China may have begun limited production of its next-generation KJ-3000 airborne early warning aircraft, with satellite imagery suggesting that three possible production examples were already parked at a factory as early as April, according to an imagery analyst.
If brought into service, the aircraft could help the People’s Liberation Army to detect threats, track targets and coordinate air operations across the western Pacific, including during a potential conflict over Taiwan involving US and allied forces.
Satellite imagery captured on October 5 by US geospatial intelligence company Vantor showed four KJ-3000s at the Xian-Yanliang aviation complex in the country’s northwestern Shaanxi province, US defence media outlet TWZ reported last week.