China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
KJ-2000 (Mainring)
China's first indigenous airborne early-warning and control aircraft, built on a modified Il-76 airframe after Israel's Phalcon export was blocked. It carries a fixed three-panel AESA radar dome providing 360-degree coverage without a rotating antenna.
In service since 2003 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2003. Status: active · ~4 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 850 km/h Stronger than 55% of systems in its class
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 5,500 km Stronger than 54% of systems in its class
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 7.6 h
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 175,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 15
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 4x Soloviev D-30KP turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Fixed AESA radar with three 120-degree panels, Reported detection range ~470 km against fighter targets
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 4
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1
Specifications compiled from public AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
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What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring)? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) has a maximum speed of 850 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring)? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) has a maximum range of 5,500 km.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) has a combat weight of 175,000 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) requires a crew of 15.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) is powered by the 4x Soloviev D-30KP turbofans.
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) is a other typically used for isr, command control.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring)? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) KJ-2000 (Mainring) is operated by 1 countries.
