Right after China received its first Israel-modified IL-76MD advanced airborne warning and control aircraft, the Israeli Aircraft Industries canceled the A-50I AEW&C configuration retrofit under the pressure of the US. Surprisingly, soon People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) received an even better gift from the sky in 2001. The incident was a key reason China’s military modernization — especially of its air force and navy — was accelerated.
The Hainan Island incident occurred on April 1, when a USN EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence aircraft and a PLAN J-8II interceptor collided in mid-air, resulting in the EP-3 made an emergency landing on Hainan. In the next two months, Chinese boarded the crown jewel of the recon force and thoroughly stripped and examined its equipment, including a large signals processing computer, the brain of the systems-the tuners and signals processors, as well various cryptographic voice/data devices. From the layout of so many mutual-interfering electronics and their state-of-art solid-state circuits, Chinese experts understand they had been misled for so long. Ever since their sharpened R/D help the later AEW&C.
Moreover, Chinese became determined to upgrade navy aircraft after the incident, eventually replacing all J-8s with fourth-generation J-10 and J-11 fighters and JH-7 bombers. the PLAN has set up a comprehensive air patrol system in the South and East China seas, while the advanced air strength now play the key role in dealing with all kinds of air confrontation with invaders.
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