Blitzo do you have any break down or website I can be directed to read on how the WJ-6 has improved over the years, beyond me extrapolating that the WJ-6C at minimum could have reached or slightly exceed the performance latest AI-20 in perfomance based on the knowledge that Ukraine and Russia providing significant assistance in 90s and early 2000s?
KJ-600 carrierborne AEWC thread
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
I think this was taken a few years ago when KJ-600 was doing initial tests.
I thought the pods could be camera pods for the Flanker acting as a chase plane, I don't see why they'd need it carrying EW pods in this context.
How does KJ-600's capability compare with American counterparts(E2)?
We are struggling (for months) to have decent pictures and you are asking for capabilities comparison ... You can't be serious.
Lethe
Captain
The relative capability of each platform is mostly going to come down to the radar, which on the new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the AN/APY-9. Given the more recent genesis of KJ-600 as a program, coupled with China's apparently high level of technical proficiency in radar development, and ongoing development and deployment of other AEW platforms, I imagine that KJ-600's radar should be at least on par with AN/APY-9.
Generally speaking, we have no idea. But from some reputable sources on Chinese social media, it would seem that they think KJ-600 went with what is basically E-2D's radar design, i.e, a UHF-band radar with rotating 18-channel (9 on each side) yagi antennas. It makes sense to do this because UHF band works better in detecting LO targets (AGM-158C for example), yagi antennas are chosen to increase gain for UHF signals and the radar mechanically rotates to complement yagi antennas' weakness in wide-angle scans. Sacrificing precision and data rate is acceptable because there are a bunch of gigantic high-power AESAs in the fleet, carrierbrone AWACS only really need to know where threats roughly are coming from. I think it's safe to assume that KJ-600 basically is on par with E-2D given China's reputable expertise in radar and AEWC design.
Isn't E-2D's radar asymmetric?