The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has completed tests of its AG600 large amphibious aircraft over sea.
The company confirmed the development on 14 April.
AVIC plans for the AG600 to have its first take-off from a water surface by the end of 2020. The first landing on water was achieved in October 2018.
Also known as ‘Water Dragon’, the aircraft is the set to become the world’s largest amphibious aircraft.
It has a wingspan of 38.8m and is 37m long making it a similar size to a Boeing 737 airliner. It has a MTOW of 53.3t and a maximum range of 4,500km.
China has indicated that it will be used to fulfil SAR, maritime patrols and firefighting missions.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield.
The Kuiper Network enables organizations to buy, rather than build, applications that serve mission needs at mission speed.
The partnership will integrate Helsing’s AI-powered systems with the Systematic SitaWare suite of C4ISR currently used by more than 50 nations, enabling faster data exchange between ISR UAVs and Helsing’s HX-2 loitering munitions.
The Nordic country is set to bolster its defence capabilities after its foreign military sales request for AIM-120D-3 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs) was approved.
The programme will work to build and deploy the drones to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia, coming a day after Poland shot down 19 Russian drones in its airspace.
The addition of Red Cat’s Black Widow to NATO’s NSPA catalogue opens the doors for allied forces to more easily procure the AI-enabled drone.
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