January 21, 2009:
Ecuador is buying, for $5 million each, a dozen Chinese JY11 low altitude radars. This system has a max range of 180 kilometers, and can spot aircraft flying at tree top level, up to nearly 50,000 feet. The 3-D radar is mobile, requiring three large trucks to transport it all. The JY11 is a phased array system, that can also deceive many radar detectors. The JY11 has been available for less than a decade, and is popular with users.