AFP News
24 December 2017
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft Takes Off in China
World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft Takes Off in China
China’s home-grown AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.
The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported.
“Its 4,500-km operational range and ability to land and take off from water makes it well-suited for deployment over China’s artificial islands,” said James Char, a military analyst at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“The plane’s capacity and maneuverability makes it ideal for transporting materiel to those maritime features that are too structurally fragile to support runways,” Char said.
IDSS / Print / Online
