KJ-2000

KongJing -2000 (in short: KJ -2000, Chinese空 警-2000, NATO code name Main Ring) is a Chinese AWACS aircraft and is based on the Russian Ilyushin Il- 76th It is the first of its kind, which is in service with the People's Liberation Army of China.

Prehistory

China dealt since the 1960s with the development of early warning aircraft. A first attempt was begun in late 1969 Project 926 in which an unused machine as a test Tu- 4 bomber with a radar type 843 was equipped in Rumpfrückenradom. The as KongJing -1 ( KI -1) designated system was tested in the early 1970s, but discontinued due to absence of success in 1971.

A second attempt was made in mid -1980s. These negotiations with the Soviet Union on the delivery of the transporter Il- 76, which should serve as a basic model, were included. With Britain and Israel are joined for the purpose of delivery of a suitable radar system in contact. GEC -Marconi opened the Argus -2000 before, Elta Electronics EL/M-2075 the " Phalcon ". Both systems should be installed in bubble-shaped panels on the fuselage, the Phalcon Il- 76 should receive an additional two sensors on the side. China finally decided on the Israeli version. From 1992 to 1994 negotiations were now with Russia, out to make convert in Israel four Il- 76MD to designated as A- 50I patterns. The radar, however, should be installed in a radome on the fuselage. The contract for one billion U.S. dollars was signed in May 1997. After however, was starting imposed by the political development of China since 1989, an arms embargo on the country, failed the Chinese AWACS program of resistance from the United States, which threatened Israel with the withdrawal of military aid worth 20 billion U.S. dollars, to which this withdrew from the project. The first Il- 76MD, the conversion ran since October 1999 in Israel and was nearly finished, had to be scaled back.

Development and use

After the failure of the A - 50I program, the Chinese government gave the banks 603 in Xi'an ( within XAC ) and 14 in Nanjing commissioned to develop uses of the indigenous radar system type 88 for the Il -76. Russia, whose contract still providing for the delivery of four Il- 76MD, introduced in 2002 on the first machine to China. In December of the same year, the conversion of the now as KJ -2000 machine designated began. It is similar to the A-50, but is relatively simple to the lack of horizontal stabilizer fins of the chassis panels and to distinguish the two eye-catching false keels on the tail of this. The radome is higher than that of the A- 50th The system type -88 AESA should have properties in the frequency range 1200-1400 MHz with an effective search width of 470 km.

The KJ -2000 began flight testing on 11 November 2003 and was subsequently subjected to in Yangling (Province Xi'an ), and later in ASDC (Province Nanjing) thorough testing. In 2005, the experiments were terminated and the aircraft was provided by the Chinese Air Force in service. The three remaining Il- 76MD until then had been also provided to Xi'an Aircraft and modified. All KJ -2000 flying since December 2007, when in Wuxi Shuofang stationed in Southeast China 26 special division among others to monitor the Taiwan Strait.

2005, another contract for the delivery of IL- 76 was closed between Russia and China, where it can be assumed that some also are to be converted to KJ -2000 of these aircraft. For reasons unknown, but was at least until 2010, no implementation of this agreement.

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• People's Republic of China People's Republic of China Chinese Air Force - four in operation