China is systematically increasing the capabilities of its aircraft carriers, bringing them closer to American ships such as the Gerald R. Ford and Nimitz. As it became known now, the Chinese aircraft DRLO KJ-600 took to the skies for the first time. It took off from the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation in Xi’an.
The vehicle received a KLC-7 radar station equipped with an active phased antenna grille. In the future, the KJ-600 intends to include the newest Chinese aircraft carrier, which is currently being built at the Shanghai Shipyard.
This aircraft carrier – the most powerful in the history of the People’s Republic of China – was designated Type 003. They want to provide it with a launch catapult, allowing to launch heavy aircraft. The first two Chinese aircraft carriers, Shandong and Liaoning, do not have catapults. The aircraft launch, as in the case of the heavy carrier cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, is carried out with the help of bow jumps.
