The world's largest floatplane that looks like remarkably like Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose just completed its first sea trial in China – take a look

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new model of <keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>'s <keyword id="12110956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ag600" source="Orion">AG600</keyword> <keyword id="12110953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amphibious-aircraft" source="Orion">amphibious aircraft</keyword> conducted its maiden flight on May 31.</li><li>The AG600 is being developed for disaster response, but its amphibious capability has military implications.</li></ul><p>An upgraded model of China's massive AG600 amphibious plane took its first flight on May 31, lifting off and landing at an airport in southern China's Guangdong Province.</p><p>The latest model of the AG600 brings a new configuration and a higher maximum takeoff weight to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/latest-prototype-of-china-ag600-amphibious-plane-faces-test-flight-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the world's largest</a> amphibious aircraft.</p><p>Once fully operational, the AG600 would extend China's reach in the maritime-centric Pacific theater. The US military, which is increasing its own focus on Pacific operations, is also looking into developing aircraft with amphibious capability for similar uses.</p><div type="image" title="China amphibious aircraft plane AG600" height="1333" width="2000" msid="92067585" hostid="261"></div><p>Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the AG600's developer, said the aircraft performed several tests during its 20-minute maiden flight — including climbing at constant speed, reducing speed while at level altitude, and simulating a go-around after an aborted landing — and was in good condition with stable systems throughout, according to China's state-run <a href="https://english.news.cn/20220531/c81930e82a5b4e4f92075ff1d21ed415/c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xinhua News Agency</a>.</p><p>AVIC said the new model is specialized for firefighting, with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 metric tons and a capacity for 12 metric tons of water, in addition to a longer range. The firm said the AG600 would be able to serve in firefighting missions in 2023.</p><p>AVIC also installed a pressure cabin, fly-by-wire flight controls, integrated avionics, and other firefighting-related systems, according to <a href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-05-31/China-s-new-AG600-large-amphibious-aircraft-makes-maiden-flight-1atTmwZGd9u/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China's CGTN</a>, another state-run outlet.</p><p>That takeoff weight is an increase over the 53.5 metric tons listed for the original model, according to <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/new-ag600-prototype-conducts-maiden-sortie-with-higher-mtow/148857.article#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flight Global</a>, which noted other design changes, including a more rounded upper fuselage and more space under the plane's nose.</p><div type="image" title="AVIC AG600 Kunlong floatplane" height="1880" width="2712" msid="92067586" hostid="261"></div><p>While AVIC and Chinese media have emphasized the AG600's emergency-response role, its size and amphibious capability have drawn attention to its potential military uses, such as combat search-and-rescue and carrying troops and supplies to far-flung bases.</p><p>The AG600 is one part of the "<a href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-05-31/China-s-new-AG600-large-amphibious-aircraft-makes-maiden-flight-1atTmwZGd9u/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">large aircraft family</a>" that China is developing, which includes the Y-20, a long-range cargo plane that China's military has used in recent months <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-y20-j20-aircraft-conducting-missions-with-longer-range-duration-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to deliver humanitarian aid to Tonga and weapons to Serbia</a> — both flights of several thousand miles.</p><p>The AG600 has "niche but important capabilities" and can "reach areas that otherwise are hard to get to," Timothy Heath, a senior <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-special-operations-command-turning-mc130j-into-flying-boats-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Insider in a 2021 interview</a>.</p><p>"They can also support ships that are stranded at sea or just if it needs to connect with some ship at sea where there is no runway," Heath said at the time.</p><h2>US amphibious efforts</h2><div type="image" title="Japan ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft seaplane" height="1333" width="2000" msid="92067587" hostid="261"></div><p>The US military retired its last <keyword id="12110954" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="seaplane" source="Orion">seaplane</keyword> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-boats-seaplanes-competition-with-china-in-pacific-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the end of the Cold War</a>, but its increasing focus on the Pacific and on a potential conflict with China have prompted renewed interest in amphibious aircraft.</p><p>Japan's military has long operated the highly capable <keyword id="14139670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-2" source="Orion">US-2</keyword> amphibious aircraft, primarily for search and rescue, and US Air Force officials <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7052519/jmsdf-provides-tour-us-2-during-cope-north-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toured</a> one in February at the Cope North 22 exercise, during which <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/23/us-2-cope-north/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a US-2 participated</a> in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and aerial-combat drills near the island of Tinian.</p><p>US Air Force Special Operations Command has already started a rapid prototyping effort to develop "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-special-operations-command-turning-mc130j-into-flying-boats-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a removable amphibious float modification</a>" for its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mc130-transport-plane-has-support-special-ops-mission-since-vietnam-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workhorse MC-130J</a>.</p><p>The effort will allow the Air Force "to increase placement and access" and provide "enhanced logistical capabilities" at sea and near shore, the command said when the effort was announced last year.</p><div type="image" title="AFSOC MC-130J Commando II float amphibious plane rendering" height="393" width="825" msid="92067589" hostid="261"></div><p>This spring, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency <a href="https://sam.gov/opp/96b00c745e7c4f40a8ccba3c71bd5e8e/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a notice for its "Liberty Lifter" program, which aims to "design, build, and flight test an affordable, innovative, and disruptive seaplane" that can sustain ground-effect flight at altitudes less than 100 feet above the water and fly at altitudes up to 10,000 feet above sea level.</p><p>DARPA <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/program/liberty-lifter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it wants an aircraft that meets the Defense Department's heavy-lift requirement of over 100 tons and "that operates with runway and port independence."</p><p>Ground-effect craft, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-to-bring-back-ekranoplan-plane-to-support-push-into-the-arctic-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like the Soviets' ekranoplan</a>, skim the water's surface, allowing them to reach high speeds.</p><p>While the ekranoplan's height ceiling limited what kind of seas it could operate in, DARPA wants the Liberty Lifter to be able to fly over waves as high as 18 feet, allowing it to operate in 85% to 90% of maritime conditions, the program's manager <a href="https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/multi-mission-aircraft/darpa-demonstrate-flying-c-17-sized-liberty-lifter-amphibian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Aviation Week</a>.</p>

China tests new version of world's largest amphibious aircraft as US interest in sea-going planes grows

America has descended into a new Red Scare

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> is rapidly developing combat and transport aircraft to support longer-range military operations.</li><li>A flight to Europe by China's <keyword id="12698243" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="y-20" source="Orion">Y-20</keyword> airlifter and regular patrols by <keyword id="13743613" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="j-20" source="Orion">J-20</keyword> fighters are milestones for those jets, officials say.</li></ul><p>China's military has rapidly built one of the world's largest aviation forces, developing increasingly capable aircraft that the US Defense Department has warned are "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-air-force-navy-combat-aircraft-catching-up-to-west-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gradually eroding</a>" the US military's advantage in the air.</p><p>In recent weeks, China's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-j20-stealth-jet-compares-to-us-f22-fighter-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">premier fighter jets</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-fast-growing-airlift-fleet-reflects-beijings-military-goals-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategically valuable airlifters</a> have reached milestones that underscore Beijing's increasing focus on and investment in military aviation.</p><p>In early April, six Y-20 cargo planes arrived in Belgrade <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-makes-semi-secret-antiaircraft-missile-delivery-to-serbia-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to deliver</a> what were believed to be Chinese-made HQ-22 surface-to-air missiles to Serbia's military. The roughly 5,000-mile flight by what Chinese state media <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202204/1259039.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> "a record-breaking number" of Y-20s was seen as a demonstration of Beijing's ambitions for global power projection.</p><p>Days later, a top official with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the state-owned firm developing the J-20 <keyword id="12004878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fighter-jet" source="Orion">fighter jet</keyword>, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3174308/chinas-mighty-dragon-stealth-fighter-stretches-its-wings-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that J-20s are now conducting regular patrols over the East and South China seas, a sign of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f22-f35-russia-su57-china-j20-5th-gen-fighter-comparison-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the advanced jet's increasing reliability</a>.</p><p>The developments are indications that China's air force "is growing more confident in its ability to operate farther and farther from Chinese shores with newer and newer aircraft," Timothy Heath, a senior <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> defense researcher at the RAND Corporation think tank, told Insider.</p><div type="image" title="J-20 stealth fighter china" height="902" width="1500" msid="91162573" hostid="261"></div><p>The AVIC official said the J-20s were routinely conducting alert patrols, which are mainly for surveillance, over the South China Sea and combat patrols, which require a higher level of readiness, over the East China Sea. The official said that had been made possible by the switch to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3174308/chinas-mighty-dragon-stealth-fighter-stretches-its-wings-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a "Chinese heart"</a> for the jets, a reference to domestically developed engines.</p><p>The J-20 was originally fitted with less powerful Russian-made engines. Some of the several dozen J-20s in service are now fitted <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3174308/chinas-mighty-dragon-stealth-fighter-stretches-its-wings-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with WS-10C engines</a>, an upgraded version of an older Chinese-made engine, but China has struggled to develop the WS-15 engine specifically designed for fifth-generation aircraft like the J-20. The lack of engine power is expected to prevent the J-20 from adopting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/engines-may-limit-directed-energy-weapons-on-china-j20-fighter-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advanced weaponry</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-cant-rely-on-j20-fighter-to-dominate-experts-say-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-end operations</a>.</p><p><keyword id="12402306" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chinese-military" source="Orion">Chinese military</keyword> officials have said the WS-15 would be finished by 2023 and would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-trying-to-fix-engine-problem-plaguing-fighter-jets-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put the jet on par with</a> the US's F-22, but Heath said the upgrade shouldn't be overstated, calling the WS-15 "at least a generation behind" the F-22's engine.</p><p>The WS-15 "has the usual Chinese problems of short maintenance schedules, or just a short lifespan due to maintenance issues, and quality-control issues and general underperformance," Heath told Insider.</p><p>Despite its shortcomings, the J-20 has left an impression on US commanders, who have noted that Chinese pilots are flying the J-20 "pretty well," Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of US Pacific Air Forces, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNPo6S5uwZQ&amp;ab_channel=TheMitchellInstituteforAerospaceStudies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in March.</p><p>It is "still too early" to tell whether the J-20 will be used as a multi-role fighter like the F-35 or be focused on air-superiority like the F-22, but China is showing it can employ the jet effectively, Wilsbach said, referring to a recent encounter in which "we got relatively close to the J-20s with our F-35s in the East China Sea and were relatively impressed with command-and-control that was associated with the J-20s."</p><p>As with China's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-bomber-flights-reflect-chinas-rapid-military-modernization-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bomber flights around Taiwan</a>, there is a propaganda aspect to the J-20 patrols. They are "a demonstration of Chinese military muscle" that is not just directed at the US, Heath said. "It's primarily directed at China's own people, as well as to Chinese neighbors in the South China Sea."</p><h2>Logistics and heavy lift</h2><div type="image" title="A Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Y-20 transport aircraft" height="1333" width="2000" msid="91162574" hostid="261"></div><p>Like the J-20, the Y-20 has been operational for about a decade, and China has focused on developing the Y-20 fleet <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-fast-growing-airlift-fleet-reflects-beijings-military-goals-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to support longer-range military operations</a>.</p><p>Prior to the flight to Serbia, two Y-20s delivered more than 30 tons of supplies to Tonga after that country was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami. The 6,000-mile flight was the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tonga-aid-mission-shows-china-military-long-range-operation-ability-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest known overseas mission</a> for the Y-20, a former Chinese military instructor told the South China Morning Post.</p><p>In November, an aerial-refueling variant of the Y-20 took part in a military flight near Taiwan for the first time, demonstrating a capability considered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-demonstrates-aerial-refueling-aircraft-in-flight-near-taiwan-2021-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essential to support</a> longer-range and longer-duration flights by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-bomber-flights-reflect-chinas-rapid-military-modernization-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China's fighters and bombers</a>.</p><p>The expanding reach of Chinese military aircraft has been noticed across the Pacific, including in Australia, which US and Australian officials <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/politics/defence/aust-north-open-to-attack-us-admiral-c-6175347" target="_blank" rel="noopener">say</a> faces <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tensions-with-china-raise-fears-of-another-darwin-australia-attack-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a renewed threat of attack</a> from Beijing.</p><p>"If you look at those distances and how that's been transported, it's really captured the attention of folks in Canberra," Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific Security chair at Hudson Institute think tank, said of the flight to Serbia.</p><div type="image" title="Chinese Y-20 cargo planes delivering medical supplies to Wuhan" height="1333" width="2000" msid="91162575" hostid="261"></div><p>"This is exactly the kind of logistics and heavy lift that China's building [and] that could use some of these facilities and access points that they're putting money into," Cronin said on <a href="https://defaeroreport.com/2022/04/15/defense-aerospace-podcast-washington-roundtable-apr-15-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a recent podcast</a>, pointing a security deal recently signed by China and the Solomon Islands.</p><p>Long-distance flights to unfamiliar areas have training value but Chinese pilots already have experience conducting such operations in the older Russian-made Il-76 and Il-78 cargo planes that China's military, the <keyword id="12866680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="peoples-liberation-army" source="Orion">People's Liberation Army</keyword>, has used for decades, Heath said.</p><p>"The difference is they're using the Y-20 more than the Il-76s and 78s, but it's not a dramatic change," Heath told Insider, adding that those missions "are really not designed to replicate" combat, with which most of China's military <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-military-growing-but-untested-former-top-us-admiral-says-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">does not have experience</a>.</p><p>"I'm still not sure that the Chinese themselves know if they can deploy combat forces into a hostile country that is armed with the latest equipment, like surface-to-air missiles," Heath said. "That's a type of situation I just don't see the PLA being well prepared to carry out at this point."</p>

With new operations on opposite sides of the world, Chinese military aircraft are showing off growing reach

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54dfca9f6bb3f79f6db2f9d3-2400/china-military-flag-1.jpg" border="0" alt="china military flag" data-mce-source="Jerry Lampe/Reuters" data-mce-caption="China's national flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest." /><p class="source"><span>Jerry Lampe/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">China's national flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Chinese defense industry is growing rapidly, with a handful of Chinese firms displacing Western defense powerhouses.</li><li>A list of the world's top 100 defense firms published by Defense News revealed that 6 of the top 15 companies are Chinese. Last year, there wasn't a single Chinese company among the top 100.</li><li>The appearance of eight Chinese defense firms among the top 25 comes as China invests heavily to upgrade its military and build a world-class fighting force.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>The Chinese defense industry is making some waves as several Chinese firms have begun displacing traditional Western defense powerhouses in global rankings.</p><p>Last year, not a single Chinese company had even cracked the world's top 100 defense firms, <a href="https://people.defensenews.com/top-100/">according</a> to a list published annually by Defense News. This year, six Chinese defense firms <a href="https://people.defensenews.com/top-100/">are among</a> the world's top 15, with Chinese companies occupying eight of the top 25 spots.</p><p><span>Aviation Industry Corporation of China, with its annual defense revenue just shy of $25 billion, ranks fifth, outpacing US and UK defense giants General Dynamics and BAE Systems. AVIC, the top Chinese company on the list, is trailing closely behind Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, two leading US defense firms.</span></p><p><span>AVIC is the company behind the development of China's fifth-generation J-20 fighter and the new H-20 stealth bomber, among other projects.</span></p><p><span>While it is possible that past rankings suffered from insufficient data - a common problem when analyzing Chinese companies - the sudden appearance of Chinese defense firms high on the list may also highlight the rapid growth of China's defense industrial base as China works to modernize its military to build a world-class force that can fight and win wars, an ambition repeatedly stressed by Chinese leadership.</span></p><p><span>China, as a top strategic rival to the US, is a unique challenger.</span></p><p><span>"The Soviets were never able to match, much less overcome, America's technological superiority. The same may not be true for China," former Deputy US Defense Secretary Robert Work and his colleague Greg Grant wrote in a recent report.</span></p><p><span>China's economic power makes it highly unlikely that the US will be able to spend its way to victory in its strategic competition with China, the authors contend. The US has not faced a competitor with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) greater than 40 percent of its own in more than a century. China's GDP is currently around 63 percent of that of the US, and China is projected to eventually have the world's largest economy.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-could-be-tougher-challenge-for-us-than-soviet-union-2019-6">China could be a far more formidable US rival than the Soviet Union ever was</a></em></p><p>"China has the political will and fiscal strength to sustain a steady increase in defense spending during the next decade," the Department of Defense <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2019/May/02/2002127082/-1/-1/1/2019_CHINA_MILITARY_POWER_REPORT.pdf">explained</a> in its 2019 report on China's military might, noting that these increases "will help support [People's Liberation Army] modernization, develop an integrated military-civilian defense industry, and explore new technologies with defense applications."</p><p>The Pentagon identified the key elements of China's military modernization as investments in domestic defense, the development of the defense industrial complex, a growing science and technology research and development base, civil-military integration, and the acquisition of foreign technology.</p><p>"The result of this multifaceted approach to technology acquisition is a [People's Liberation Army] on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapon systems in the world. ," Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, <a href="https://www.dia.mil/Portals/27/Documents/News/Military%20Power%20Publications/China_Military_Power_FINAL_5MB_20190103.pdf">wrote</a> in a letter prefacing a 2019 DIA report on China's military modernization.</p><p>"In some areas," he added, "it already leads the world."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/area-51-american-conspiracy-theories-aliens-history-animation-video-2017-7">How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/qpsw4SVJ-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

China's defense industry is exploding onto the scene as its top arms makers push past Western powerhouses

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab2cc3898e6e517018b4736-2000/rtx4we16.jpg" border="0" alt="Christopher Wray" data-mce-source="Leah Millis/Reuters" data-mce-caption="Christopher Wray." /><p class="source"><span>Leah Millis/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">FBI director Chris Wray.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>FBI director Chris Wray said "there's no country that's even close" to China when it comes to foreign espionage.</strong></li><li><strong>Wray said he believes the US significantly underestimates the threat of China's economic espionage.</strong></li><li><strong>China violated intellectual property rules more than any other country. Its activity is partially responsible for a $600 billion to the US economy, according to one report.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />China has been increasingly active in foreign espionage, so much so that FBI director Chris Wray said "there's no country that's even close" when it came to compromising vital assets.</p><p>Tackling the issue has proven to be a challenge, and the US has significantly underestimated the threat of China's activities, Wray said during an interview with NBC News.</p><p>When the FBI investigates economic espionage, "time and time again, they keep leading back to China," Wray said.</p><p>China has long been accused of taking steps to target intellectual property and trade secrets from small startups to major companies.</p><p>"The reality is that the Chinese have turned more and more to more creative avenues using non-traditional collectors," Wray said during a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-china/u-s-senators-concerned-about-chinese-access-to-intellectual-property-idUSKCN1FX23M" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate hearing</a> in February.</p><p>In 2017, the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property published a report saying China <a href="http://www.ipcommission.org/report/IP_Commission_Report_Update_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violated intellectual property rights</a> more than any other country, and that it was at least partially responsible for a $600 billion hit to the US economy.</p><p>One method China employed in the past was to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-acquiring-military-secrets-2016-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquire US-based companies</a>. In 2016, one of the lead suppliers of military aircraft for China, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), scooped up a small and unprofitable aerospace company based in California.</p><p>"What China is doing with AVIC is making sure they have access to technologies that they wouldn't have otherwise," Tang Energy CEO Patrick Jenevein said in <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/2016/06/22/chinas-aerospace-defense-industry-sacks-us-military-technology/#667a0594515f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes</a>. That practice is fairly common in business, but China's involvement earns additional scrutiny.</p><p>China's activities do not appear to be limited to economic espionage. China has somehow <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/opinion/china-espionage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired defense industry designs</a>, such as a type of thermonuclear warhead engineered for submarine missiles.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-russia-is-so-involved-in-the-syrian-civil-war-2018-3">Why Russia is so involved in the Syrian Civil War</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/nh1YShZl-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

FBI director calls China out on one of the biggest threats to the US

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e2960f9dd7cc16008b6de6-2400/the_week_that_was_in_asia_photo_gallery_asia505_52152995.jpg" alt="China" data-mce-source="Associated Press" data-mce-caption="As the world recalls how two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan to end the second world war in Asia 70 years ago, a digital deterrent of a similar magnitude could be Washington's only way to stop cyber attacks from the latest Asian aggressor, China, experts say.  United States president Barack Obama is due to entertain his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Washington next month on a state visit and the issue of cyber espionage will " no="" doubt="" be="" addressed="" Obama="" said="" recently.="" READ="" MORE:="" VPN="" down="" China="" goes="" after="" Astrill="" other="" anti-censorship="" apps="" in="" run="" up="" to="" WW2="" anniversary="" parade="" The="" issue="" rose="" the="" fore="" wake="" of="" a="" major="" attack="" this="" summer="" on="" US="" Office="" Personnel="" Management="" which="" saw="" hackers="" make="" off="" with="" personal="" information="" over="" four="" million="" current="" and="" former="" federal="" workers.="" Officials="" have="" pointed="" finger="" at="" linked="" Chinas="" Peoples="" Liberation="" Army="" saying="" data="" poses="" security="" risk="" as="" it="" contains="" military="" records="" sensitive="" potentially="" including="" state="" secrets.="" quotWe="" absolutely="" do="" somethingquot="" Dennis="" Poindexter="" author="" New="" Cyberwar:="" Technology="" Redefinition="" Warfare.="" As="" such="" hacks="" become="" more="" audacious="" needs="" cyber="" equivalent="" nuclear="" deterrent="" added="" faculty="" member="" Defence="" Security="" Institute="" under="" department="" defence.="" /><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>It's no secret that the US and China viciously compete to gain the upper hand in military dominance. From planting spies, to remotely hacking, this never-ending game of cat-and-mouse has gone on for so long that a different approach has started to emerge.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/2016/06/22/chinas-aerospace-defense-industry-sacks-us-military-technology/#667a0594515f" target="_blank">Forbes</a> contributor <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/#19280b3fcacf" target="_blank">Anders Corr</a>, one of the lead suppliers of military aircraft for China, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has launched efforts to acquire aviation companies based in the US and beyond - around half a dozen were purchased in the last 20 years alone.</p><p>Recently, after scooping up a small and unprofitable aerospace company from California, AVIC is now in talks to acquire a UK-based aerospace and military company that could prove useful for stealth and drone development.</p><p>The acquisition of a few of these companies wouldn't raise red flags; however, the rate at which Chinese companies have been acquiring their western counterparts may be part of an alarming trend. In a 2015 <a href="http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2016/04/11/China-Buying-US-Companies-Does-Anyone-Care" target="_blank">report</a>, there were 103 Chinese acquisitions in the US, compared to the annual average of 13 in 2009.</p><p>In a quote from <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/2016/06/22/chinas-aerospace-defense-industry-sacks-us-military-technology/#667a0594515f" target="_blank">Forbes</a>, Tang Energy CEO Patrick Jenevein explains, "What China is doing with AVIC is making sure they have access to technologies that they wouldn't have otherwise."</p><p>However, owning these western companies doesn't just translate to immediate ownership of their intellectual property. Many of these technologies fall under US law that explicitly <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/how-us-software-ended-up-in-chinese-assault-helicopters/" target="_blank">bans</a> providing information that has military applications to China - even after their company has been acquired by them.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/576be86a52bcd01f7b8cae06-960/feb-5-ytd-china-m&amp;a-count.png" alt="feb 5 ytd china m&amp;a count" data-mce-source="Andy Kiersz/Business Insider" data-link="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-buying-a-lot-of-foreign-companies-2016-2" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-buying-a-lot-of-foreign-companies-2016-2">Andy Kiersz/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>According to Forbes' <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/2016/06/22/chinas-aerospace-defense-industry-sacks-us-military-technology/print/" target="_blank">source</a> though, it would be a fairly easy process to circumvent this seemingly restrictive export ban with something like a cyber-attack or taking pictures of the technology.</p><p>The source <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/anderscorr/2016/06/22/chinas-aerospace-defense-industry-sacks-us-military-technology/print/" target="_blank">explains</a>, "As an American company, there are certain technologies that we can't send to China. But if AVIC owns the servers, they can access them."</p><p>Perhaps the game of cat-and-mouse is just in its initial stages of this evolution and it's now the US' turn to act. However, considering the <a href="http://journalistsresource.org/studies/international/china/china-rising-science-technology-research-contributions" target="_blank">rate</a> at which China has developed their technology, even if the US starts closing these loopholes now, it may already be too late.</p><p>After the US government forbade China to access Intel's fastest microprocessors last year, China has recently <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3085483/high-performance-computing/china-builds-world-s-fastest-supercomputer-without-u-s-chips.html" target="_blank">developed</a> the world's fastest supercomputer - using only Chinese microprocessors.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weird-products-alibaba-jack-ma-2016-5">Here are some of the weirdest things you can buy from the Alibaba website - China's e-commerce giant</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="M0c2FqMzE6bhb8AHp3a_l150cLG5jEsZ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'M0c2FqMzE6bhb8AHp3a_l150cLG5jEsZ',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Here's how China is 'legally' acquiring US military secrets

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ac66e08f41c781c008b47dc-1500/87265770754dfb3791cao.jpg" border="0" alt="J-20 china stealth fighter" data-mce-source="Times Asi/Flickr" /></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The makers of China's new J-20 stealth fighter revealed the combat mission of the aircraft, and one of its key tasks would likely see it getting shot down by decades-old US and European fighter jets.</strong></li><li><strong>The J-20 has an impressive stealth design and good missiles that make it ideal for attacking some key targets that could degrade or even cripple the US military.</strong></li><li><strong>But when it comes to old-fashioned air superiority, which China says the J-20 will take on, the US's F-15, and Europe's Typhoon could likely beat it with ease.</strong></li><li><strong>The US's top air-superiority fighter, the F-22, outclasses the J-20 by a wide margin in terms of taking control of the skies. </strong></li></ul><p><span>The makers of China's new J-20 stealth fighter revealed the combat mission of the aircraft, and one of its key tasks would likely see it getting shot down by decades-old US and European fighter jets.</span></p><p><span>The J-20 has impressed observers with its advanced design and formidable weapons, but the jet's actual combat mission has remained somewhat of a mystery.</span></p><p><span><strong>Read more:</strong><em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-real-purpose-behind-chinas-mysterious-j-20-combat-jet-2017-1?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The real purpose behind China's mysterious J-20 stealth fighter jet</a></em></span></p><p><span>But Andreas Rupprecht, a German researcher focused on China's air power, <a href="https://twitter.com/RupprechtDeino/status/1082537385404055552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently posted an informational brochure</a> from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the J-20's maker, laying out its mission.</span></p><p><span>AVIC calls the J-20 a "heavy stealth" fighter that's "renowned" for its dominance in medium and long-range air combat and lists first "seizing &amp; maintaining air superiority" as its core missions. </span></p><p><span>AVIC also lists interception and deep strike as missions for the J-20, which fall roughly in line with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-real-purpose-behind-chinas-mysterious-j-20-combat-jet-2017-1?r=UK&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western analysis of the jet's capabilities.</a></span></p><p><span>But the J-20s purported air superiority role will likely raise more eyebrows. </span></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong><em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-advanced-j-20-stealth-fighter-gets-a-refueling-range-boost-2018-11">China's most advanced stealth fighter may now be able to strike targets at greater distances than ever</a></em></p><h2><span>J-20 loses the old fashioned fight for the skies</span></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3630a6bd77305baa22ed02-2400/ap18310346851809.jpg" border="0" alt="Two J-20 stealth fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force performs during the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China 2018, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Zhuhai city, south China's Guangdong province." data-mce-source="AP Photo/Kin Cheung" data-mce-caption="Two J-20 stealth fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force performs during the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China 2018, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Zhuhai city, south China's Guangdong province." /></div></div></div></p><p><span>Justin Bronk, an aerial combat expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider for the J-20, fighting US or European jets for control of the skies represents a losing battle. </span></p><p><span>The J-20 is "</span><span>certainly likely to be more capable as an air superiority platform than anything else the People's Liberation Army Air Force (China's air force's official name) is currently operating," said Bronk.</span></p><p><span>"With a powerful radar and multiple internal air-to-air missiles as well as long range, it certainly shouldn't be dismissed as an air superiority machine," he continued.</span></p><p><span>But just because it's China's best doesn't mean it can hold a candle to Europe's Typhoon fighter or even the US's F-15, which first flew in 1972.</span></p><p><span>"In terms of thrust to weight, maneuverability and high altitude performance it is unlikely to match up to the US or European air superiority fighters," said Bronk.</span><span></span></p><p><span>China's J-20 made a solid entry into the world of stealth fighter aircraft and became the only non-US stealth jet in the world. Its design should significantly limit the ability of US radar to spot and track the large fighter, but the stealth mainly works on the front end, while the J-20 is flying straight towards the radar. </span></p><p><span>Tactically, experts have told Business Insider the J-20 poses a serious threat in the interception and maritime strike roles with its stealth design, but so far the jet has yet to deliver. </span></p><p><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-j-20-stealth-jet-fighter-rushed-embarrassing-flaw-2018-2" data-analytics-position="7">China appears to have rushed its J-20 stealth fighter into service with an 'embarrassing' flaw</a></p><p><span>China has suffered embarrassing setbacks in domestically building jet engines that would give the J-20 true fifth-generation performance on par with the F-35 or F-22. </span></p><p><span>Bronk said China still appears years away from crossing this important threshold that will increase the range and performance of the jets. </span></p><p><span>"The engines are a significant limiting factor" in that they require inefficient use of afterburners and limit high-altitude performance, said Bronk. </span></p><h2><span>What air superiority looks like </span></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b6085cf2be4ab1e008b4949-2048/9824519766593e5be472k.jpg" border="0" alt="f15c" data-mce-source="US Air Force Photo" data-mce-caption="An F-15C Eagle prepares to refuel with a KC-135R Stratotanker Sept. 12, 2013, en route to the Arctic Challenge Exercise in Norway." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usairforce/9824519766/in/photolist-fYaerQ-FBsfvf-9bZQ32-7aztVj-FspoNm-osKAY8-p81zeB-i2mxSu-9bZQy6-i2myD9-oFxmJT-i2mz23-i2myfU-i2neV4-i2mrkJ-dNKKst-gaFroX-8K2qWY-qJTMPF-9c3wBL-amYvXC-f874QB-dB41ou-nL6Uhj-dAXxvt-9c3Q2h-6YtHhf-zchQJW-CbYa4q-E9rwqP-D1aDRu-ArGAgt-Aa6o5W-xVdMuX-bcbad6-9bZQ5i-9c3Q5w-9c3UCS-9bZv2R-9c3WJA-8K2qZw-8JYoq6-9bZxYv-9bZuXp-9bZq3k-8K2qTE-xfGRnu-KhMiHW-yta4QS-rWarqc" /></div></div></div></p><p><span>As it stands, the J-20 couldn't match the F-15, the Eurofighter Typhoon, or even get close to an F-22, said Bronk. </span></p><p><span>"Against the F-15C and Typhoon the J-20 has a lower radar cross section but worse performance and its air to air missiles are unlikely to yet match the latest [US] series, and certainly not the new European Meteor," said Bronk.</span></p><p><span>Bronk pointed out that China has made great strides in air-to-air missile development and is testing at an "extremely high" pace, so the capability gap could close in a few short years.</span></p><p><span>But how does the J-20 stack up to the greatest air superiority plane on the planet today, the F-22?</span></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-stealth-j20-us-f22-f35-comparison-2016-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How China's stealthy new J-20 fighter jet compares to the US's F-22 and F-35</a></p><p><span>"The F-22 likely significantly out-performs the J-20 in almost every aspect of combat capability except for combat radius," said Bronk, refering to the farthest distance a loaded plane can travel without refueling.</span></p><p><span>Undoubtedly the J-20 represents a significant leap in Chinese might and poses a serious and potentially critical threat US air power in its ability to intercept and launch deep strikes.</span></p><p><span>But in the narrow role of air superiority, which means beating the best fighters the other side can offer to gain control of the sky, the US and Europe can likely beat down China's J-20 without much trouble. </span></p>

China revealed the J-20 stealth fighter's mission - and even the F-15 could likely wreck it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>It's been nearly 40 years since the US got rid of its last <keyword id="138635" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="seaplane">seaplane</keyword>, an aircraft long seen as outdated.</li><li>Growing attention on the <keyword id="1551039" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indo-Pacific">Indo-Pacific</keyword> and on <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>, which is developing its own seaplane, have revived discussion about the utility of <keyword id="2759697" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="amphibious-aircraft">amphibious aircraft</keyword>.</li></ul><p>March marked the 38th anniversary of the retirement of the last US military seaplane. That aircraft, an HU-16E Albatross flown by the Coast Guard, left service 16 years after the Navy retired its last seaplane.</p><p>Seaplanes played a vital role in World War II and had been considered essential for naval supremacy. Despite grand plans for them early in the Cold War, seaplanes soon fell out of favor. But recent developments in China have led some to reconsider their utility.</p><p>In July 2020, China <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibious-plane-completes-sea-trial-2020-7" target="_top">conducted the first </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibious-plane-completes-sea-trial-2020-7" target="_top">successful</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibious-plane-completes-sea-trial-2020-7" target="_top"> </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibious-plane-completes-sea-trial-2020-7" target="_top">sea trial</a> of the <keyword id="2760694" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="AG600">AG600</keyword> seaplane, also known as the "Kunlong."</p><p>The AG600 - the largest seaplane in the world - took off from an airport in Shandong Province, landed in the ocean off Qingdao, skied on the water for four minutes, then took off and returned safely.</p><p>The massive seaplane could put attention back on a type of aircraft the US military has long seen as antiquated.</p><h2>Essential tools</h2><div type="image" title="Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina flying boat" height="918" width="1746" msid="82104819" hostid="261"></div><p>Seaplanes were once essential tools for the Navy. Long before aircraft carriers dominated the seas, vessels known as <a href="https://medium.com/@wows_historians/weirdships-seaplane-tenders-fddfe0b2c005" target="_top">seaplane tenders</a> were the only way to successfully conduct long-range naval-aviation operations.</p><p>They could pick up seaplanes with their large cranes and maintain the aircraft just like a conventional carrier would. The US Navy's first aircraft carrier, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-navys-first-aircraft-carrier-was-a-converted-ship-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USS Langley, a former collier ship</a>, was converted into a seaplane tender when dedicated aircraft carriers became available in the late 1920s.</p><p>Eventually, seaplanes <a href="https://www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/blog/u-s-scoutobservation-floatplanes-in-world-war-ii/" target="_top">could </a><a href="https://www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/blog/u-s-scoutobservation-floatplanes-in-world-war-ii/" target="_top">be launched from the decks of warships</a>, and long-range models could conduct important missions like anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, naval interdiction, and, most importantly, reconnaissance, since they were able to spot enemy fleets while they were still hundreds of miles from friendly forces.</p><p>Perhaps the most recognizable American seaplane is the <a href="https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/08/31/cat-tales-the-story-of-world-war-iis-pby-flying-boat/" target="_top">PBY Catalina flying boat</a>. Made by Consolidated Aircraft and adopted by the Navy in 1936, Catalinas helped locate the Japanese fleet at Midway, rescued thousands of downed airmen and stranded sailors, and sank more than 20 Axis submarines.</p><p>A British Catalina flown by an American pilot was even <a href="https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-american-who-helped-sink-the-bismarck/" target="_top">responsible</a> for locating the German battleship Bismarck during the Royal Navy's intense hunt for it in May 1941, seven months before the US entered the war.</p><h2>Cold War plans</h2><div type="image" title="Navy seaplane tender Salisbury Sound Martin P5M-1 Marlin" height="1175" width="1846" msid="82104821" hostid="261"></div><p>The role of seaplanes had diminished by the end of World War II.</p><p>Reduced Axis submarine fleets posed less of a threat, and numerous airbases on the multiple liberated islands in the Pacific allowed the US Navy to use long-range <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=519" target="_blank" rel="noopener">land-based aircraft</a> carrying heavier payloads.</p><p>But the Navy didn't intend to give up on seaplanes. In fact, in the early years of the Cold War, it wanted to create a Seaplane Strike Force with at least three models, in addition to other models already in service like the <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/s/sp-5b-marlin.html" target="_top">Martin P5M Marlin</a>.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.thehangardeck.com/news/2019/4/8/the-short-storied-history-of-the-convair-xp5yr3y-tradewind" target="_top">Convair R3Y Tradewind</a>, a transport flying boat adopted in 1956, had a maximum range of over 2,000 miles and was capable of carrying 100 troops or 24 tons of cargo. Its tanker version could refuel four Grumman F9F Cougars at once.</p><p>But the Tradewind had engine problems, and all 11 were retired in 1958.</p><div type="image" title="Convair R3Y-2 Tradewind refueling Grumman F9F-8 Cougar" height="571" width="800" msid="82104822" hostid="261"></div><p>The <a href="https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/xf2y-1yf2y-1-sea-dart-a-jet-fighter-on-water-skis/" target="_top">F2Y Sea Dart</a>, also made by Convair, was an ambitious attempt to create an amphibious delta-winged fighter jet.</p><p>Capable of speeds as fast as Mach 1 and armed with four 20 mm machine guns or multiple folding-fin rockets, the Sea Dart first flew in 1953 but was canceled in 1957 after a fatal accident.</p><p>Perhaps most impressive of all was the <a href="https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/cancelled-the-navys-seamaster-21166697/" target="_top">Martin P6M SeaMaster</a>. Originally intended to carry nuclear weapons, it was a massive jet-powered seaplane capable of flying at subsonic speeds and traveling some 1,000 miles.</p><p>After the development of the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile, the SeaMaster was repurposed as a <a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/p6m.htm" target="_top">minelayer</a> able to drop 30,000 pounds of ordnance and with an 800-mile range.</p><p>But ballistic-missile submarines and larger carriers made the Seaplane Strike Force less critical for the Navy, and the SeaMaster project was canceled in 1959.</p><h2>The AG600</h2><div type="image" title="AVIC AG600 Kunlong floatplane" height="1880" width="2712" msid="82104823" hostid="261"></div><p>Although the US has retired its seaplanes, a number of countries still have them in their inventory.</p><p>Russia has <a href="https://www.airrecognition.com/index.php/news/defense-aviation-news/2020/july/6440-russian-navy-receives-its-first-be-200es-amphibious-aircraft.html" target="_top">started replacing</a> its turboprop Beriev Be-12s with the jet-powered Be-200ES.</p><p>Japan, a nation with a long and proud seaplane tradition, operates one of the most advanced models in service, the <a href="https://www.shinmaywa.co.jp/aircraft/english/us2/" target="_top">ShinMaywa US-2</a>, which held the record for world's largest seaplane before the AG600.</p><p>The AG600 was designed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the same outfit behind most of the People's Liberation Army Air Force's aircraft - including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-j20-stealth-jet-compares-to-us-f22-fighter-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its stealth fighter</a>.</p><div type="image" title="AVIC AG600 Kunlong floatplane" height="1746" width="2652" msid="82104825" hostid="261"></div><p>Development of the AG600 began in 2009, with construction starting in 2014. It was unveiled in 2016, and its maiden flight was in 2017. China expects to finalize and deliver it by 2022.</p><p>The seaplane is 120 feet long and has a wingspan of 127 feet. It is reportedly capable of carrying 50 passengers and reaching a top speed of 310 mph and a range of 2,800 miles.</p><p>The AG600 will be a multi-purpose aircraft expected to conduct search-and-rescue and transportation operations. It is also able to carry up to 12 tons of water and disperse it over 4,000 square meters to fight forest fires.</p><p>The AG600 would be particularly useful in the South China Sea, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-ag600-worlds-largest-amphibious-plane-does-first-water-takeoff-test-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">operating between the numerous fortified islands</a> China has built in recent years.</p><h2>A seaplane revival</h2><div type="image" title="Japan amphibious aircraft seaplane Iwakuni" height="1333" width="2000" msid="82104827" hostid="261"></div><p>China's development of the AG600, as well as the US's greater focus on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pacific-islands-are-critical-geostrategic-ground-top-commander-says-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Indo-Pacific region and its many islands</a>, have brought the <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2020/07/bring-back-the-seaplane/" target="_top">benefits of seaplanes</a> back into the limelight.</p><p>Since they operate on water, seaplanes do not have to worry about the destruction of their airfields or bases.</p><p>Whereas landing craft rely on bigger logistical vessels to reach their destinations, seaplanes with large carrying capacities could disembark large numbers of troops and perhaps even light vehicles directly onto beachheads if rapid deployments or reinforcements on islands are necessary.</p><p>As aerial refuelers, seaplanes could extend the range of carrier aircraft, freeing up valuable space and pilots aboard US aircraft carriers. Seaplanes' ability to be refueled by ships or submarines at sea could also extend their own ranges.</p><p>There are of course trade-offs. Seaplanes have historically been outperformed by land and carrier-based aircraft, which are faster and more maneuverable. Seaplanes also aren't likely to last long against enemy aircraft. Moreover, to get the most out of a seaplane force, the Navy would likely need seaplane tenders, of which it has none.</p><p>But with greater attention on the challenges of operating in the Indo-Pacific region, and with China's renewed interest in the aircraft, there's reason to give the practical and tactical applications of seaplanes more study.</p>

The US ditched its last flying boats 38 years ago, but they could still help fill the gaps against China in the Pacific

<div id="ooyalaplayer" style="width: 800px; height: 450px;"></div><div style="display:none;" id="kalturavideoplaceholder">kalturavideoplaceholder</div><div><div><script src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script><div class="g-ytsubscribe" data-channel="BusinessInsider" data-layout="full" data-count="default"></div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><p>We tried both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the same Pioneer AVIC-8200 NEX stereo system. Both demonstrations took place in a closed-off booth at CES 2016. Apple CarPlay struggled with recognizing voice commands.&#xa0;</p><p><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/justin-gmoser" target="_blank">Justin Gmoser</a></em></p><p><strong>Follow BI Video: </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video" target="_blank">On Facebook</a> &#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p>

Here's why Android Auto is far superior to Apple CarPlay

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/36444028.cms" /><br /> Putting aside earlier age estimates for both the <keyword id="6359982" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="earth">Earth</keyword> and the <keyword id="42440" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Moon">Moon</keyword>, <keyword id="2319979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="geochemists">geochemists</keyword> from the <keyword id="2325205" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="University-of-Lorraine-in-Nancy">University of Lorraine in Nancy</keyword>, <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="France">France</keyword>, have discovered that the final stage of the formation of the two is around 60 million years older than was previously thought.<br />
<br />
A new study has found that the timing of the giant impact between the Earth's ancestor and a planet-sized body occurred around 40 million years after the start of the solar system formation.<br />
<br />
Geochemists have discovered an isotopic signal which indicates that previous age estimates for both the Earth and the Moon are underestimated.<br /> One of the standard methods to estimate early Earth events is measuring the changes in the proportions of different gases (<keyword id="446266" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="isotopes">isotopes</keyword>) which survive from the early Earth.<br />
<br /> Researchers Guillaume Avice and Bernard Marty analysed <keyword id="1269758" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xenon">xenon</keyword> gas found in South African and Australian quartz, which had been dated to 3.4 and 2.7 billion years, respectively.<br />
<br /> The gas sealed in this quartz is preserved as in a ‘<keyword id="947844" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Time-capsule">time capsule</keyword>’. This allowed Avice and Marty to compare the current isotopic ratios of xenon, with those which existed billions of years ago.<br />
<br />
Recalibrating dating techniques using the ancient gas allowed them to refine the estimate of when the Earth began to form. This allowed them to calculate that the Moon-forming impact is around 60 million years older than had been thought.<br />
<br />
"The xenon gas signals allow us to calculate when the atmosphere was being formed, which was probably at the time the Earth collided with a planet-sized body, leading to the formation of the Moon. Our results mean that both the Earth and the Moon are older than we had thought," Avice added.<br />
<br /> The research was presented at the <keyword id="2325204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goldschmidt-Geochemistry-Conference">Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference</keyword> in Sacramento, California, this week.<br /> (Image: <keyword id="6360409" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="NASA">NASA</keyword>) 


Earth And Moon 60 Million Years Older Than Previous Estimates: Researchers

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5af32f874043751c008b4871-1246/screen%20shot%202018-05-09%20at%2012637%20pm.png" border="0" alt="possible H-20 stealth bomber china" data-mce-source="Screenshot/China Defense Online"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/China Defense Online</span></p><p class="caption">Screenshot of possible H-20 under a sheet.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>China may have released a video teaser of its H-20 stealth bomber and trolled the US's stealth bombers in the process,&#xa0;according to The Drive.&#xa0;</strong></li><li><strong>The shot of the possible H-20 looks eerily similar to a Northrop Grumman advertisement of the B-21 Raider, which ran during the 2015 Super Bowl, but it's unclear if its actually the H-20.&#xa0;</strong></li><li><strong>The H-20 is expected to be a nuclear strike aircraft with a range of at least 5,000 miles and a payload of at least 10 tons.&#xa0;</strong></li></ul><hr><p>China may have released a video teaser of its H-20 stealth bomber and trolled the US's stealth bombers in the process, <a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20708/china-teases-its-h-20-stealth-bomber-and-trolls-northrop-grumman-at-the-same-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Drive.&#xa0;</p><p>China's state-run aviation and <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> company, <span>Aviation Industry Corporation of China, recently posted a video celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of&#xa0;Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, a subsidiary of AVIC, The Drive reported. </span></p><p><span>The video, which China Daily tweeted, ends with a shadowy wide shot of bomber-looking aircraft covered in a sheet with text reading "The Next" appearing on the screen.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>The shot looks eerily similar to a Northrop Grumman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&amp;v=AW_hIUpJ8h8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advertisement of the B-21 Raider</a>, which ran during the 2015 Super Bowl, The Drive reported, adding that China Defense Online may have also added the ending itself. As such, it's unclear if it's legit.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>Still, China has been in search of a long-range bomber.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>In 2015, Chinese defense experts said China needed to develop a long-range bomber that could strike targets far from its coast, AFP <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-needs-long-range-strategic-bomber-state-media-084622579.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.</span></p><p><span>Then in 2016, General Ma Xiaotian, a PLA Air Force commander, said China was researching the development of such a bomber, <a href="https://www.popsci.com/explaining-chinas-big-bomber-plans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Popular Science.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>The Drive also reported that conception of the H-20 may have even come before that, citing <a href="https://airforcesmonthly.keypublishing.com/2018/05/08/is-the-first-glimpse-of-chinas-new-stealth-bomber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Airforce Monthly</a> as saying that XAC had built small models of it, but in 2011, the program came to a halt.&#xa0;</span></p><p>In any event, the Pentagon confirmed in <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2017_China_Military_Power_Report.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017 report</a> that China was "developing a strategic bomber that officials expect to have a nuclear mission," also noting that "[past] PLA writings expressed the need to develop a 'stealth strategic bomber,' suggesting aspirations to field a strategic bomber with a nuclear delivery capability."</p><p><span>To that end, the H-20 needs to be capable of carrying a 10 ton payload and have a range of 5,000 miles, The Drive reported. </span></p><p><span>Popular Science reported that the H-20, in order to strike different continents, needs a 6,200 mile range and carry a 10-20 ton payload, which would most likely require four&#xa0;WS-10 turbofan engines.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>Whatever the specifications would be, a researcher working with the US Air Force told Business Insider that the H-20 is a four engine stealth bomber and that the details have not been "revealed except it is to have a dual [nuclear and conventional] role."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5af330ef6088361c008b4806-900/h-20-4-1523305585.jpg" border="0" alt="JH-XX artist rendering" data-mce-source="China Defense Blog" data-mce-caption="An artist's rendering of the JH-XX."><p class="source"><span>China Defense Blog</span></p><p class="caption">An artist's rendering of the JH-XX.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>The researcher also said that China has built three static H-20 airframes without electronics and engines.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>The Drive reported that the H-20's main weapon would probably be&#xa0;KD-20 cruise missiles, and Popular Science reported that it would carry the KD-20s in its internal weapons bays.</span></p><p><span>The H-20 might eventually even carry "GB-6A stealth cruise missiles and hypersonic scramjet missiles," and act as a command and control aircraft, Popular Science reported.</span></p><p>The "deployment and integration" of a nuclear bomber "would provide China with its first credible nuclear 'triad' of delivery systems dispersed across land, sea, and air," the 2017 Pentagon report on China's military said.&#xa0;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Video?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Video</a> Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation's leading aircraft maker, displayed a front view of what appears to be a flying-wing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aircraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aircraft</a> concept at the end of the video. <a href="https://t.co/UoiGDGCm3e">https://t.co/UoiGDGCm3e</a> <a href="https://t.co/QR3oLgpMyN">pic.twitter.com/QR3oLgpMyN</a></p>- China Daily (@ChinaDailyUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaDailyUSA/status/993871647517167616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-next-north-south-korea-peace-treaty-2018-4">What will probably happen with the North and South Korean peace treaty</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/WjFBmKHL-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

China might have teased its H-20 stealth bomber by trolling the US - here's what we know about it

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52bd5c98ecad042a32204528-1200-800/rtx136kc.jpg" border="0" alt="china plane" /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Stringer </span></p><p class="caption">He Yide sits in a glider before flying a plane in Guan county, Hebei province, August 31, 2013. He, 5, piloted a plane, accompanied by his coach last Saturday.</p></div><p></p></div></div>BEIJING (Reuters) - Ferraris and Rolls-Royces have become common sights in China's cities as a new class of super-rich indulge a growing appetite for luxury, but tight regulation has meant the private jet, the ultimate status symbol of the global elite, remains rare.</p>
<p>Recent rules changes, however, indicate that China is preparing to open its skies to private aircraft, in a move that may herald the greatest expansion of business and private aviation in the last 30 years.</p>
<p>Last month, China's aviation regulator simplified flight approval procedures for private aircraft and lowered the threshold for obtaining a private pilot license.</p>
<p>More importantly, the implementation of little-noticed guidelines issued by China's State Council and the Central Military Commission in 2010 will gradually lift the ceiling for low-flying aircraft by 2020.</p>
<p>For companies such as Cessna, Gulfstream, Dassault Aviation SA and Bombardier Inc, which have spent the last decade trying to build their China business, it may present a unique opportunity to expand in the world's fastest-growing aviation market.</p>
<p>"This tells everyone publicly that China now endorses the use of business aircraft and general aviation just like any other countries worldwide," Roger Sperry, Gulfstream's senior vice president of international sales, told Reuters in an interview. "I'm nothing but optimistic."</p>
<p>General aviation, which refers to all flights that are not operated by airlines, charter firms or the military, is already a $150 billion business in the United States.</p>
<p>In contrast, there are only 1,610 registered general aviation aircraft in China, the latest figures from the China General Aviation Association show.</p>
<p>That compares with about 228,000 in the United States, according to Craig Spence, secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations.</p>
<h3>"NO INTEREST"</h3>
<p>Joseph Tymczyszyn, a former representative of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in China, said when he mentioned private aircraft to Chinese industry officials nine years ago he was told commercial aviation was the priority.</p>
<p>"When I talked to CAAC about general aviation in 2004, Ma Tao said, 'Don't waste your time and money, nobody is interested in that'," Tymczyszyn, a co-founder and executive director of the U.S.-China Aviation Cooperation Program, told Reuters.</p>
<p>Ma, then the deputy director general of the Flight Standards Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), was among a group of Chinese aviation officials who often visited the United States, where their experience of general aviation began to change attitudes, Tymczyszyn recalled.</p>
<p>Still, in a country where the military controls 80 percent of airspace there were formidable obstacles to expanding private air travel. Approval for a three-hour trip on a private plane would take at least two weeks and was never guaranteed.</p>
<p>Lack of facilities where <strong class="highlight">small</strong> planes can take off, land or refuel, as well as a dearth of low-altitude aviation maps, have meant hopping on a private plane to visit the other side of the country for the weekend remains a dream for even the most well-heeled.</p>
<p>"We had a few sales in 2006, 2007 and 2008, but very limited in numbers," recalled Jean Michel Jacob, senior vice president of international sales with France's Dassault Falcon.</p>
<p>Sales started to pick up in 2010 and so far the French company has sold 30 jets in China, with 20 scheduled for delivery in 2014-2015.</p>
<p>For U.S. rival Gulfstream, owned by General Dynamics Corp, Greater China represents about 6 percent of a worldwide delivery of 2,150 jets, compared with 65 percent to the United States.</p>
<p>Business <strong class="highlight">jet</strong> sales in China for Canada's Bombardier have topped 100, while Textron Inc's Cessna has sold more than 70 planes.</p>
<p>All are gearing up for growth.</p>
<h3>BEAUTIFUL POTENTIAL</h3>
<p>In November 2012, Gulfstream's Beijing maintenance centre, with an 82,000 sq ft (7,600 sq m) hangar, opened for business.</p>
<p>Dassault Falcon, which has maintenance facilities in Hong Kong and Shanghai, is scheduled open a new one in Beijing next year, and plans to recruit more native Chinese speakers to its sales team.</p>
<p>Cessna has already started delivery of its Grand Caravan EX made at its China venture with state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Delivery of its Citation XLS+ jets built by a separate venture with AVIC is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to William Schultz, senior vice president of Business Development at Cessna Aircraft's China operations.</p>
<p>Bombardier forecasts overall business <strong class="highlight">jet</strong> deliveries in Greater China at 2,420 in 2013-2032, with 1,000 to be delivered in 2013-2022, rising to 1,420 during 2023-2032.</p>
<p>The growth, industry insiders say, would be fuelled in part by demand for smaller jets in a country where large-cabin models, such as Dassault's Falcon 7x or Gulfstream's G550 and G650, are among the best sellers.</p>
<p>"There is a beautiful potential in this market," Beijing-based Jacob told Reuters.</p>
<p>BEAT THE JAMS</p>
<p>Guidance issued by regulators in 2010 aims to open up airspace below 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) by 2015 and expand to airspace below 3,000 meters by 2020.</p>
<p>Pilot scheme were started in Changchun in the northeast, and Guangzhou and Hainan Island in the south, where private aircraft owners need only submit flight plans before 3 p.m. the previous day, unless they encroach on militarily sensitive areas.</p>
<p>The experiment was expanded to other cities in 2012 and will spread other regions gradually.</p>
<p>"It's pretty much like the way China transformed itself from a planned economy to a market-oriented economy in the 1980s," said Ke Yubao, executive secretary general of state-backed Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China.</p>
<p>"It all started from the Shenzhen special economic zone and then spread to other parts of the country."</p>
<p>Besides investing billions in new airport construction, for both commercial and general aviation, China has also been making progress with low-altitude aviation maps, a source told Reuters.</p>
<p>And once general aviation spreads its wings, there may be fewer frustrated drivers in China increasingly congested cities, where traffic can move at snail's pace in rush hours and weekends.</p>
<p>"I laughed when I saw people in a Ferrari going one mile an hour in a Beijing traffic jam. If you buy a Cirrus or Cessna, you can actually go 150 miles an hour and it's more fun," said Tymczyszyn.</p>
<p>(Editing by Alex Richardson)</p>

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