Firefighting seaplane undergoes first water test

Operators of the AG600M, a new amphibious firefighting aircraft, tested the vessel's capability of collecting and discharging 12 metric tons of water in Central China's Hubei province on Tuesday.

The vessel has a maximum takeoff weight of 60 metric tons. In a typical firefighting operation, it can collect 12 metric tons of water from a lake or sea within 20 seconds and use it to douse blazes over an area of about 4,000 square meters, said designers.

The AG600 large amphibious aircraft family is regarded as critical aeronautical equipment for China's emergency-rescue system. It was developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China to satisfy the demands of firefighting and marine-rescue missions.