BEIJING, April 28: China tested on Friday a new prototype of the FC-1 Xiaolong combat jet jointly developed with Pakistan, and was gearing up for mass production of the plane, state media reported.

The fourth prototype of the Xiaolong aircraft, a multi-role fighter-bomber with a range of 1,200 kilometers, successfully completed a 16-minute test flight from a base in southwest China’s Sichuan province, Xinhua news agency said.

Production of different parts of the plane had already begun in anticipation that the plane would soon be mass produced, the report said.

“The success of the flight marks a significant improvement in the innovation capabilities of China’s aviation industry and makes possible mass production of the plane,” Xinhua said.

The aircraft, also known as the JF-17, is a cooperative project between the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group in the southwest province of Sichuan and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

While earlier prototypes have focused on operational flight capabilities, the fourth prototype included advanced avionics and weapons, it said.—AFP