China has granted approval for the country’s first home-grown 1,000-kilowatt helicopter engine to begin mass production, as Beijing doubles down on its aviation ambitions in defiance of US efforts to restrict its access to key technologies.
The engine, named the AES100, was granted a production licence by Chinese authorities on Thursday, “laying a solid foundation for its market launch”, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
The AES100 turboshaft engine – produced by the state-owned Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) – differs from the type of jet engines Comac uses in its aircraft, but Chinese experts said its development still represented a major step forward for the country’s aviation sector.
Li Gaiqi, chief designer of the AES100, said the granting of the licence reflected “China’s ability to independently develop and manufacture advanced civil turboshaft engines”.
