“China Develops New Hybrid Vehicle – Ekranoplane – for Emergency Response in the South China Sea”

A new type of hybrid vehicle has just been developed by China. In French, this is called a ekranoplanea term of Russian origin used to designate these heavier-than-air devices (or aerodynes), designed to fly low over water – or, for that matter, any flat surface.

Ce «wingship» (which could be translated as “winged boat”), as the South China Morning Post calls it, is intended for use in the South China Sea, including for emergency response. The glider with air cushion is indeed able to brave the worst bad weather and to stay just above sea level thanks to its thrusters and the wings with which it is equipped.

Fast (240 km/h, twenty times more than the usual speed of this type of device), enduring (it can fly for a maximum of six hours), the machine can transport a dozen people and support a mass 4.5 tons on takeoff. Ideal for dispatching an emergency team and its equipment in the event of a problem detected in the middle of the sea.

Thirty tests have been carried out, and everything suggests that this device – which has probably not yet been baptized – is completely ready. The sometimes hostile Chinese waters do not scare this nameless flying object.

Stealth

From 2017, China also worked on another ambitious project: the design of the largest amphibious craft, the AG600, capable of taking off and landing on both water and land. Several prototypes of this Boeing 737-sized aircraft have been tested. Its objective is to be able to convey a large number of passengers, or a substantial cargo.

But the mission of the ekranoplane is quite different: with a more modest capacity, it is on the other hand much more apt to adapt to the worst conditions. “Compared to the amphibious craft or to the previous generations of wingships, this third generation of ground effect craft, whose resistance to waves is important, has raised the level significantly”indique le China Ship Scientific Research Center.

However, this type of device will not be used only for emergency missions: Beijing also plans to use it as part of its high-speed transport network linking China to the tropical island of Hainan, south of the country. The artificial islands installed by Beijing since 2014 for military purposes could also benefit.