BeiDou Navigation System-Equipped Chinese Airliner Completes Test Flight

China’s home-made BeiDou Navigation System was successfully tested aboard an ARJ21-700 commercial airliner on Saturday.

The test was carried out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The flight tested the performance of the onboard navigation information receiver, the ground-based signal enhancement system, and the short-message function of the BeiDou system.

It was the first time a domestically-produced regional jet has been equipped with the BeiDou navigation system.

The results showed the performance of the navigation systems developed by China is on par with similar systems produced abroad, and even reaches internationally advanced level in transient and quick positioning index, COMAC sources told China Daily.

The BeiDou navigation system is China’s answer to the US-made GPS. It is widely being used for applications such as car navigation to unmanned vehicles in both the civilian and military domains.

The successful civil flight test opens to the door to incorporating the system in military aircraft.