CCG inducts first MA60 patrol aircraft
The first MA60H maritime patrol aircraft entered service with the China Coast Guard (CCG) during a formal ceremony on 19 June.
The aircraft will be operated by the South Sea Bureau of the CCG, meaning it will spend a considerable amount of time patrolling the disputed South China Sea. It will be based at the newly opened Qionghai Bo’ao Airport on Hainan Island on the periphery of the sea.
The MA60H is a maritime patrol variant of the vanilla twin-turboprop airliner built by the Xi’an Aircraft Industries Company (XAC). It boasts a surveillance radar mounted under the fuselage, plus a
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial effort designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![China’s mineral processing dominance exposes naval supply chain vulnerabilities]()
China’s mineral processing dominance exposes naval supply chain vulnerabilities
Competition for critical minerals, and China’s dominance of their processing, is emerging as a decisive factor in future naval procurement programmes.
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
