Chinese police have been equipped with advanced helicopters,
capable of launching air-to-ground fighting, according to the
Ministry of Public Security.
Some municipalities and provinces in China such as Beijing,
Shanghai, and Chongqing are organizing their own police helicopter
fleets, said an official from the ministry.
Capable of quick response to emergency, the police helicopter
fleets will be responsible for air patrolling, transporting,
fighting terrorism, and directing the flow of traffic, said the
official.
The importance of police helicopter is second only to military
aircrafts which are often used in war fighting or being the
chartered planes, said the official.
China now has seven police helicopter fleets, three police
airports and 20 police helicopters.
The first police helicopter in China was put into use by police
department in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province
in 1994.
Other cities like Guangdong, Zhengzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing and
Sanmenxia also utilize police helicopters and have organized their
helicopter fleets.
China's first comprehensive police helicopter drill took place
on Oct. 20 in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan
Province.
Five police helicopter fleets, including eight helicopters from
Guangdong Provincial Police department, along with the police
bureaus of Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Shenzhen and Sanmenxia, joined the
drill.
(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2006)
