China has claimed a major breakthrough in radar technology that could render its early warning aircraft (AEW&C) nearly invisible to enemies.
If claims are to be believed, this would mark a significant leap in electronic warfare and shift how these high-value platforms survive in contested airspace.
Interestingly, the claim comes at a time when Pakistan reportedly lost critical AEW&C capability in its standoff with India, underscoring why Beijing is pushing such technologies.
AEW&C aircraft remain ‘Eye in the Sky’ in modern combat, and ensuring their survivability is central to future conflicts in Asia and beyond.
Invisible AEW&C?
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Chinese air force scientists have developed a radar method that could make their AEW&C aircraft exceptionally hard to detect.
The technology, based on Frequency Diverse Array (FDA) radar, assigns each antenna a slightly different frequency, rather than transmitting a uniform beam.
Engineers describe this as the equivalent of a hundred singers performing the same tune but each slightly off-pitch. To a distant adversary, the combined emissions appear chaotic, fluctuating, and directionless.
Instead of revealing a clear source, the radar emissions scatter, morph, and confuse passive sensors that rely on stability to triangulate their origin.
Traditional phased array radars steer beams by adjusting phase signals across antennas. FDA adds time-varying frequency offsets, transforming the wavefront into a dynamic, space-time-frequency entity. In simple terms, the radar behaves like a mix of surveillance and jamming, confusing enemy electronic surveillance systems.
Chinese researchers described this shift as a “paradigm leap.” Instead of passively hiding, AEW&C could actively blind opponents, creating a signal environment where detecting them becomes nearly impossible.
This technology, if operationalised, would allow China’s KJ-2000 and KJ-500 early warning aircraft to survive longer in contested environments, including the Indo-Pacific, where the U.S. and allies could deploy advanced electronic intelligence systems.
Why Does AEW&C Matter?
Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft are often described as flying command centres. They carry long-range radar systems mounted on large aircraft platforms and can detect hostile aircraft, drones, missiles, and even surface targets at significant distances.
More importantly, they coordinate fighter jets, direct air defences, and provide real-time battlefield intelligence far away from the war zone.
The United States pioneered AWACS with its Boeing E-3 Sentry, which became indispensable for NATO. Russia, China, and India followed with their own platforms.
In modern warfare, AEW&C are not just surveillance assets; they are battle managers. Without them, fighter aircraft lose their extended ‘eyes’, air defences struggle to respond in time, and the entire command-and-control architecture is weakened.
For this reason, AEW&C aircraft are considered both high-value assets and high-value targets. Their radar emissions are powerful and easily detected from hundreds of kilometres away, making them prime targets for long-range missiles.
India-Pakistan Conflict
China’s announcement comes against the backdrop of recent losses reportedly suffered by Pakistan, one of Beijing’s closest defence partners.
During India’s Operation Sindoor, Pakistan lost several high-value assets, including at least one Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C aircraft.
Retired Pakistani Air Marshal Masood Akhtar admitted in a televised interview that a BrahMos missile strike at Bholari airbase damaged an AEW&C parked in a hangar.
Six Pakistani aircraft – including five fighter jets and another large aircraft – were downed during Operation Sindoor, the IAF chief confirmed.
“We have five confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT or an AEW&C aircraft, which was taken on at a distance of 300 km. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about,” the Air Chief Marshal said.
For Pakistan, the loss of AEW&C aircraft could be devastating. These platforms form the backbone of its air surveillance and command capability. Without them, Pakistan’s ability to detect and counter Indian air operations diminishes sharply.
Islamabad had nine AEW&C aircraft before the strikes: four Saab 2000 Erieye systems purchased from Sweden and four Chinese ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagle aircraft. The ZDK-03s were reportedly retired in 2023, leaving only the Erieye fleet operational.
Now, with at least one damaged and possibly more lost, Pakistan is scrambling to replenish its airborne early warning capability.
Earlier, EurAsian Times reported that Beijing could supply Islamabad with the KJ-500 AEW&C aircraft, along with stealth J-35A fighters (a report denied by Pakistan’s defense minister) and HQ-19 air defense systems.
China Pushes AEW&C Survivability?
For China, the survivability of AEW&C aircraft is not just about Pakistan. It is about preparing for high-end conflicts in the Indo-Pacific, especially against the United States and its allies.
US and Indian forces have invested heavily in long-range missiles, electronic intelligence, and passive detection systems. These are designed to track high-power emitters, such as AEW&C aircraft, making them vulnerable even when flying deep within friendly airspace.
China’s FDA radar claim directly addresses this vulnerability. By making AEW&C emissions behave like phantom signals, Beijing aims to protect its command-and-control platforms from adversary missiles and electronic countermeasures.
The timing is notable. With tensions rising in the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, Beijing is signalling that its ‘eyes in the sky’ will not be easily blinded or destroyed.
What This Means For India
From an Indian perspective, China’s claim cannot be dismissed lightly. Even if the technology is still in its early stages, the intent is clear: to deny India and its partners the ability to neutralize Chinese AEW&C aircraft in the opening phases of a conflict.
India has its own AEW&C capabilities, including three Phalcon AWACS mounted on IL-76 aircraft and two DRDO-developed ‘Netra’ systems based on Embraer jets, with more in the pipeline. However, India also recognizes the vulnerability of these aircraft. Protecting them from Chinese long-range missiles and electronic warfare is a constant concern.
The recent example of Pakistan’s Erieye losses shows both the vulnerability and importance of AEW&C aircraft. For India, the lesson is twofold:
First, Offensive strikes on enemy AEW&C aircraft can decisively tilt the balance of air superiority. Second, defensive protection of its own AEW&C must evolve as adversaries develop counter-capabilities.
China’s FDA radar claim suggests that future wars may see AWACS playing not just a surveillance role but also an electronic deception role, confusing enemy systems while guiding friendly forces.
For India, this means investing in counter-FDA detection methods, such as multi-static radar networks, AI-driven signal recognition, and quantum sensing technologies that can see through engineered chaos.
The Strategic Picture
China’s military technology announcements often serve multiple purposes: showcasing innovation, boosting domestic morale, and signalling deterrence to adversaries.
Whether FDA radar is fully operational or still experimental remains unclear; what is certain is that Beijing is preparing its narrative for the next phase of warfare: one where electronic deception is as important as firepower.
For India, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge lies in countering increasingly sophisticated Chinese and Pakistani airborne warning and control systems. The opportunity lies in accelerating indigenous development of counter-surveillance technologies and ensuring India does not fall behind in electronic warfare.
India’s strength has always been adaptability. The claimed BrahMos and S-400 strikes on Pakistan’s AEW&C aircraft demonstrated that Indian forces can target and neutralise high-value assets.
- Shubhangi Palve is a defense and aerospace journalist. Before joining the EurAsian Times, she worked for ET Prime. She has over 15 years of extensive experience in the media industry, spanning print, electronic, and online domains.
- Contact the author at shubhapalve (at) gmail.com
