China recently unveiled a new Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) plane intended to improve the nation’s threat detection capabilities. The KJ-3000, which is based on Beijing’s domestic Y-20 strategic transport platform, has four high-powered engines. The aircraft also seems to have two rotating active electronically scanned array radars that provide full coverage of its environment. The KJ-3000 will improve the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) surveillance capabilities, notably in the contentious South China Sea and the western Pacific, according to Chinese news sources.
