Beijing: China says it has tested a heavy air force freighter that is mostly made at home and can substitute for the older Russian planes it uses now.
State media reported on Monday that the Y-20 flew successfully from its development base near the northwesten city orf Xi’an.
The China Daily newspaper says the plane can fly 44,000 kilometers (27,300 miles) with 66 tons of freight, and is designed to fill the need for a stronger long-range heavy lift capacity.
China’s now uses Russian IL-76 freighters, including in an early warning role. The reports say the Y-20 will use Russian jet engines until China develops replacements. The plane compares to the US Air Force’s C-17 cargo planes. Reports also say China successfully tested an anti-missile system on Sunday but gave no details.
