There are a number of records for the world’s largest machines and the tate-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has just created it’s own. The world’s largest seaplane was constructed by the company this year in an ongoing effort for China to reduce it’s dependence on foreign built aircrafts.

The AG600 was unveiled in Zhuhai in China by AVIC. The aircraft is about the same size of a Boeing 737. It has a flight range of 4,500 km and is able to collect 12 tonnes of water in merely 20 seconds. The Chinese government plans to press it into service in marine rescue operations as well as to fight forest fires. It’s wingspan is much smaller than the H-4 Hercules which was designed in the 1940s for Allied Troops.

AVIC’s deputy general manager Geng Ruguang said that the AG600 would be very useful in developing and exploiting marine resources. Ruguang added that it could be used for environmental monitoring, resource detection and transportation.

Needless to say the construction of this behemoth is going to help the Chinese ability to conduct a variety of operations in the South China Sea, where it has built a series of artificial islands featuring air strips, among other infrastructure with the potential for either civilian or military use. Now those are science experiments the world would love to see.