China has quietly rolled out a powerful new tool in its quest for air superiority and regional influence in the Indo-Pacific: the KJ-3000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Newly released imagery confirms the development of the system, which leverages the country’s indigenous Y-20 airlifter platform, signaling a decisive step forward in China’s aerospace ambitions.
The KJ-3000 is designed to deliver wide-area surveillance, battle management, and command and control functionality over vast distances, a necessity in a region as complex and contested as the South China Sea and beyond. It is a key component in Beijing’s strategy to field a world-class military, and its emergence is raising fresh concerns among regional powers and the United States alike.
The most recent imagery, likely taken at a restricted airbase somewhere in mainland China, depicts a KJ-3000 aircraft clad in yellow primer paint, with the tail number 7821 visible on the forward fuselage. While the photos are grainy and appear to have been shot from a distance, several critical design features are unmistakable. The aircraft features a large circular radome mounted atop its rear fuselage, a telltale signature of high-powered radar systems. Additionally, an in-flight refueling probe extends from the nose, a critical feature that will allow the aircraft to remain airborne for extended missions.
Multiple sensor antennas are visible on the forward fuselage, suggesting significant surveillance and communications capabilities. A prominent air intake at the base of the tail likely supports additional cooling systems for onboard electronics—a sign that the aircraft is packed with high-power computing and radar systems that generate considerable heat.
The KJ-3000 is derived from the Y-20B transport aircraft, a four-engine heavy-lifter now produced in increasing numbers by Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation. Unlike its earlier version, the Y-20A, which relied on Russian D-30KP-2 engines, the Y-20B is powered by the domestically developed WS-20 high-bypass turbofan—a significant leap forward for China’s aerospace industry. This gives the KJ-3000 improved fuel efficiency, power, and range.
Using the Y-20 as the base platform provides advantages in payload, size, and mission flexibility. It also allows the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) to overcome one of its greatest AEW&C limitations: the scarcity of airframes. China’s earlier heavyweight radar plane, the KJ-2000, was built on the Il-76MD—a Soviet-era aircraft no longer in ready supply. The KJ-3000, in contrast, is entirely domestically produced, making large-scale deployment more feasible.
The introduction of the KJ-3000 is not happening in a vacuum. The United States, Japan, Australia, and others have long maintained robust airborne early warning capabilities. The U.S. Navy operates the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, while the U.S. Air Force flies the venerable E-3 Sentry. China’s AEW&C effort, historically reliant on limited and sometimes outdated assets, has been playing catch-up.
But that dynamic is changing rapidly.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2024 China Military Power Report, China now fields more AEW&C aircraft than the United States. While not all are equal in capability, the quantity and pace of deployment suggest a deepening commitment to persistent, wide-area surveillance and networked warfare.
With its combination of long-range radar, in-flight refueling, and the ability to loiter at high altitudes, the KJ-3000 is likely to become the centerpiece of China’s airborne command-and-control infrastructure. Its ability to detect, track, and coordinate responses to air and surface threats over vast distances will be a critical enabler in both peacetime monitoring and high-intensity conflict.
The KJ-2000, first flown in the early 2000s, marked China’s entry into the world of large AEW&C platforms. It used a fixed radome and three phased-array radar panels configured in a triangle, giving it 360-degree coverage. However, only four aircraft were produced, using airframes sourced from the limited supply of Russian Il-76MDs.
The KJ-3000, in contrast, is a modern design in every sense. It is built on a scalable, domestically produced airframe and incorporates lessons learned from years of operating the KJ-2000 and its smaller siblings, such as the KJ-500 and KJ-200, which are based on the Y-9 turboprop aircraft. While full radar specifications are not available, early assessments suggest the KJ-3000 may employ a dual-array AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar rather than the triple-array system found in its predecessor. This could be a result of newer technologies reducing the need for multiple panels while maintaining or improving radar coverage and resolution.
The possibility also exists that the KJ-3000 integrates multiple ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) sensors beyond radar—such as SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared), and ESM (Electronic Support Measures) capabilities. This would make it a true multi-role intelligence platform, akin to the U.S. RC-135 Rivet Joint or the British Sentinel R1.
From the East China Sea to the South China Sea, AEW&C aircraft serve as force multipliers. They extend the effective range of fighter patrols, cue long-range surface-to-air missiles, and provide critical early warning of enemy movements. In a hypothetical conflict over Taiwan or in the contested waters of the South China Sea, a system like the KJ-3000 could make the difference between success and failure in securing air dominance.
China’s AEW&C assets are also central to its Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy, which seeks to deter or delay the entry of U.S. and allied forces into key operating areas. The KJ-3000, with its ability to coordinate long-range intercepts, missile defenses, and electronic warfare operations, is ideally suited to this task.
Its introduction coincides with China’s expansion of its aerial refueling fleet—most notably the YY-20A tanker, also based on the Y-20 airframe. Together, these aircraft offer the PLAAF the ability to maintain high-value ISR assets in the air for extended durations, giving Beijing persistent surveillance coverage across the Western Pacific.
One area where the KJ-3000 could have outsized impact is in foreign military sales. While the United States imposes strict controls on the export of AEW&C platforms, China has fewer constraints—and a growing list of willing buyers. Pakistan, already a customer for Chinese AEW&C aircraft, is a likely candidate. The KJ-3000 could appeal to nations looking for a strategic edge without the high costs or political strings attached to U.S. or European systems.
Such sales would extend China’s influence not only economically, but also strategically, embedding its defense technology into the armed forces of partner nations. It would also create new dependencies on Chinese spare parts, maintenance, and training—deepening security ties.
The rollout of the KJ-3000 is part of a layered approach by the PLAAF. While this heavyweight system will provide long-range, theater-wide coverage, smaller platforms like the KJ-500, KJ-200, and the new KJ-700 offer more agile, deployable capabilities. The KJ-700, in particular, is thought to incorporate multi-sensor intelligence suites and is well-suited for operation from island outposts or forward bases.
This multitrack strategy offers China the flexibility to maintain constant surveillance across multiple domains—air, sea, and land—while adapting to different environments and mission types. It reflects the Chinese military’s growing emphasis on “systems of systems” integration, where layered sensors, shooters, and decision-makers work together in real time.
While the KJ-3000 represents a technological leap, it is not without challenges. Mass-producing a sophisticated AEW&C platform is no small feat. It requires reliable supply chains, precision manufacturing, and an advanced ecosystem of radar technology, data processing, and electronic warfare support. Whether China can sustain large-scale production and maintain quality over time remains to be seen.
Additionally, operational effectiveness depends on more than just hardware. Training skilled mission crews, integrating these assets into joint command networks, and protecting them against enemy electronic or kinetic attack are all essential. In this regard, China may still lag behind more experienced air forces like those of the U.S. and its allies.
Nevertheless, the emergence of the KJ-3000 confirms one thing beyond doubt: China is committed to achieving technological parity with—if not superiority over—its strategic competitors in the skies.
The KJ-3000 is more than just a new radar plane—it’s a symbol of China’s ambition to reshape the regional military balance. With this aircraft, Beijing adds a critical node to its command-and-control architecture and gains an edge in the emerging competition over the Indo-Pacific.
