TAIPEI, Taiwan — China's commercial airliner MA60 is now being advertised as a military troop and cargo transport, according to a new product booklet furnished by the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp. (CATIC).
The manufacture, Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company, has been producing the aircraft since 1999. The commercial airliner is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW127J turboprop engines and other US and Canadian avionics and equipment.
The problem with building a military variant of the MA60 equipped with Canadian/US engines and avionics is that they have been banned for export to China for military use since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Maria Mandato, of Pratt & Whitney Canada's Corporate Communications division, said the statements in the brochure were "false," but did not reveal why the brochure listed the PW127J engine, along with a photograph of the turboprop.
China's commercial airliner MA60 is now being advertised as a military troop and cargo transport, according to a new product booklet furnished by CATIC.
Photo Credit: CATIC
"P&WC manufactures civil-certified PW127J engines installed on Chinese Original Equipment Manufactured turboprop aircraft — namely the MA60/600 — operating in the Asia-Pacific region," Mandato said. "P&WC's ability to participate in export markets and our contractual obligations are always conditioned upon strict compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. XAC is the manufacturer of the MA60/MA600 series of civil-certified regional turboprop aircraft powered by PW127J engines."
According to the CATIC product booklet, the MA60M military variant can be operated for transport and "parachuting of up to 40 armed soldiers, military cargo transport and air ambulance with 24 stretchers." The military variant is outfitted with a rear ramp door.
Photographs in the booklet show soldiers sitting in the aircraft and two BJ2020 light utility vehicles being loaded into the aircraft via the ramp. The aircraft has a payload of 5,500 kilograms. The aircraft can be outfitted with maritime sensors as a Maritime Patrol Aircraft, dubbed the MA60 MPA.
Photographs in the booklet show soldiers sitting in the aircraft and two BJ2020 light utility vehicles being loaded into the aircraft via the ramp.
Photo Credit: CATIC
The MA60 is based on the Xian Y-7, which is a variant of the Soviet-built Antonov An-24 transport/passenger aircraft, both used for the military.
