China focuses on helicopters' role in emergency response and rescue at forum

A forum on China's helicopter development was held in Tianjin on Wednesday, focusing on the role of helicopters in emergency response and rescue.

The forum, jointly held by Aviation Industry Corp of China and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, brought together government officials, industry representatives, and researchers to discuss a wide range of topics related to helicopters, including industry policies, system buildup, market demands, equipment development, and operational approaches.

Zhang Jichao, deputy general manager at Aviation Industry Corp of China, said at the forum that his company, the country's dominant aircraft maker, is determined to accelerate the research, development, and production of helicopters and will strive to improve its helicopters' capability to better serve the nation's emergency response and rescue systems.

In addition to helicopters, the company has developed and delivered a host of aircraft for emergency response and rescue missions, including the AG600 large amphibious aircraft and civilian variants of the Wing Loong drones.

China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) has proposed to improve the national emergency management system by strengthening and improving the air rescue system and capabilities.

The State Council has unveiled a plan to boost the development and capabilities of the modern emergency management system over the 2021-2025 period by increasing aircraft for forest fire-fighting missions and expanding air-rescue capacities to cover key forests and grasslands across the country.