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Chinese KJ-600 AEW may have performed maiden flight

4th September 2020 - 22:45 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

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The KJ-600, a carrier-borne airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft destined for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), may have performed its maiden flight on 29 August.

The project is shrouded in secrecy, but grainy long-range photos doing the rounds on the Chinese internet suggest that the aircraft has flown for the first time. Prior to that, satellite imagery from August showed the aircraft at Xi'an Yanliang Airport, where the Xi’an Aircraft Corporation (XAC) and China Flight Test Establishment are based.

Chinese media added little clarity on the event, with various publications merely saying the KJ-600 successfully achieved its maiden flight

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