the ZDK-30, although I suspect there is;

similar to the KJ-200 there are a series of blade antenna's on upper (dorsal) part of the fuselage running from the cockpit all the way to the lower edge of the radar antenna;

the KJ-200 and the ZDK-03 have nose-, chin-, tailfin-, tail- and wing-tip electronic fairings and which are not present on the prototype;

And lastly, if you look at the double-striped band across the center of the radar fairing, it is pointing front-to-back, in the ZDK-03 and side-to-side on the prototype - this seems to confirm that it does indeed rotate.
 

Maggern

Junior Member
I believe that with electronically steered antenna you can focus beams into much narrower bands so power density is greater than if you have to spread coverage out and mechanically steer them.

Also three is the minimum number you need for three dimentional all round coverage on a non moving platform, I believe.

Oh, I was thinking three stationary vs two spinning, sorry.
 

aeweng

New Member
Registered Member
i'm pretty sure it does not rotate, since China would also have to develop a rotary coupler to spin the rotodome.
btw, does anyone know why they chose a triangular array vs a square array or a circular array
thanks
 

aeweng

New Member
Registered Member
i'm pretty sure it does not rotate, since China would also have to develop a rotary coupler to spin the rotodome.
btw, does anyone know why they chose a triangular array vs a square array or a circular array
thanks
 
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