Documents
China Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)
KJ-2000
China's first indigenous airborne early-warning and control aircraft, built on a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 airframe fitted with a fixed AESA radar in a distinctive triangular rotodome. It gives the PLA Air Force long-range air surveillance and battle-management capability.
In service since 2003 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
850
km/h
5,500
km range
12,000
m ceiling
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
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 · ~5 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 46% of transport aircraft
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 750 km/h Stronger than 38% of transport aircraft
- 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 43% of transport aircraft
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 12,000 m Stronger than 53% of transport aircraft
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 7.5 h
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 46.6 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 50.5 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 14.76 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 92,500 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 190,000 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 Aviadvigatel PS-90A 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.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Fixed AESA radar in triangular rotodome
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- airborne early warning and control suite
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- tactical data link
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 5 Bottom 4% of transport aircraft
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 27% of transport aircraft
Specifications compiled from public Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 
Airbus Defence and Space C-295 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 has a maximum speed of 850 km/h.
What is the range of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 has a maximum range of 5,500 km.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 weigh? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 has a combat weight of 190,000 kg.
How many crew does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 require? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 requires a crew of 15.
What engine does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 use? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 is powered by the 4x Aviadvigatel PS-90A turbofans.
What is the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 used for? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 is a transport & tanker typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000 cost? +
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) KJ-2000: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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