What's new

China rolls out AWACS aircrafts for Pakistan Air Force

.
Dubious article because it lumps the KJ2000, KJ200 and the ZDK03 together. The KJ2000/200 is AESA but considering the price of 70M per ZDK03 AWAC, I seriously doubt it's AESA.
 
. .
December also saw Pakistan sign a $278 million deal for four Chinese KJ-2000/ZDK03 AEW&C aircraft, whose active electronically steered array radar is mounted on a turboprop-powered Y-8F600. It is somewhat similar to the Saab-2000-mounted Ericsson FRS-890 Erieye system on order from Sweden.

The ZDK-03 purchase, as with the joint JF-17 program, has an element of technology transfer, said defense analyst Usman Shabbir of the Pakistan Military Consortium.

"The Pakistan Air Force sees this procurement of ZDK03 AEW&C as a long-term investment, enabling it to tap into the emerging Chinese capabilities in this field," Shabbir said. "A team of PAF engineers is already working with the Chinese into refining the performance of this system, and China is also helping to set up labs for advance avionics R&D within Pakistan."
 
.
Expanding our manufacturing base will create jobs and technological advancement in engineering. Also domestic projects will help us to reduce imports and narrow the trade deficit. ZDK03 will add to the capabilities of the PAF.

Thanks to the Chinese for the ZDK03. Now we have the US P3 Orions and the Swedish SAAB to enhance our eye in the sky capabilities as well.
 
.
December also saw Pakistan sign a $278 million deal for four Chinese KJ-2000/ZDK03 AEW&C aircraft, whose active electronically steered array radar is mounted on a turboprop-powered Y-8F600. It is somewhat similar to the Saab-2000-mounted Ericsson FRS-890 Erieye system on order from Sweden.

The ZDK-03 purchase, as with the joint JF-17 program, has an element of technology transfer, said defense analyst Usman Shabbir of the Pakistan Military Consortium.

"The Pakistan Air Force sees this procurement of ZDK03 AEW&C as a long-term investment, enabling it to tap into the emerging Chinese capabilities in this field," Shabbir said. "A team of PAF engineers is already working with the Chinese into refining the performance of this system, and China is also helping to set up labs for advance avionics R&D within Pakistan."


Do you see the problem in the highlighted sections? The ZDK03 and the KJ2000 are not the same, nor are they similiar to the Swedish Erieye AEW! Bad reporting. Dubious source.
 
.
Do you see the problem in the highlighted sections? The ZDK03 and the KJ2000 are not the same, nor are they similiar to the Swedish Erieye AEW! Bad reporting. Dubious source.

There is nothing bad reporting in this, as initially it was thought that we would be getting the linear shaped system, like the KJ-200, as it was the one flying at that time. Even till yesterday many members as well as other people who have been thinking that we would be getting the linear shaped version, but they all have been wrong and few members were sure that its a dish mounted version.
 
.
That's not factual. The ZDK03 has existed since 2005, and it was widely known to be for the PAF. Maybe some of the forum members were confused however a source which cannot distinguish between a KJ2000 and a ZDK03 is not a reliable and trustworthy source.

There's no way given the price that this can be an AESA. Unlike most of the members of this forum, I have no emotional bias in this at all. Logically, it cannot be an AESA given what we know factually.
 
.
That's not factual. The ZDK03 has existed since 2005, and it was widely known to be for the PAF. Maybe some of the forum members were confused however a source which cannot distinguish between a KJ2000 and a ZDK03 is not a reliable and trustworthy source.

There's no way given the price that this can be an AESA. Unlike most of the members of this forum, I have no emotional bias in this at all. Logically, it cannot be an AESA given what we know factually.

Did you know? China rules the world when it comes to lowering the production cost?
 
.
You speak without any knowledge whatsoever. The infamous Chinese "cheap" price doe not apply to high tech items like AESA T/R MODULES!! USA can make AESA T/R modules much more cheaply than China can!! I don't think China can make an AESA AWAC for 70 Million! 200M Maybe!
 
.
You speak without any knowledge whatsoever. The infamous Chinese "cheap" price doe not apply to high tech items like AESA T/R MODULES!! USA can make AESA T/R modules much more cheaply than China can!! I don't think China can make an AESA AWAC for 70 Million! 200M Maybe!

You sound like you been selling AESA in a corner shop..
Anyways you know the drill on this forum...Post some links.

Some more "Dubious" links here
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20070713.aspx?comments=Y

http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-PLA-AWACS-Programs.html

Will be easier to understand if you compare this system with Israeli Elta built AEW,because thats thought to be the referrence design of the chinese version.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
.
That's not factual. The ZDK03 has existed since 2005, and it was widely known to be for the PAF. Maybe some of the forum members were confused however a source which cannot distinguish between a KJ2000 and a ZDK03 is not a reliable and trustworthy source.

There's no way given the price that this can be an AESA. Unlike most of the members of this forum, I have no emotional bias in this at all. Logically, it cannot be an AESA given what we know factually.

ZDK-03 has not existed since 2005, there was a prototype of a dish mounted AEW&C, which came to Pakistan also. It was tested, PAF did not liked it entirely, but still jumped into the bandwagon with the pretext to have improvements in the system based on its requirements and some level of ToT, so that it can tone the system as it likes, fulfilling its operational needs.

And now as for price, is anyone sure that 278M was the final price for the deal ?? It may be the initial price, with more funds being allocated later on, or again seller credit would have been very much on the table. Its a very well known fact, that Pakistani defence deals are not very clear, except for the large ones. Similarly, the 278m can be the initial figure, with more funds given.

So logically it can be an AESA, but factually for now its not yet clear which system in reality it is, but hopefully would be confirmed in a few days time.

An AESA radar in a rotodome configuration can work perfectly and has many advantages also, an AESA does not needs to be fixed.
 
.
kanwa.com

<Kanwa News April 10, 2002> The first A50I that Israel's IAI originally planned to assemble for China today remains in Tel-Aviv. 60% percent of the internal installation of the aircraft had been completed when Israeli Cabinet formally decided to dismiss this transaction. Up till today, the aircraft still stays put on the ground, and no further alternation has been done since then or anything else. Sources from IAI disclosed the above information to Kanwa's correspondent.

In January this year, IAI and China signed an agreement concerning the sales of communication satellites with a value of US$180 millions. IAI disclosed that the deal had nothing to do with A50I. According to the articles of the contract, China will further purchase another eight satellites of the same model. China was clearly aware that Israel's failure to fulfill the contract was due to the pressure from the USA; therefore the cooperation between the two countries was not that seriously damaged as the outsiders estimated. Reliable sources from IAI claimed that China originally demanded for a compensation of US$1 billion. Though the two sides are still negotiating on the relevant issue, China and Israel have reached agreement on the basic framework of the solution. Israel will compensate China a total of US$ 350 million. The compensation process has not yet started, and will be paid by the Israel government instead of IAI. Before this, China paid Israel US$250 million to purchase the first A50I, and thus the A50I aircraft remained in Tel-Aviv is still the property of China. However, that aircraft will not be able to fly to China. Il76MD aircraft was what Israel purchased from Russia with China's money at a price of US$45 million. Sources from IAI say that after the compensation is completed by the Israel government, the A50I will become the property of the Israel government, who will then have the right to decide how to dispose of it. Earlier than this, the source from Indian military industry told Kanwa's correspondent at an interview that India and Israel had completed the first round talk concerning the purchase of three Phalcon AWACS from the latter, and the first three sets of radar systems will also be installed on Il76 aircrafts. Authoritative sources with Indian official background told Kanwa in Singapore that the negotiation would be completed in the coming six months. The areas that the two sides cannot agree on are the price of the aircraft. India plans to obtain the first A50I by 2004.

Would it be possible then for Israel to deliver A50I that was originally intended for China to India? Sources from IAI first stressed that they would not like to hurt the feeling of the Chinese or to further lose a future market with great potential. Meanwhile, on the issue of A50I, IAI did not experience any direct economic loss. And after the compensation is completed, it will be the property of the Israel government. Secondly, due to the changes of the equipments inside the aircraft, it is impossible for India to directly purchase this A50I at a low price. Thus it is still a problem for Israel goverment how to deal with the the first A50I. Perhaps Israel can look for a client that will not irritate the Chinese. "It will remain in the Tel-Aviv for a long time," the source said. IAI confirms that it will not transport the radar system of the aircraft to China in whatever ways. <Kanwa News>


Military Aviation - News & Views II [Archive] - PakDef Forums

The Chinese paid Israel 250Million for the A50I. The cost of the airframe itself is 45M, leaving about 205Million just for the AESA/AWAC.

The 250M is a reasonable price for an AESA Awac. I expect the KJ2000 probably cost around 200M. Since the speculation is that the KJ2000 awac system has been transplanted onto the ZDK03, the 70M per ZDK03 does not support this wild speculation. Furthermore, the KJ2000 is a huge plane, whereas a ZDK03 based on the Y8 frame is not. You wouldn't have the space to put the KJ2000 systems onto this much smaller plane.

The ZDK03 is almost certain to be an older PulseDoppler radar with a rotating disk, which would agree with the 70M price tag and chinese reports.
 
.
You speak without any knowledge whatsoever. The infamous Chinese "cheap" price doe not apply to high tech items like AESA T/R MODULES!! USA can make AESA T/R modules much more cheaply than China can!! I don't think China can make an AESA AWAC for 70 Million! 200M Maybe!

For nearly 200M, we can get a western system on top of a turbo prop platform, just like the Erieye on the Saab 2000 platform, as the deal was for 5 system for something slightly above 1B dollars.
 
.
With those new arrivals and existing SAAB AEW..Now Pakistan has more than enough capability of detecting and tracking any aircraft that goes airborne,deep inside India..

No more surprises.
 
.
Back
Top Bottom