In the shadow of the Russian-Ukrainian war, a revolution is quietly taking place in the field of military aviation in China. The world's second-largest military spender is rapidly upgrading its "eye in the sky" – the airborne early warning aircraft, a special-purpose aircraft that is vital in modern warfare and often serves as a flight command and control center.
This article is an op-ed article published by India's "Eurasia Times", the author is Shubhangi Palve, translated and edited by me, because the author of the article is Indian, so part of the cognition is not quite in line with the actual situation, please look at it rationally, I translated this article only to paraphrase some of the views expressed by foreign personnel after analyzing the photos leaked from the mainland online platform, not my own views.
Over the past 28 months, the world has been closely watching the Russia-Ukraine war. In this conflict, the warring parties have deployed a large number of weapons systems, including drones, missiles, and airborne AWACS. According to experts, in addition to all other weapons systems, Chinese strategists are still paying close attention to the performance of airborne AWACS aircraft.
Recently, the Chinese social media platform "Weibo" appeared on the figure of a new long-range early warning aircraft, which, according to information and information from Chinese military fans, is called the Air Police-700. Open-source intelligence images show that the new Air Police-700 adds a bulb-shaped add-on at the nose and a new radar system on the underboard.
Previously, in November 2022, it was reported that China was developing a next-generation "strategic airborne early warning aircraft" amid escalating tensions with the United States and its regional allies. At first many military experts were skeptical, but now it seems to be increasingly credible. The Air Police-700 is likely to be the result of these efforts, which is significant given the barriers that the United States has erected in AWACS technology.
In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, AWACS aircraft have played a key role in guiding combat aircraft and monitoring airspace, and China has learned from them, recognizing that AWACS aircraft are key force multipliers in modern air warfare, and seems to be focusing on improving the aircraft's ability to defend against enemy threats. As a result, the Air Police-700 is positioned as a multi-purpose asset capable of simultaneous aerial reconnaissance, electronic countermeasures, air and maritime surveillance, and guidance of fighter jets, and this multi-purpose capability represents a major leap forward in China's airborne early warning capabilities.
Lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has exposed a key weakness in modern warfare: high-value airborne AWACS aircraft are highly vulnerable. Ukraine has successfully struck at the heart of Russia's air surveillance capabilities, shooting down 2 Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft in quick succession, which is a striking twist.
The first strike took place in mid-January 2024, when Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down a Russian A-50 over the Sea of Azov. On February 23, a brace was scored, and a few weeks later Ukraine reported the destruction of a second A-50. These mark a major shift in the conflict, demonstrating Ukraine's ability to cripple Russia's most advanced aviation assets.
The impact of these events has been swift and severe. The Russian Investigative Committee took unprecedented measures to point the finger at individual Ukrainian military personnel suspected of involvement in the attack. Ukrainian commander, Colonel Mykola Dezaman, accused of orchestrating the February 23 shootdown, is now a thorn in Russia's side.
The Russian authorities insist that the downed plane was unarmed, not combat-capable, and strictly within Russian airspace. They claim that Colonel Diaman gave an "illegal order" that resulted in the destruction of one of the planes and the death of 10 crew members.
These incidents highlight the dual nature of airborne AWACS aircraft in modern conflicts, both as a valuable asset and as a potential weakness. As the world's military powers, including China, observe these developments, the race to develop a more resilient and defensible airborne early warning system has begun.
Enhance China's early warning aircraft capabilities
In the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. Air Force's E-3 Sentinel fleet demonstrated the capabilities of AWACS, and China, having witnessed the key role of AWACS, recognized the importance of developing AWACS.
E-3
In response, China introduced the Air Police-2000 and Air Police-2000 in the 2000s, providing an essential, albeit not state-of-the-art, capability for specialized AWACS aircraft.
Air Guard-2000
The Air Police-2000 is the largest airborne early warning platform among China's active early warning aircraft platforms. It integrates the Type 88 radar system developed by China Electronics Technology Group into the Russian Il-76MD strategic transport aircraft modified by Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Group, which is China's first true airborne early warning platform.
In addition, it is reported that the Air Police-3000 project is underway, the purpose of which is to enhance capabilities by installing modern radar systems and advanced electronics on the Y-20A strategic transport aircraft of national development.
Y-8J
Another notable platform is the Y-8J of the Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Group, which is derived from the Y-8 tactical transport aircraft used by the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation. Originally developed under the 515 project, the Y-8J was first observed near Shanghai in 2000 and is equipped with the "Airmaster" L-band pulsed Doppler search radar developed by the British company Marconi Electronic Systems, with a spherical nose radome and partially sagging, which is very unique.
Air Guard-200
To further expand its tactical early warning and communications capabilities, China has modified the Air Police-8 on the basis of the Y-600F-200 tactical transport aircraft, including a sturdy nose and a redesigned tail. The Air Police-500 is based on the Y-9 tactical transport aircraft and is in service with the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation.
Air Patrol-600
The recently launched Air Police-600 is a carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft similar in appearance to the U.S. Navy's E-2 Hawkeye, designed specifically for the USS Fujian aircraft carrier and using an electromagnetic catapult system for takeoff. Although the Shandong and Liaoning aircraft carriers have glide jump take-off jumps, these two aircraft carriers can only deploy AWACS helicopters.
Z-9D
With the launch of the USS Fujian, the third aircraft carrier designed by the Chinese Navy for "blue water" operations, China continues to strengthen its reserve of airborne early warning aircraft, a strategic development that is in line with China's broader doctrine of "intelligent warfare."
Air Police-500: China's advanced airborne early warning aircraft
The Air Police-500 entered service in 2015, also known as the Shaanxi Air Police-500 airborne early warning aircraft, and is currently deployed in the frontline units of the Chinese Air Force. The Air Police-500 is a significant improvement over its predecessor by taking advantage of improvements in China's Active Electronic Scan Array (AESA) and datalink technology, and it is capable of tracking up to 100 targets simultaneously.
Air Guard-500
Its radar system was developed by the 38th Research Institute of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and is installed in a saucer-shaped dome with a satellite communication antenna and two passive electronic intelligence arrays. Unlike the "balance beam" used in the Air Police-200, the Air Police-500 uses a fixed back radome with three triangular radar arrays to provide 360° full coverage, which, according to Chinese sources, has a detection range of up to 470 kilometers.
As of early 2018, China had deployed 17 Air Police-500s, the largest number of AWACS aircraft in service at that time. Production work in subsequent years was escalated, and by 2022, the fleet size was expanded to 28 aircraft, which were evenly distributed among the Air Force and Naval Aviation units.
The Air Police-500 has become increasingly prominent due to the fact that airborne early warning aircraft have greatly enhanced the combat capabilities of all services, especially when used in conjunction with China's most high-profile fighter, the J-20.
In the field of aerial reconnaissance, the war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance and vulnerability of AWACS aircraft. China has learned these lessons and is ready to incorporate them into its latest designs. It is expected that the upcoming Air Police-700 and its equivalents will feature enhanced defense systems and electronic countermeasures that will increase its survivability in disputed airspace. As tensions continue to prevail in the surrounding area, China's rapidly developing AWACS aircraft are expected to play a key role in a potential conflict.