Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation is currently test-flying a new indigenous airborne early warning (AEW) design based on its new Y-8F-600 airframe. This is the PLAAF’s third AEW programme following the introduction of KJ-2000 AWACS and Y-8 ‘Balance Beam’ AEW aircraft only few years ago. Airborne electronic systems has been a focus of the PLA’s extensive military modernisation in recent years. In particular, AEW capability has been seen by the military as vital to obtain air superiority over the Taiwan Strait.
陕西航空工业公司现在飞行测试一种新的本国的空中预警机（AEW）设计基于它的新的Y-8 F-600机身。这是仅仅数年来在引进KJ-2000空中指挥管制机和Y-8“平衡木”AEW之后PLAAF的第三种AEW计划。机载电子系统近几年来已经是PLA广泛军事现代化的一个焦点。特别地，AEW能力已经被军队看作在获得台湾海峡上的空中优势中不可或缺。

Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation is currently test-flying a new indigenous airborne early warning (AEW) design based on its Y-8 airframe. The aircraft is fitted with a conventional rotodome-housed airborne surveillance radar to monitor the skies and control warplanes over a wide battlefield.
陕西航空工业公司现在飞行测试一种新的本国的基于它的Y-8机身的空中预警机（AEW）设计。飞机配备有一个传统的旋转雷达天线罩封装的空中监视雷达去监控天空和在一个广阔的战场上管理军用机。

PROGRAMME
计划

It was first revealed in 2005 that the PLAAF was test-flying a third AEW design following the introduction of the Y-8 ‘Balance Beam’ AEW aircraft in 2001 and KJ-2000 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) in 2002. Unlike the two previous projects, both of which utilise fixed phased array radar design, the new Y-8-based AEW is fitted with a conventional E-2C Hawkeye-style rotodome that rotates to give a 360-degree coverage. Internet source photos show that at least one plane (register number T0518) is currently undergoing flight test.
它在2005年被首次展示是PLAAF在2001年Y-8“平衡木”和在2002年KJ-2000空中指挥管制机（AWACS）引进之后飞行测试的第三种AEW设计。不像二种早先的计划，两者应用固定式的相控阵雷达设计，新的基于Y-8 AEW安装使用一种常规的E-2C“鹰眼”（Hawkeye）-风格旋转天线罩旋转去提供360度覆盖。英特网源相片显示至少一架飞机（记录编号T0518）正在经受飞行测试。

At least one Y-8 AEW prototype (series number T0518) is currently undergoing flight test. The plane features a pair of vertical stabilisers are fitted on the tips of the tail-plane to enhance directional stability.
至少一架Y-8 AEW原型（系列序号T0518）现在正在经受测试飞行。飞机特点是一对垂直稳定翼在水平尾翼的顶端上安装提高航向稳定性。

The new Y-8-based airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft is the third AEW&C project since 2001. The PLAAF introduced the Y-8 ‘Balance Beam’ electronically scanned array AEW in 2001 and a more capable KJ-2000 AWACS system in 2002.
新的基于Y-8空中预警机（AEW）是自从2001年以后的第三种AEW&C计划。PLAAF在2001年引进了Y-8“平衡木”电子扫描相控阵AEW和在2002年引进了一种更有能力的KJ-2000空中指挥管制机系统。

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems currently deployed around the world fall within three main categories: the conventional rotodome-housed airborne surveillance radar fitted on the U.S. E-2, E-3, E-767 and Russian A-50; Phalcon phased array radar system developed by Israeli Elta Systems; and ‘balance beam’-style electronically scanned array radar such as Erieye developed by Ericsson Microwave and MESA by Northrop Grumman. The fact that the PLAAF is testing various AEW/AWACS designs that cover all three categories reflects its serious intension to develop a modernised AEW&C capability.
空中预警和控制（AEW&C）系统在全世界范围目前发展三个主要的种类：在美国E-2、E-3、E-767和俄国A-50上安装的传统的旋转雷达天线罩封装的空中监视雷达；被以色列Elta系统公司发展的“费尔康”（Phalcon）相控阵雷达系统和“平衡木”-风格电子扫描相控阵雷达 ，例如被爱立信微波公司发展的“爱立眼”（Erieye）和被诺斯罗普·格鲁门公司发展的MESA。PLAAF测试各种不同的空中预警机（AEW）/空中指挥管制机（AWACS）设计覆盖所有的三个种类反映它的重视加强去发展一个现代化的AEW&C能力。

Little is known about the performance of the radar system fitted on the new Y-8 AEW. The aircraft’s rotodome appears to be larger than that of the E-2C Hawkeye. The airframe is the latest Y-8F-600 (codenamed “Category-III Platform”) developed from the Y-8 (Chinese copy of the Russian An-12 Cub) turboprop transport aircraft with the assistance of the Ukrainian Antonov Bureau. The aircraft is also fitted with Western-designed avionics including Honeywell navigation suite and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150B turboprop engines.
很少的了解关于在新的Y-8 AEW上安装的雷达系统的性能。飞机的旋转雷达天线罩似乎比E-2C“鹰眼”（Hawkeye）的更大。机身是最新的Y-8 F-600（代号“种类-3平台”）从经乌克兰的安托诺夫设计局协助的Y-8（俄国An-12“幼狐”（Cub）的中国仿造型）涡轮螺旋桨推进运输机发展。飞机也配备有西方设计的航空电子设备包括Honeywell导航组件和普拉特&惠特尼加拿大公司PW150B涡轮螺旋桨发动机。

The aircraft has a solid nose which replace the original ‘glass-in’ nose on the Y-8 design. A pair of vertical stabilisers are fitted on the tips of the tail-plane to enhance directional stability. Unlike the Y-8 ‘Balance Beam’ AEW, the new Y-8 AEW is not fitted with the British-made six-blade propellers.
飞机有一个硬机鼻代替最初在Y-8上的的“玻璃-整流罩”机鼻设计。一对垂直稳定翼装在水平尾翼的顶端上提高航向稳定性。不像Y-8“平衡木”AEW，新的Y-8 AEW没有安装英国-制造的六-桨叶螺旋浆。