AVIC Aviation Techniques To Be The Face Of China’s Military Aviation Export

AVIC Aviation Techniques (a subsidiary of state-owned AVIC) is steadily becoming the face of China’s military industrial growth. With its 10 subsidiaries and two listed companies, the company is responsible for R&D, pre-research, sales, services, manufacture, maintenance and cooperation of UAV, fighter and guided weapons.

Created in 1999, the company is now devoting itself to becoming a world class defense manufacturer. China, last week, took the first step the infiltrate the West’s dominance over the UAV market by providing affordable and reliable alternatives that also bypass US embargoes, sanctions and regulations.

AVIC Aviation Techniques along with its parent company engage in design, development, and production of fighters, fighter bombers, trainer and reconnaissance aircrafts, turbojet engines, turbo fan engines, air-to-air missiles, and ground-to-air missiles.

The company also offers subcontracting production of aviation products, manufacturing services in automobile, chemical machinery, nuclear, and marine industries.

Over the next three years, AVIC Aviation Techniques will focus on developing aero-products export “drawn by demand, boosted by platform, innovative models, outstanding cost performance” and will work toward improving its R&D system, production management, life-cycle maintenance and quality supervision among others.

AVIC Aviation Techniques is grasping at new project management models that could lead to major contracts that would also aid in improved services, maintenance and delivery in batches of third-gen fighter jets and UAV export.

A scale model of China’s first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Pterodactyl, was on display at the Paris Air Show 2013 last week. Its payload and configurations are unclear however at the Zhuhai the Pterodactyl was exhibited along with four weapons: BA-7 air-to-ground missile, YZ-212 laser-guided bomb, YZ-102A anti-personnel bomb and 50-kilogram LS-6 miniature guided bomb with a maximum payload of 440 pounds.

During the 2012 Zhuhai show, AVIC also unveiled its plans to complete the first international order, without mentioning the buyers, for 12 Hongdu-built supersonic L-15 “Hunting Eagle” advanced jet trainers.

The company also revealed plans to develop the L-15 into a target drone. The “Blue Fox” will serve as a high-performance target for air combat weapon tests, ground-to-air defense training.

Earlier last year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified AVICs new heavy-lift helicopter, the AC313. According to reports, its weights at 27,600 pounds, can carry up to 27 people and has a maximum ferry range of 560 miles and service ceiling of nearly 28,000 feet.

The AC313 is supposedly the latest version the 14,000-pound Chinese Zhi-8, which is a medium helicopter based on the 1970s-vintage Aerospatiale SA321 Super Frelon, a design that dates back to the early 1960s.

The AC313 has been developed with modern avionics, a trio of Pratt &Whitney Canada PT6B-67A engines (1,200 shp each) and composite main rotor blades. AVIC plans to pursue certification of the AC313 in export markets, including the U.S. Deliveries ofAC313s are scheduled to begin later this year.

So far this year, China has flight tested three ‘secret’ military aircraft programs, unveiled new airborne weapons and air defence systems and continue to invest military engine technology development. AVIC continues to upgrade its existing third- and fourth-generation fighters while focusing on next-generation stealth fighters (J-31) and strategic transport aircraft (Y-20).

They are currently in their development stages and have yet to overcome technical hurdles, according to reports.