Shaanxi KJ-200

History of Shaanxi KJ-200

To expand its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capabilities, the Chinese Air Force adopted its Shaanxi Yun-8 series for that role. The Y-8 was originally introduced in 1974 and was based on the Soviet Antonoc An-12 military/civilian tugboat. More than 100 aircraft have since been produced, resulting in the updated Shaanxi Y-9 series.

With this proven foundation, the KJ-200 series was developed with appropriate modifications based on its intended role on the battlefield. The KJ-200 is said to retain about 20% of the commonality with the original Y-8 design.

Nonetheless, the KJ-200 retains most of the Y-8's shape and features: an elevated monoplane, vertical tail, three-wheel landing gear, and a quad-turboprop engine layout. The main external complement is the radar system, mounted on the ridge in the middle of the hull and suspended from a set of struts.

Various other smaller protrusions have also been added to match the characters. Internally, there are a number of support systems and multiple operator stations to manage the functions of the radar and all other systems related to the mission. A bubble can be seen under the nose, and a small extension has been added to the actual nose cone.

The radar system is an AESA ("Active Electronically Scanned Array") design. The cockpit is an all-glass design (mixed with some western electronics), and the two pilots sit side by side.

The engines are believed to be replicas of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150B, with turboprops driving six-bladed propellers along large spinners.

The KJ-200 system was lost in a crash during testing in 2006, but the product has been shown at various public events.

Specification

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