Jiagedaqi (GNP): China’s domestically developed AG600 “Kunlong” large amphibious aircraft has completed its 2026 deployment in Jiagedaqi, in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China announced on Monday that the aircraft successfully concluded four months of aerial emergency response and forest fire prevention operations.
The numbers show how active the aircraft was. During the deployment, the AG600 conducted 35 forest patrol flights and logged 100 hours of safe flight time. It also dropped around 390 tonnes of water.
Its work went beyond patrols. The aircraft took part in forest fire drills in the Greater Khingan Mountains region of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There it carried out intensive firefighting operations, including coordinated air-ground responses and efforts to tackle canopy fires.
Those exercises tested the aircraft in demanding conditions. With its ability to fly at low altitudes and speeds, its large water-carrying capacity and its strong manoeuvrability, the AG600 showed it can respond to emergencies and fight fires in complex forest environments.
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That performance matches the purpose behind its design. China developed the AG600 independently to meet the country’s needs for forest firefighting and water rescue. It is the world’s largest civil amphibious aircraft by maximum takeoff weight.
With the 2026 deployment complete, the aircraft now moves to its next stage. It will enter regular deployment, supporting a new model for forest fire prevention and suppression.
