Latest news with #AviationIndustryCorporation
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The huge, amphibious plane China will use to modernise its military
China has approved mass production of the AG600 Kunlong, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, paving its way for commercial use. Developed as part of China's military modernisation, the AG600 is designed for marine rescues and battling forest fires, with a range of 4,500km and the ability to land in 2m waves. The AG600 can carry 50 people for maritime search-and-rescue or scoop 12 metric tonnes of water in 20 seconds for firefighting. The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China sees the approval as a milestone towards a more advanced aviation sector and stronger independent building capabilities. Following successful test flights, including a 12-tonne water drop, the AG600 is expected to significantly improve forest fire rescue efficiency, according to emergency management officials.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China approves world's biggest amphibious plane for mass production
China has greenlighted the mass production of a homegrown amphibious aircraft that is the world's largest. The Civil Aviation Administration of China on Wednesday certified the AG600 plane for production, paving the way for its entry into the commercial market, according to state broadcaster CCTV. China has developed the AG600 as part of a drive to modernise its military, amid a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea. The AG600 "Kunlong" aircraft boasts capabilities of low-altitude and low-speed performance, high efficiency in firefighting and rescue operations, stable takeoff and landing on water along with a domestically developed support system, Global Times reported. The aircraft, roughly the size of a Boeing 737, was designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500km and is designed to be able to take off and land in 2m waves. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions and scoop up 12 metric tonnes of water within 20 seconds for firefighting trips, according to state media. State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China said the production approval was a milestone towards a 'more high-end and standardised' aviation manufacturing sector. It added that the approval 'strengthened China's ability to independently build a complete civil aviation ecosystem'. Wang Huafeng, an official with the Jilin provincial department of emergency management, told reporters that the prototype was tested for aerial fire suppression over Changbai mountain. "The trial run has shown to us that the seaplane is good at emergency-response tasks," he said. "Its service is a big help to us in terms of grassland and forest fire control." The AG600 is expected to greatly improve the responsiveness and efficiency of forest fire rescue efforts, said Ye Junwei, director of the Zhejiang emergency management air rescue centre. The first batch of the AG600 completed its production test flight in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, in May this year. The aircraft completed a 12-tonne water drop test, flying in the air for 17 minutes before landing smoothly, state media reported. The development of AG600 began in September 2009, just three months after the Chinese government had approved the programme. The aircraft's prototype construction began in March 2014 and was completed in two years before its debut take-off and landing in 2017 at Zhuhai. The aircraft completed its first sea-based test flight over the Yellow Sea in 2020.
South China Morning Post
12-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China approves world's biggest amphibious plane, AG600, for mass production
China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, has been given the green light for mass production, marking a step forward in building an independent and globally competitive aviation industry. Advertisement The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified the plane on Wednesday, confirming that its developer, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), has established a reliable system to consistently produce aircraft that meet safety standards, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Avic said the approval was a milestone towards a 'more high-end and standardised' civil aviation manufacturing sector, and that it 'strengthened China's ability to independently build a complete civil aviation ecosystem', CCTV reported. The development is part of China's broader push to build a self-reliant civil aviation industry and position itself as a major player in the global sector. The goal has gained urgency in light of the United States' recent technology curbs, including restrictions on jet engine exports. The AG600 is one of three large aircraft developed domestically, alongside the Y-20 strategic transport plane and the C919 narrowbody airliner – both in active service. China developed the AG600 to meet urgent needs in emergency rescue and natural disaster prevention and control, state media previously reported.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
India confirms Chinese missiles used by Pakistan in strikes
India has confirmed Pakistan used Chinese-made missiles during the recent cross-border military strikes. Air Marshal AK Bharti, India's director general air operations, said Indian forces had intercepted and neutralised a range of hi-tech foreign weapons used by Pakistan, including the Chinese-origin PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile and Turkish Byker YIHA III Kamikaze drones. 'You can see the pieces of it on the screen,' AM Bharti said during a media briefing, pointing to the debris of a PL-15 missile recovered from a field in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, bordering Pakistan in northern India. Pakistan claims it shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales. A French intelligence source told CNN that a Rafale jet had indeed been downed during exchanges of fire. Delhi sidestepped a question on whether it had lost jets, saying instead that all its pilots were safe. The PL-15, developed by China's Aviation Industry Corporation, is designed to strike high-value airborne targets at ranges exceeding 200km. In public, Beijing has so far struck a diplomatic tone on the crisis between two South Asian neighbours that were brought back from an all-out-war through back-channel talks. But in private, a Chinese delegation travelled to the Pakistani foreign ministry in the middle of the night to celebrate the success of the missile strikes. India's decision to name China in the recent crisis signals growing alarm in New Delhi over deepening military cooperation between the arch rivals. The Pakistani and Chinese militaries are hosting joint exercises and sharing common weapon platforms. The Chinese are also sharing their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with Pakistan. Officers are embedded in the military commands of each other's nations, such as Pakistani officers placed in China's Central Military Commission and Western Theatre Command at Chengdu, which oversees the operational frontier with India. The PL-15 missile, which has never before been used in combat, is powered by a dual-pulse motor that propels it to hypersonic speeds exceeding Mach 5. 'Because they are very, very fast, they basically have what you call a 'no-escape zone',' said Fabian Hoffmann, a missile technology researcher and fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis. The confirmation comes just days after Pakistan's army published a YouTube video showcasing its military arsenal, including a Chinese-made JF-17 Block 3 fighter jet, less advanced than the J-10C, equipped with PL-15 missiles. The combination offers 'potent punch', a caption reads. Analysts believe one of these missiles may have been used to shoot down a Rafale fighter deep inside Indian territory in a long-range 'stand-off' engagement in which neither side crossed the border. The wreckage of a Rafale was reportedly found near Bathinda in Punjab in northern India. The apparent involvement of Chinese aircraft in shooting down a Rafale has ricocheted through defence circles – and sent stock in its maker, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, surging by as much as 20 per cent. Until now, Chinese weaponry had not been field-tested against Western-made systems like the Rafale. The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 36 Rafale F3Rs, the most advanced model of the aircraft. Hu Jixin, the former editor of the Chinese state-owned Global Times, said the battle showed 'China's level of military manufacturing has completely surpassed that of Russia and France', adding that Taiwan should feel 'even more scared'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
