A new Chinese early warning and control aircraft, apparently based on the Y-20, will extend the PLA’s detection capabilities and operating range over greater distances in the contested South China Sea and the western Pacific, analysts said.
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The aircraft, believed to be the KJ-3000, made its debut last week, shortly after the unofficial reveal of what appeared to be the Chinese military’s first two sixth-generation fighter jets.
Over the course of just a few days, China also unveiled the world’s first amphibious assault ship equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system – the Type 076 – as well as the WZ-9, a high-altitude, anti-stealth uncrewed aircraft.
The developments reflected a new “strategic approach” to Chinese weaponry driven by independent innovation, said military analyst Fu Qianshao. “The end of 2024 marks a new historical milestone.”
Footage of a large yellow aircraft with a radar dome on its fuselage that was widely circulated by Chinese social media users on Friday appeared to show an early warning aircraft based on a variant of the Y-20, according to Fu.
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The Y-20, believed to be the world’s largest transport plane currently in production, marked a major advance for the PLA Air Force when it officially started service in 2016, with its focus on large payloads and long-range operations.