The world’s largest amphibious aircraft, the China-made AG600, executed its maiden flight on Sunday, and comes as the latest milestone in the country’s efforts to modernise its military, yahoo.com reports.
State television recorded live images of the AG600 lifting off from Zhuhai airport in the southern province of Guangdong, which sits on the South China Sea coast.
It returned almost an hour later and taxied to its stand accompanied by martial music and greeted by crowds waving Chinese flags.
Xinhua news agency announced the aircraft was the “protector spirit of the sea, islands and reefs”.
China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the United States.
Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to local media.
Source: yahoo.com
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