China’s Xi’an KJ-600 is a carrier-capable airborne early warning and control aircraft designed to operate primarily from the PLAN’s Type-003 carriers. The platform is reported to have a maximum operational range of 1,250 km and carries a three-panel active electronically scanned array radar arranged in a triangular configuration to provide broad-area surveillance and targeting support.
Developed for carrier-based operations, the KJ-600 fills the airborne early warning role aboard China’s newest carrier platforms. Its design emphasizes compatibility with carrier flight decks and the operational environment of a carrier strike group, enabling real-time airborne surveillance, command and control, and support for naval aviation and fleet operations.
The aircraft’s sensor suite centers on a three-way AESA radar array configured in a triangular layout. This arrangement is intended to provide wide azimuth coverage with overlapping fields of view, improving situational awareness, target detection, and tracking continuity. AESA technology also offers faster beam steering, greater resistance to jamming, and the ability to track multiple targets simultaneously compared with older mechanically scanned radars.
With a stated range of 1,250 km, the KJ-600 can extend a carrier group’s surveillance bubble well beyond the horizon, enhancing early detection of air and surface threats and improving the carrier’s ability to coordinate long-range strikes and defensive measures. Integration of such an AEW&C platform increases the operational reach and coordination capabilities of the carrier strike group it supports.
