According to a recent report by aviation journalist Alan Warnes, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) selected the KLJ-7A active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the JF-17 Block-III.[1] The Block-III is the newest variant of the PAF’s mainstay fighters, of which it operates over 120 aircraft in multiple variants.
Developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET), the KLJ-7A was revealed in 2016 as a potential option for the JF-17. NRIET was competing against the Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute (LETRI), which was offering its LKF601E air-cooled AESA radar.
Though the KLJ-7A was available in multiple versions, one with a fixed-array, another with a mechanically steered panel, and a form with side-mounted panels.[2] However, Warnes’ noted that the PAF opted for an air-cooled version of the KLJ-7A, potentially indicating the existence of a fourth variant.[3]
In 2016, NRIET reportedly said that the KLJ-7A offers a maximum range of 170 km against a target with a radar cross-section (RCS) of 5m2.[4] NRIET added that the KLJ-7A uses over 1,000 transmit/receive modules (TRM), and is capable of tracking 15 targets and simultaneously engaging four.[5] It also has over 11 modes for operation, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR).[6]
It is unclear how the air-cooled configuration would impact the KLJ-7A’s performance, but the competing LKF601E (also air-cooled) offered near-identical results. So, like the KLJ-7A, the LKF601E offers a range of 170 km for ‘fighter-sized’ targets, with the ability to track 15 of them simultaneously, and engage four at once.[7] However, LETRI did not disclose how many TRMs it is using in the LKF601E.[8]
Thus, an air-cooled variant of the KLJ-7A should at least be as capable of the LKF601E. However, compared to the liquid-cooled version of the KLJ-7A, the air-cooled variant could be lighter in weight, and smaller in size. The benefit of this choice could be that it would be easier to retrofit to earlier JF-17 models.
In fact, the LKF601E was integrated to FC-1 Unit 06, an older prototype.[9] Not only that, but LETRI officials had claimed that the LKF601E could be added to existing JF-17/FC-1s on an in-situ basis, i.e., one can swap in the LKF601E without the need any major modifications to the aircraft.[10] Thus, a fleet-wide retrofit need not be high-cost, nor intensive enough to keep the aircraft out of service for a long period of time.
It would not be feasible to upgrade the Block-I and Block-II with the internal structural changes and three-axis fly-by-wire flight control system of the JF-17B and Block-III. However, it is beginning to seem that the older JF-17s should be able to take on the majority of the Block-III’s subsystem additions.
So, that would include the new AESA radar, weapons compatibility, and other key additions, such as the helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system. It is likely that the HMD/S will also be Chinese, mainly due to the fact that AVIC is developing at least one system, and the supply market for this product is very limited. However, the PAF may acquire other inputs, such as radar warning receiver (RWR) and electronic countermeasures (ECM), from a variety of sources, just as it had for the Block-II (which uses the ALR-400).
New Munitions
The selection of the KLJ-7A also means, by default, that the PAF has selected a new Chinese beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile (AAM) to accompany the new radar.
Don't Stop Here. Unlock the Rest of this Analysis Immediately
To read the rest of this deep dive -- including the honest assessments and comparative analyses that Quwa Plus members rely on -- you need access.
