Military prepares to unveil 16 advanced planes at Air Show China today
The nation is set to display its latest military aircraft for the first time as part of a showcase of its rising aeronautical prowess at today's Air Show China in Zhuhai , Guangdong province.
There will be 16 advanced military planes making their public debut, including one H-6U tanker aircraft, one Xinzhou-600 aircraft and two J-10 'Vigorous Dragon' fighters, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said. The show runs from today until Sunday at the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
The J-10, the star of the show making its first public appearance, will perform six minutes of high-skill aerial acrobatics. Building the J-10 fighter involved a significant amount of new military technology and marks the highest achievement of the Chinese aviation industry.
Though international media has speculated on the fighter for years, China did not report its existence until 2006. Today's demonstration is seen by military experts and aficionados as a sign of the mainland's confidence in its domestic aviation industrial prowess.
The three Shenzhou VII astronauts - Zhai Zhigang , Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng , who became national heroes after China's first spacewalk - are expected to attend, although the date of their appearance remains uncertain. The national flag that was taken into space will also be present.
Also on display will be several types of missiles, including anti-aircraft, coastal defence and ground-to-ground hardware.
