Latest news with #militaryModernization
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
North Korea claims warship launch successful on second try
North Korea says it has successfully relaunched its new 5,000-ton naval destroyer, less than a month after it capsized during the first attempted launch, state media country's leader, Kim Jong Un, had reacted furiously to the warship's failed launch in May, and demanded it be quickly repaired. At least four officials - three shipyard officials and one senior official - have since been arrested over the media says the ship has now been fully restored. But given how quickly it has been relaunched, experts are questioning whether the repairs are really complete. Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, oversaw Tuesday's launch at Rajin Port in the country's north, according to KCNA, which published photos of them at the warship is one of two brand new 5,000-ton naval destroyers North Korea has built over the past year and launched since April. They are now the biggest ships Pyongyang has in its fleet and are capable, in theory, of launching nuclear weapons. Kim has made it a priority to develop a nuclear-armed navy, and says he plans to build two more of these destroyers in the coming year. Satellite photos over the past few weeks showed the capsized ship in the harbour, before it was moved to a repair site, and then being refloated in the water, before it was moored at the pier. According to KCNA, Kim spoke at Friday's event, saying that the initial failed launch had not set back the North's military modernisation programme."Soon, enemies will experience how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters," it quoted him as saying.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The huge, amphibious plane China will use to modernise its military
China has approved mass production of the AG600 Kunlong, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, paving its way for commercial use. Developed as part of China's military modernisation, the AG600 is designed for marine rescues and battling forest fires, with a range of 4,500km and the ability to land in 2m waves. The AG600 can carry 50 people for maritime search-and-rescue or scoop 12 metric tonnes of water in 20 seconds for firefighting. The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China sees the approval as a milestone towards a more advanced aviation sector and stronger independent building capabilities. Following successful test flights, including a 12-tonne water drop, the AG600 is expected to significantly improve forest fire rescue efficiency, according to emergency management officials.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
China approves world's biggest amphibious plane for mass production
China has greenlighted the mass production of a homegrown amphibious aircraft that is the world's largest. The Civil Aviation Administration of China on Wednesday certified the AG600 plane for production, paving the way for its entry into the commercial market, according to state broadcaster CCTV. China has developed the AG600 as part of a drive to modernise its military, amid a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea. The AG600 "Kunlong" aircraft boasts capabilities of low-altitude and low-speed performance, high efficiency in firefighting and rescue operations, stable takeoff and landing on water along with a domestically developed support system, Global Times reported. The aircraft, roughly the size of a Boeing 737, was designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500km and is designed to be able to take off and land in 2m waves. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions and scoop up 12 metric tonnes of water within 20 seconds for firefighting trips, according to state media. State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China said the production approval was a milestone towards a 'more high-end and standardised' aviation manufacturing sector. It added that the approval 'strengthened China's ability to independently build a complete civil aviation ecosystem'. Wang Huafeng, an official with the Jilin provincial department of emergency management, told reporters that the prototype was tested for aerial fire suppression over Changbai mountain. "The trial run has shown to us that the seaplane is good at emergency-response tasks," he said. "Its service is a big help to us in terms of grassland and forest fire control." The AG600 is expected to greatly improve the responsiveness and efficiency of forest fire rescue efforts, said Ye Junwei, director of the Zhejiang emergency management air rescue centre. The first batch of the AG600 completed its production test flight in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, in May this year. The aircraft completed a 12-tonne water drop test, flying in the air for 17 minutes before landing smoothly, state media reported. The development of AG600 began in September 2009, just three months after the Chinese government had approved the programme. The aircraft's prototype construction began in March 2014 and was completed in two years before its debut take-off and landing in 2017 at Zhuhai. The aircraft completed its first sea-based test flight over the Yellow Sea in 2020.
