India Almost Flew the E-2 Hawkeye Carrier-Based AEW&C in 2000, Now China's KJ-600 Soars

The development of carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms underscores the growing significance of these assets for modern naval forces.

China's KJ-600 program highlights this, but it's not the first time an Asian nation seriously considered this capability. The Indian Navy, years before the KJ-600, nearly made a deal that would have profoundly changed its carrier operations.

India's Hawkeye Exploration​

In the early 2000s, India eyed the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye for its upcoming Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), a planned 65,000-ton carrier. The goal was to acquire six E-2s for both the INS Vikramaditya and its new domestically built carrier.

The E-2 Hawkeye is well-regarded, offering significant command and control capabilities and long-range aerial surveillance.

However, the Indian Navy quickly ran into obstacles:

• Carrier Compatibility: India's planned carriers lacked catapult launch systems (CATOBAR), vital for operating heavier aircraft like the E-2.
• Performance Limitations: Reports suggested the Hawkeye struggled in specific lighting conditions, dramatically hampering its endurance.

By 2005, the Indian Navy walked away from the deal. Limitations coupled with possible emerging alternatives likely drove that decision.

China's Airborne Solution - The KJ-600​

Meanwhile, China forged ahead with its domestic AEW&C solution, the KJ-600. This high-wing, twin-propeller aircraft carries a large dorsal radome suggesting substantial radar power.

Built explicitly for the PLAN's Type 003 carriers (which do use CATOBAR launch systems), the KJ-600 promises significantly enhanced situational awareness for Chinese naval operations.

Its development speaks to the growing role AEW&C aircraft play in naval power projection, a role China clearly wants to maximize.

The Future of Asian Carrier-Based AEW&C​

While the Indian Navy ultimately took a different route (opting for smaller helicopter-based AEW systems), it's probable they'll explore fixed-wing carrier solutions in the future.

The benefits of an aircraft like the KJ-600 – extended range, powerful radar, and superior command and control functions – are undeniable.

Both China and India's interest in this area emphasizes the shift in regional maritime security. AEW&C platforms are becoming central to establishing dominance within an increasingly contested operational theater.

 

[BCharlie]

No. Indian navy has helicopter based AEW&C systems. They function well but their limitation is lesser range and cant be refuelled in air

We selected helos because it was better option than E-2 Hawkeye a'crafts or KJ-600.

 

[BCharlie]

Why not Naval Tejas for now and later on TEDBF, we already use KA-31 and were planning to get some KA-35 for AEW&C solutions. Even MIG-29K's could be modified for AEW&C roles.

Lets give this task to HAL.. Its 2024 .. so hopefully by 2034 we may have some viable solution.

 

[BCharlie]

Let them test and fix it if it doesn't work. See, they wouldn't put a system that didn't work at all on a carrier. The fact that they have shows that it should work.

Even the US had a lot of difficulty with EMALS, and I imagine China and India will face similar challenges. In China's case, they will also have to figure out how to use EMALS on constrained power, given the Type 003's conventional powerplant. We shall see.

Consolatory news is that no Chinese eqpt functions and is just junk.. so, lets not worry about them junkies of China.

 

[BCharlie]

I don't think any other Navies have Carriers with Catpults except US, France and China, Brazil recently decommissioned SaoPalo, most navies are converting to Flat deck helicopter ships. India, Russia and China have Skijump, Japan is converting one of their helicopter carrier to Skijump.

Sirji, why do helicopter carriers need ski jump ? Most are around 200mtrs which is very very tight for aircraft to land or take off.

 

[Strongman]

Drdo is working on gulayl system….it’s a Y with 2 rubber strings and a leather catch where we put the plane and launch it…..every 70’s bacha made a prototype, since there were so many entries, they are evaluating the best one.

 

[Anant]

We selected helos because it was better option than E-2 Hawkeye a'crafts or KJ-600.

We selected helicopters because they were the only workable option for a STOBAR carrier such as Vikramaditya. You weren't going to be able to fly off a E-2 from Vikramaditya or Vikrant.

The drawbacks of the Ka-31 were known even at that point of time, but we went with the Ka-31 because it was either that or no AWACS capability unless you flew off an E-2 or an IAF AWACS aircraft from a shore base in support, which isn't always guaranteed.

 

[Anant]

a simple radar that folds and unfolds under the belly just like in KA-31 could easily fit under Naval Tejas and would still be better than KA-31 in range, with GaN tech radars are getting lighter.

No, it isn't as easy as it sounds. A massive flat radar sticking out of the bottom of an aircraft is a massive source of drag for an aircraft, which would impact flight conditions quite a bit.

Secondly, you would have to stow the radar in a position such that it wouldn't interfere with the folding undercarriage (the entire swing of the landing gears) or the tailhook, get any form of interfere from the engines, and would be flat enough so as to not hit the deck when the aircraft was taking off or landing.

The Ka-31 avoids these by having a vertically-lowering landing gear, and, since it is a helicopter, it takes off and lands in a flat manner rather than an incline such as an aircraft.

All of those things would leave little space for you to actually mount that radar under a fixed-wing aircraft.

 

[Anant]

All ospreys were grounded repeatedly few months ago due to repeated accidents. I think what india needs to do here is complete the development of deck based helicopter and churn out its variants with awacs, asw, refuelling capability.

A standard helicopter will not be feasible for use as a refueler simply due to the forward speed. The V-22 can do that since it is actually quite fast, and if the aircraft slows down significantly, you can actually fo aerial refueling. For a standard helicopter such as the DBMRH, you may require the aircraft being refueled to slow down to near stall speed, which is possible to do for refueling, but has a lot of operational risks that might see the idea not happen.

 

[Rational Guy]

Tankers and AEW aircraft will be key to India's next gen 65-75000Ton carriers (hopefully with nuclear propulsion).

It won't be nuclear propulsion this was confirmed quite some time back becuz BARC demanded 15 years min to work on nuclear reactor capable of 65,000 tonne AC.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Well, I have never heard navy officers say that India needs a carrier based AWACS plane. Our AWACS needs are met by helicopters and by shore based AWACS plane IMO.

Of course you can say that it would be great if we have carrier based AWACS plane. We can also say that it would be great if we have nuclear powered 100,000 ton AC or carrier capable 5th gen stealth jets. But those things are out of our "aukaat" right now.

That's bcoz, even though at one point of time they seriously considered it, they quickly realized that no AEWC aircraft can safely fly off a STOBAR carrier and u are thus compelled to use helicopter based AEWC. Here yhe Ka-31 is good enough for time being.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

Japan does...

Yeah Japan does. First deliveries of 14 MV-22 aircraft began in 2020. No perfecture in Japan want to allow basing of the aircraft there due to its dismal safety history. So much was the opposition so that finally Japanese Govt had to decide to deploy it only aboard the Izumo helicopter class destroyers. Now, following the crash of the USAF CV-22 off Yakushima in Nov 2023, Japan has suspended indefinitely all flights of its 14 CV-22's !!

 

[Deepak Hegde]

No, it was a reasonably serious consideration. The US even conducted a bunch of demonstrations in the US for Indian officers. The Navy planned to acquire 6 E-2s, of which 2-3 would be deployed on a future CATOBAR carrier, with the rest being deployed to shore bases. That idea just died a death in the late 2000s after the IAF ordered the A-50s and said that A-50s would be available for naval use if needed. Of course, the second order for two A-50s got delayed later on, and the Navy hasn't had that sustained capability for some time now.

THats why I said, its a fantasy and not a real plan. A-50's were acquired by IAF in 2003. In 2005, the Navy decided against acquiring E-2D's. Is close to 2 decades now!! if it was anything serious, things would have moved by now for alternatives ! Nothing new, classic Indian lethargy, till the backside will be on fire !!

 

[Anant]

Yeah Japan does. First deliveries of 14 MV-22 aircraft began in 2020. No perfecture in Japan want to allow basing of the aircraft there due to its dismal safety history. So much was the opposition so that finally Japanese Govt had to decide to deploy it only aboard the Izumo helicopter class destroyers. Now, following the crash of the USAF CV-22 off Yakushima in Nov 2023, Japan has suspended indefinitely all flights of its 14 CV-22's !!

There have even been some noises by some Japanese officers who want to sell their V-22s back to the US or exchange them for other helicopters with the US.

 

[Anant]

It won't be nuclear propulsion this was confirmed quite some time back becuz BARC demanded 15 years min to work on nuclear reactor capable of 65,000 tonne AC.

That confirmation was given on the belief that INS Vishal would have to enter service in the late 2030s to relieve Vikramaditya, which would have to leave service around 2040 in case we had Vishal following up on Vikrant. Now, however, with the Navy going ahead with a second Vikrant-class carrier, Vikramaditya can go in a state of reduced readiness occasionally, or can be given a LIFEX to extend her life into the late 2040s (let's take 2048 for 35 years of Indian service).

That extra decade that now exists should be plenty of time for BARC to finish work on their reactor. I am assuming work has already been started, so even if we have the reactor poised for completion by 2040 or so, we could design and start work on a 65,000 to 75,000 ton nuclear carrier by 2037-38, which would allow said reactor to be installed by 2042-43, and the carrier could then enter service by 2048-50.

 

[Anant]

THats why I said, its a fantasy and not a real plan. A-50's were acquired by IAF in 2003. In 2005, the Navy decided against acquiring E-2D's. Is close to 2 decades now!! if it was anything serious, things would have moved by now for alternatives ! Nothing new, classic Indian lethargy, till the backside will be on fire !!

The Navy made do with the Ka-31s because of the IAF's promise to provide A-50s if need be, which has largely remained unfulfilled thanks to only 3 A-50s being available. Now, with another 12 AWACS planned, one would hope atleast 2 or 3 would be available for naval reconnaissance use when needed. That said, when we do go for a CATOBAR IAC-III, we would be needing a carrier-based AWACS, and the Ka-31 simply isn't going to cut it (even if you assume the airframes are still around for another 20-25 years).

 

[Deepak Hegde]

There have even been some noises by some Japanese officers who want to sell their V-22s back to the US or exchange them for other helicopters with the US.

I would not be surprised with this development.

 

[Pink Panther]

No, it isn't as easy as it sounds. A massive flat radar sticking out of the bottom of an aircraft is a massive source of drag for an aircraft, which would impact flight conditions quite a bit.

Secondly, you would have to stow the radar in a position such that it wouldn't interfere with the folding undercarriage (the entire swing of the landing gears) or the tailhook, get any form of interfere from the engines, and would be flat enough so as to not hit the deck when the aircraft was taking off or landing.

The Ka-31 avoids these by having a vertically-lowering landing gear, and, since it is a helicopter, it takes off and lands in a flat manner rather than an incline such as an aircraft.

All of those things would leave little space for you to actually mount that radar under a fixed-wing aircraft.

Not when it is made aerodynamic, we see lot of bulges in the fuselage of AWACS and SIGINT planes, you can’t make any jets with 0 Drag, it is all give and take based on benefits.

 

[Pink Panther]

Sirji, why do helicopter carriers need ski jump ? Most are around 200mtrs which is very very tight for aircraft to land or take off.

Even F35B does short take off for obvious reasons, when it is fitted with full payload though it can takeoff or land vertically