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©Saab

utilising these A321 aircraft before for increased operational range and fleet of aircraft acquired from
start of modifications by DRDO. endurance. The third-generation Sweden and China. In January, this
The IAF commenced the courier KJ-500 is replacing the older, Y-8J year, it emerged that the PAF had
operations with its A321s in May and KJ-200 airborne early warning inducted another Saab 2000 Erieye
2023, operating scheduled flights to and control aircraft, which are now AEW&C aircraft, and it is now
Srinagar, Guwahati and Bagdogra being phased out of the PLANAF thought to have at least seven of
and courier operations from and PLAAF inventories. the type in service. The Saab 2000
Kolkata, Chennai and Port Blair. Erieye AEW&C has a range of more
The KJ-600 is a new generation than 3,700 km and an endurance of
AEW&C platform which has a range over 9 hours.
The AWACS India programme was of 400-500 km and is likely to also
originally approved in February
2013 and the Indian MoD then be capable of operating off aircraft Saab inked its first contract in
carriers belonging to the Peoples
released a tender in March 2014 October 2005 to supply an airborne
tender for procurement of six air- Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The surveillance system for Pakistan,
KJ-600 is powered by two WJ-6C
craft (with options for four more). with four aircraft eventually ordered.
The AWACS India programme turboprop engines and bears more Three of these aircraft, which were
than passing a resemblance to the
which was to be based on Airbus at Minhas AFB were damaged in a
A330 aircraft was later scrapped in U.S. Navy’s E-2 ‘Hawkeye’ AEW&C terrorist attack in 2012, but all are
favour of developing an A320 based aircraft. thought to have eventually been
variant. returned to service.
The KJ-500’s manufacturer,
the Shaanxi Aircraft Industry
Eyeing New Corporation also manufactures
AWACS Platforms other Chinese special mission The Swedish airframer has sold
eight different configurations of the
The KJ-500 is one of the more aircraft such as the KJ-200 AEW&C Erieye AEW&C mission system to
modern AWACS platforms now aircraft, Y-8 anti-submarine patrol eight countries, making it one of the
operational with the Peoples aircraft and Y-8 electronic warfare most widely used AEW&C systems
Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). aircraft. in the world. The turboprop based
The first aircraft was inducted into PAF on the Move AEW&C platform is known to be
service with the PLAAF in 2015. in operational use with Sweden,
Based on the Y-9 medium tactical The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is Greece, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan,
transport aircraft, AWACS version emerging as the regional leader in Thailand and the United Arab
features aerial refueling capability AEW&C capability with a growing Emirates (UAE)..

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