China adds 2 new multi-use firefighting planes to emergency fleet
- Large, fixed-wing MA60s were built by AVIC and can be used for water drops, fire monitoring, communications command and transport
The Ministry of Emergency Management took delivery of two new aircraft for its fleet on Monday – the first large fixed-wing planes for aerial firefighting in China.
They can carry up to 6 tonnes of water or transport 28 firefighters or 3.7 tonnes of cargo, the ministry said in a statement.
It said the planes could be used for multiple tasks including water drops, fire monitoring, communications command and transport.
The ministry said the aircraft would expand its disaster relief capabilities given that they can operate over long distances and can be used to transport water, workers and cargo. They will be deployed with other aircraft in the emergency rescue fleet including helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.
It took AVIC three years to develop the new planes, the ministry said. The aircraft are equipped with a system to observe the fire situation and a precision system to deliver fire retardants, both developed in China.
