China Exports Its First AWACS

The Strategy Page ^ | 11/28/2010 | The Strategy page

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Pakistani officials have inspected the first of four Chinese ZDK-03 AWACS (Air Warning And Control System) aircraft. The aircraft was recently completed, and will enter service in a few months. These aircraft were ordered two years ago, for nearly $300 million each. Pakistan is also buying similar aircraft from Sweden. China has been developing its own AWACS for a decade, ever since the U.S. forced Israel to back off selling China the Phalcon AWACS (which used some American technology). China then bought some AWACS from Russia, while hustling to develop their own.

The Chinese Air Force was not happy with its four IL-76 AWACS (A-50s from Russia, converted to use Chinese KJ2000 radar systems) and smaller systems carried in the Chinese made Y-8 aircraft. Meanwhile, the Chinese have been outfitting a Boeing 737-800 airliner as an AWACS aircraft. These worked much better, but are more expensive to build.

[traumer]