The Chinese Navy is building a fleet of aircraft carriers that will be the second largest in the world. However, they currently lack airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, which is considered a vital component of a balanced air wing. This is set to change with the introduction of the Xian KJ-600 carrier-borne AEW aircraft. It looks remarkably like the U.S. Navy’s E-2C Hawkeye.
The prototype KJ-600 has been spotted in satellite imagery of the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation’s airfield at Xian-Yanliang in central China. This is where many prototype planes are first seen. Chris Biggers, an imagery intelligence expert, identified the new aircraft in commercial satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs. Read More…
