Chinas NEW eyes in the sky

http://defensetech.org/2010/08/11/chinas-new-eyes-in-the-skies/?wh=wh

The well known, and controversial, Carlo Kopp from the Air Power Australia outfit has a new piece in The Diplomat looking at China’s first indigenous KJ-2000 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which he says marks an important milestone in the PLA Air Force’s long march to a high-tech force.

The deployment of the first four of the AWACS aircraft fill an important gap in China’s air defenses, Kopp says. The KJ-2000 follows a number of abortive attempts to build an airborne command and control aircraft. The KJ-2000 AWACS uses an active phased array radar that is directly modeled on Israel’s A-50I and Elta Phalcon radar.

Kopp, who has a reputation as an alarmist who slants his coverage of issues to favor certain platforms (the F-22 Raptor), claims the Chinese aircraft employs radar technology that is two generations ahead of that on the U.S. Air Force’s E-3C AWACS. I’m not sure I buy that. I’d really like to hear from some of the knowledgeable folks out there who might have any insight on the KJ-2000.

Read more: http://defensetech.org/2010/08/11/chinas-new-eyes-in-the-skies/?wh=wh#ixzz0wKZwT4TY
Defense.org

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