Two of China's MA60 firefighting aircraft, including an independently developed aeronautical system tailored to serve emergency rescue missions, were delivered to the Ministry of Emergency Management on Monday, marking the first among large and medium-sized fixed-wing planes utilized for aerial firefighting, according to Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), its developer.

The aircraft has a maximum water-carrying capacity of six metric tons and maximum cargo-transport weight of 3.7 metric tons. It can accommodate up to 28 people onboard.The MA60 is designed with multiple functions such as water-dropping operations, fire monitoring, air communications and command, and emergency rescue tasks of personnel and supply transportation. It features a fast cruising speed, long flight range, low flight speed at low altitude, high reliability, and long-distance cross-regional deployment.

Development of the aircraft began in June 2021 and breakthroughs include those in design of stable aerodynamic characteristics of large and medium-sized fixed-wing aircraft and the design of pressure tank gravity water injection systems, filling a gap in the domestic technology field.

In the stage of airworthiness compliance flight tests from October 2023 to March 2024, the aircraft successfully completed the comprehensive combat exercise of emergency rescue and firefighting tasks in the mountainous region of Yajiang County in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The MA60 will play a critical role in aerial emergency response, forest and grassland firefighting, as well as personnel and supply transportation in the future.