With the increase of forest fires across country China has undertaken its largest-ever emergency rescue aviation exercise, organized by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, featuring their domestically produced Chinese aircraft. The exercise was held in Jingmen, Central China’s Hubei Province and included a variety of training components from disaster reconnaissance, situation monitoring, communications, firefighting, and medical rescue.
Aircraft taking part included two AG600M amphibious aircraft that have a maximum takeoff weight of 60 tons and can scoop 12 tons of water in just 20 seconds. AC313, AC312, AC311A helicopters plus the Wing Loong-1E drone and AR500 unmanned helicopter also took part in the exercise.
During over eight water-dropping firefighting missions a cumulative total of 70 tons of water was dropped on a simulated fire. The military Wing Loong-1E drone, fitted with high-definition optoelectronic reconnaissance equipment, provided real-time imaging of the simulated emergency and fire area to the onsite command station.