Even by China’s military standards, it’s big. Known as “enormous dragon”, the AG600 is the world’s largest amphibious aircraft in production after finally taking off on its maiden flight during the Christmas holidays.
With a wingspan of 38.8 meters and powered by four engines, the aircraft can carry 50 people and stay airborne for 12 hours.
“Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft,” Huang Lingcai, the chief designer at Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), told the government-controled Xinhua news agency.
The state-owned aviation conglomerate spent almost eight years developing the AG600, which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737, and is designed to carry out marine rescues and military operations.
Up to 17 orders have been received for this flying fortress from Chinese government departments and domestic companies. With a maximum flight range of 4,500 kilometers and a take-off weight of 53.5 tons, it can also be used for commercial services.
“Its 4,500km operational range and ability to land and take off from water makes it well suited for deployment over China’s artificial islands,” James Char, a military analyst at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, told The Guardian.
China is in the process of a massive military modernization program, ranging from testing anti-satellite missiles to building stealth fighters.
This latest addition to its maritime capabilities comes at a time when the world’s second biggest economy has started to flex its muscles. “The AG600 is a protecting spirit of the sea, islands and reefs,” Xinhua said.
From the southern Chinese city of Sanya, the aircraft would be able to fly to the edge of the country’s territorial claims, the James Shoal, in four hours, the ultra conservative state-owned tabloid, Global Times, reported.
The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia. This collection of submerged rocks is about 80km from Malaysia’s coastline and more than 1,800km from the Chinese mainland.
“The plane’s capacity and maneuverability makes it ideal for transporting material to those maritime features that are too structurally fragile to support runways,” Char told The Guardian.
But then, Beijing’s buildup in the South China Sea, through which $5 billion in annual trade passes, has been hotly contested by other countries.
For many years, the Philippines was one of the region’s strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism, and took its case to the United Nations.
Last year, a panel ruled that China’s territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte refused to take the matter further and backed away from the dispute.
Sir,China is spending trillions of dollars building Infrastructure far greater than Marshall Plan in post ww2 to get poor landlocked population out of poverty. This will grow world economy exponentially.I dont find any reason why some people are jealous and angry? They should join in to build a better world.China attacked nobody! It was India that started war with china in 1962!.
Call it a passage fee. Buy yourself a ticket like you do panama canal, we close the flood gates, pump it full of water, and, not only 5.3 trillion bucks will through by 5.3 zillion will pass by.
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$5.3 trillion dollars in trade passes through that sea annually, not $5 billion …
David Oldham
Don’t be silly. Nothing ever rules in China’s favour. Everyone is out to get China – not pamper or salute her.
To make rulings such that it would rule in one’s favor, one must fight fang and tooth for it and that is what China is doing now: makeing rulings such that it will rule in her favor exactly as how western rulings had been drawn, drafted, and designed to work in its own and not in China’s favour.
We Chinese of course saw through all of that. So, so much for international law as I always say, when these laws are drawn to protect only the interest of the West and no one elses.
many happiness for great leader xi to making china super great power in all military aspect
Regardless no reasonable outside observer of the facts would rule in China’s favor. The example given in the article just shows you how glaringly irresponsible development of these underwater shoals for sovereign claims are for a purported civilized law abiding people.
Jo Snow That is a load of crap. There will be no calls in the halls of Congress for something like this albatross.
The Philippines did not bring the island disputes to the UN, instead it brought it before the privately funded International Permanant Court of Arbitration which has Nothing to do with the UN and not enforceable internationally. China did not participate in the "arbitration" and not involved with the selection of the judges. The IPCA rents the premise of the UN ICJ for its seating, and extended its jurisdiction over soverignity issues exempted under UNCLOS
I’m no neo-con and I don’t see it as a very smart piece of investment when tilt rotors such as the Blue Whale would make far greater sense. Let’s admit it. Still a dumb one nonetheless.
(Sitting Duck)
For all of the criticisms I have for it, I don’t believe the intention for it is front line military and warfare applications. Nobody is that dumb. I do however see it as vital for far off search and rescue. China operates a large fleet of Seiners that operates in choppy waters far out at sea. It would also be suitable as a coast guard scout plane for the monitoring of contraband smuggling. May work as commercial transport for far off Islands where no airstrip is available.
No Kiding. It is a special way of neo-con to con more money for its MIC.
Perry Kamath Too bad, China is working on them all. Maybe your BJP can do something instead of blowing hotair…
The author uses every word possible to make this plane sound evil but really over reaches by calling it a flying fortress. It cannot drop bombs and has no guns on it. It’s a transport and china has developed far fewer planes, commercial and military, than Europe or America. They’re just beginning Just review the vast and rich history of U.S. aircraft and one can see how many more planes we’ve developed.
What a beautiful sitting duck target for even a handheld missile! Forget submarine or ship to air – long range missiles! C’mon Beijing, build another bigger one!
Another Howard Hugh’s Spruce Goose?
What are we (Chinese) trying to prove here? Do we seriously need to add something as dumb as this to our inventory of what’s clearly Darth Vader super weaponry’s?
What is Beijing thinking of? I don’t think there’s even a market out there for dumb ass like this in the international arm’s marketplace so where are we headed with this?
C’mon Beijing, concentrate your efforts (or investments) on the H-20 and other super 5ft and 6th geberation weaponry’s…
I mean how hard is it to have the H-6 reengineer further still and turn it into yet a heavier, longer range, Mach 1.8 to Mach 2 supersonic strick bomber as Blackjack as we work on the mighty and mysterious H-20?
I can almost imagine the H-6 getting a much more aerodynamics airframe and an enhanced fuselage for more fuel and weapon loads, a increase angle of wing swept to reduce drag or the wing totally redesigned to meet Mach 2 upper altitude supercruise needs, 4 instead of two only powerplants to give it all the power needed to go half way round the world…
That’s gotta send 『 any Kim Jing-un 』the message wouldn’t it? ；)
With more frequent typhoon, the flying goose will come more and more handy to saving Pinoy lives by delivering medical aids, food and water. Don’t just think that Duterte is such a fool. He already knows that if he wants money for development, he must see Xi. If he wants to buy arms for security, he must see the trumpeter.