BEIJING – The Chinese military, undeterred by a U.S. veto that blocked the purchase of Israeli planes, has developed its own radar surveillance aircraft and is test-flying the first models for early deployment in the Taiwan Strait, according to military specialists.
The Chinese airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, uses domestically produced advanced radar mounted on a Russian-made Il-76 transport aircraft. Analysts said the AWACS marks an important step in the government’s campaign to develop the modern military necessary to back up its threat to reunite Taiwan with the mainland by force if necessary.
Electronic weaponry – in this case, equipment to monitor the skies and control warplanes over a wide battlefield – has been a major focus of extensive military improvements in recent years. In particular, AWACS has long been seen by the military as an indispensable tool for air superiority over the 100-mile strait separating Taiwan from the mainland.
“You’ve got to have those AWACS up there or you’re not going anywhere,” said a foreign military attache in Beijing describing China’s need for such a system in the event of conflict with Taiwan.
Chinese military technicians have been struggling to acquire AWACS-type equipment since the United States pressured Israel in 2000 to back out of a $1 billion agreement to sell China four of its Phalcon phased-array radar systems. The systems also would have used Il-76 aircraft as a platform.
The main U.S. concern in blocking the sale was that China would gain a military advantage over Taiwan. Moreover, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. government has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself against any Chinese attack, meaning U.S. forces could become involved should fighting erupt.
For the same reasons, People’s Liberation Army air force leaders were determined to acquire such a plane. “After the 2000 Israeli fiasco, the PLA made it a matter of high pride to prove to the Americans they would not be denied AWACS,” said Richard Fisher Jr., a U.S.-based specialist on the Chinese military.
The AWACS could be operational within one or two years assuming the tests are successful, specialists said. It was not known how many are planned for production, but Fisher noted eight would allow for a 24-hour patrol at both ends of the Taiwan Strait.
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