KQ-200

The Shaanxi KQ-200 (also designated Y-8Q, Y-9Q, or GX-6) is an anti-submarine (ASW) and maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) manufactured by the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). Based on the Shaanxi Y-8 or Y-9, development of the aircraft included the construction of two prototypes by late 2011, with a potential new production line opening in late 2016.

Design

The aircraft is powered by four Wojiang WJ-6C turboprop engines driving six-bladed propellers. It is operated by a crew of 13, including a pilot, a co-pilot, and 11 mission crew members. Performance specifications include a maximum speed of 600 km/h, a ferry range of 5,000 km, and an operational endurance of over eight hours. Sensor systems consist of a chin-mounted surface search radar, an electro-optical camera in a belly turret, and a magnetic anomaly detector housed in an extended tail boom.

Armament

For offensive and search operations, the KQ-200 carries internal weapons, including depth charges and up to ten Yu-7 torpedoes. It also carries 100 SQ-4 or SQ-5 sonobuoys, which are deployed from four internal rotary cabinets.

Operational History

The PLANAF received its first KQ-200 in 2015, and the type entered service by 2017. The Southern Theater Command first deployed the aircraft in 2017, and by 2023, the aircraft was operational across all three theater commands. The PLANAF inventory includes more than 30 KQ-200 aircraft. In March 2022, one aircraft may have crashed in the Gulf of Tonkin.