“Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft,” chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua. 13 spectacular photos of world’s largest aircraftThe 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. The AG600’s flight capabilities put all of China’s island-building projects in the South China Sea well within range. World’s largest plane unveiled“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. Beijing’s buildup in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

Source: The Express Tribune December 24, 2017 09:00 UTC