CHINESE FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT TESTED

China’s latest large amphibious re ghting aircra has entered the ighttest phase of its development. Two AG600M airplanes arrived at the ight test centre in the Shaanxi Province in February for tests necessary to obtain the certi cation required to join the Chinese re service. Codenamed Kunlong, or “water dragon”, the aircra is being developed to serve emergency rescue missions and can be used in forest re ghting, maritime search and rescue, and other critical emergency rescue missions.

Its maximum take-o weight is 60tonnes, with a water-carrying capacity of up to 12tonne and a ight range of up to 4,500km.

Capable of low-altitude ying, the AG600M made the water carry and drop test in 2021, and is set to become the rst large special-mission aircra developed according to civil airworthiness standards.

As part of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the State Council of China has unveiled a plan to boost the development and capabilities of the modern emergency management system over the 2021-2025 period by increasing aircra for forest re- ghting missions and expanding airrescue capacities to cover key forests and grasslands across the country.