Recently, Chinese and Russian bombers patrolled the Bering Strait, prompting multiple American and Canadian fighter jets to monitor the situation. Although China and Russia emphasized that it was merely a “routine patrol,” the North American Aerospace Defense Command stated that the Chinese and Russian bombers were “not considered a threat.” However, newly revealed information suggests that the confrontation was not as simple as it seemed.
According to Russian open-source intelligence, besides the visual-range “showdown” between Chinese and Russian bombers and American and Canadian fighter jets, the Russian military also deployed an A-50 early warning aircraft. Meanwhile, the Chinese side sent the KJ-500 early warning aircraft to the rear, engaging in an “invisible contest” with the US E-3 early warning aircraft.
From the footage, it can be seen that the KJ-500 early warning aircraft was hovering over the Bering Sea, east of the Kamchatka Peninsula and south of Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, while the Russian A-50 flew northeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The US E-3B early warning aircraft appeared northeast of the KJ-500’s area of activity. These early warning aircraft were approximately 400 kilometers apart, likely engaging in “remote confrontation.”
In fact, strategic bombers patrolling ahead, fighter jets escorting closely, and early warning aircraft commanding from the rear can be considered standard operations in modern aerial maneuvers. Early warning aircraft provide early warning intelligence, information relay, and airborne command to the front-line aircraft, protecting the strategic bomber group on an unseen level.
Take the KJ-500 early warning aircraft, for example. Its effective detection range exceeds 500 kilometers. According to the map’s marked location, this detection range is sufficient to cover the flight paths of various US fighter jets, especially the F-35 fighter jet. As a fifth-generation aircraft heavily equipped by the US and its allies, collecting the unique electromagnetic signals of the F-35 is crucial. However, the US military seems experienced, keeping the F-16 fighter jets and Canadian CF-188 fighters in close formation with the F-35, making it more challenging for the KJ-500 to acquire the unique electromagnetic signals of the F-35.
Aside from detecting the F-35’s signals, this was also a rare opportunity for practical training for the KJ-500 and H-6 strategic bombers. Although the H-6’s capability to carry long-range missiles such as the CJ-10, CJ-20, and YJ-21 makes it theoretically unnecessary to penetrate the North American Air Defense Identification Zone to launch an attack, in an actual combat scenario, the US would not only guard the North American Air Defense Identification Zone but also extend its air defense forces into the Western Pacific, creating a continuous air defense area. When the fully armed H-6K launches a strategic assault, it must break through US defenses to carry out long-range precision strikes.
During this process, besides fighter jets providing escort for the H-6, the KJ-500 must also collect, distribute, and command early warning intelligence for the entire operation fleet and even engage in electronic warfare with enemy early warning aircraft. This strategic patrol, under the precise command of the KJ-500 from the rear, allowed the H-6 to break through the US fighter jet interception, penetrate the North American Air Defense Identification Zone, and complete the simulated combat mission.
The fact that the US sent an E-3 early warning aircraft, despite claiming that China and Russia posed “no threat,” demonstrates the importance of early warning aircraft in modern warfare. The success of this mission in the complex air environment over the Bering Strait, aided by the KJ-500 early warning aircraft, highlights its superior performance.