KJ-200 Moth
Summary
| Category | Military Special Mission Aircraft |
| Origin country | 🇨🇳 China |
| Manufacturer | Shaanxi |
| First flight | 1 January 2005 |
| Year introduced | 2007 |
| Number produced | 11 units |
Technical specifications
| Version: KJ-200 | |
|---|---|
| Operational range | 5,615 km (3,489 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 660 km/h (410 mph) |
| Wing area | 121.9 m² (1312.1 sqft) |
| Wingspan | 38 m (124.7 ft) |
| Height | 11.2 m (36.6 ft) |
| Length | 34.0 m (111.6 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 10,400 m (34,121 ft) |
| Empty weight | 35,490 kg (78,242 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 61,000 kg (134,482 lbs) |
| Climb rate | 10.0 m/s (32.8 ft/s) |
| Powerplant | 4 x Zhuzhou WJ-6 turboprop delivering 793 kW each |
Current operating countries
All operators
Description
The KJ-200 (NATO reporting name: Moth), also designated Y-8W and colloquially known as the GX-5, is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft developed by the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation of China. Development of the aircraft began in 2002 after the United States blocked the sale of the Israeli EL/W-2090 Phalcon radar to China. Led by chief designer Ouyang Shaoxiu, the program modified approximately 80% of the baseline Shaanxi Y-8 military transport aircraft. The KJ-200 made its first flight in January 2005. A second aircraft crashed in 2006 due to wing icing, which delayed the program.
The aircraft's primary sensor is a JY-06 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. This radar is mounted in a balance beam configuration above the fuselage, resembling the Ericsson Erieye radar system.
The KJ-200 entered service with the People's Liberation Army in 2007 and made its first public appearance at the Chinese National Day Parade in 2009. The People's Liberation Army Air Force operates four of the aircraft, while the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force operates six. In February 2017, a KJ-200 and a US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion passed within 300 meters (1,000 feet) of each other over the South China Sea.
Main Variants
- KJ-200: This is the base airborne early warning and control variant.
- KJ-200A: This version was first observed in December 2016 and features a revised nose section and new electronics.
- KJ-200AG: This is the unofficial designation for a KJ-200A modified with an inflight air refueling probe.
- KJ-200H: This version is a modified KJ-200 configured for the People's Liberation Army Navy.
- KJ-200B: This variant adds satellite communications and new electronics, first observed in 2016 and entering service in 2023.