Eight military personnel remained missing at sea Friday nearly a full day after a US Marine amphibious assault vehicle sank in deep water off the California coast during training exercises.

Officials at Camp Pendleton in southern California said that one of eight Marines rescued in the mishap off the shore of San Clemente Island was declared dead after being taken to hospital and two more remained in intensive care.

The fate of seven other Marines and one sailor was unknown nearly 24 hours after the accident as rescue operations involving multiple aircraft and boats continued, said Lieutenant General Joseph Osterman.

The accident took place during routine training by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the area of San Clemente Island, in the Pacific Ocean about 65 miles (105 kilometers) west of San Diego.

The vessel, which was more than 1,000 meters off the island's northwest coast, reported taking on water at around 5:45 pm Thursday (0045 GMT Friday).

There were 16 aboard the vehicle, which are armored and meant to carry troops from a ship to shore.

At the time, they were returning to their ship from the island, which is used exclusively by the military for training and as a ship-to-shore firing range.

"When the AAV began to take on water they signalled to the rest of the unit" that they were in trouble, said Osterman.

Two other AAVs and a safety boat accompanying them came to their aid, rescuing eight.

It was not known how many others, who carried heavy gear but had life preservers, got off the 26 tonne vehicle or may have been stuck inside.

It sank in several hundred feet of water, Osterman said, too deep for regular divers to reach it.

"The assumption is it went all the way to the bottom," he said.

"Deeply saddened by, and closely monitoring, this tragic incident," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a tweeted statement.

"Please keep our Marines, Sailors, and their families in your prayers as the search continues."

Eight military personnel remained missing at sea Friday nearly a full day after a US Marine amphibious assault vehicle sank in deep water off the California coast during training exercises.

Eight military personnel remained missing at sea Friday nearly a full day after a US Marine amphibious assault vehicle sank in deep water off the California coast during training exercises. Officials at Camp Pendleton in southern California said that one of eight Marines rescued in the mishap off the shore of San Clemente Island was declared dead after being taken to hospital and two more remained in intensive care. The fate of seven other Marines and one sailor was unknown nearly 24 hours after the accident as rescue operations involving multiple aircraft and boats continued, said Lieutenant General Joseph Osterman. The accident took place during routine training by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the area of San Clemente Island, in the Pacific Ocean about 65 miles (105 kilometers) west of San Diego. The vessel, which was more than 1,000 meters off the island's northwest coast, reported taking on water at around 5:45 pm Thursday (0045 GMT Friday). There were 16 aboard the vehicle, which are armored and meant to carry troops from a ship to shore. At the time, they were returning to their ship from the island, which is used exclusively by the military for training and as a ship-to-shore firing range. "When the AAV began to take on water they signalled to the rest of the unit" that they were in trouble, said Osterman. Two other AAVs and a safety boat accompanying them came to their aid, rescuing eight. It was not known how many others, who carried heavy gear but had life preservers, got off the 26 tonne vehicle or may have been stuck inside. It sank in several hundred feet of water, Osterman said, too deep for regular divers to reach it. "The assumption is it went all the way to the bottom," he said. "Deeply saddened by, and closely monitoring, this tragic incident," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a tweeted statement. "Please keep our Marines, Sailors, and their families in your prayers as the search continues."

Eight still missing after US Marine amphibious vehicle sinks

China's indigenously designed and built amphibious aircraft AG600, touted as the world's largest, successfully carried out its first take-off and landing tests on Saturday.

The aircraft, developed and built by the state-owned aircraft firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China, took off and later landed on the water in Hubei province's Jingmen, state-run China Daily reported.

The seaplane took off from the Zhanghe Reservoir at 8:51 am (local time) and stayed airborne for about 15 minutes, said the report which also accompanied the videos of the aircraft's take off.

The aircraft code-named Kunlong was piloted by four crew members.

Early this month, it completed its first water taxiing trials at a high speed of 145 kilometres.

Designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 is powered by four domestically-built turboprop engines and has a range of 12 hours.

It will be mainly used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires and marine monitoring, according to an earlier report by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The aircraft has passed a series of tests since its maiden flight last December. It successfully finished eight taxiing tests on water at a speed of 80-kilometre per hour and 120-kilometre per hour.&nbsp;

China's indigenously designed and built amphibious aircraft AG600, touted as the world's largest, successfully carried out its first take-off and landing tests on Saturday.

China's indigenously designed and built amphibious aircraft AG600, touted as the world's largest, successfully carried out its first take-off and landing tests on Saturday. The aircraft, developed and built by the state-owned aircraft firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China, took off and later landed on the water in Hubei province's Jingmen, state-run China Daily reported. The seaplane took off from the Zhanghe Reservoir at 8:51 am (local time) and stayed airborne for about 15 minutes, said the report which also accompanied the videos of the aircraft's take off. The aircraft code-named Kunlong was piloted by four crew members. Early this month, it completed its first water taxiing trials at a high speed of 145 kilometres. Designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 is powered by four domestically-built turboprop engines and has a range of 12 hours. It will be mainly used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires and marine monitoring, according to an earlier report by the state-run Xinhua news agency. The aircraft has passed a series of tests since its maiden flight last December. It successfully finished eight taxiing tests on water at a speed of 80-kilometre per hour and 120-kilometre per hour.

China-built world's largest amphibious plane completes maiden flight test

China expects to deliver its domestically developed AG600, the&nbsp;world's largest amphibious aircraft, to customers by 2022, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Sunday citing the plane's manufacturer. 
 
"We are endeavouring to get the airworthiness certification from the civil aviation authorities by 2021, and deliver it to the customers by 2022," Xinhua quoted Huang Lingcai, the plane's chief designer at state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), as saying. 
 
AG600&nbsp;performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme. 
 
China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.

AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500 kms (2,800 miles) and is designed to be able to take off and land in two metre (six feet) waves.

Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media.

In December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies.

State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) has spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires

AG600 performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme

China expects to deliver its domestically developed AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft, to customers by 2022, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported late on Sunday citing the plane's manufacturer. "We are endeavouring to get the airworthiness certification from the civil aviation authorities by 2021, and deliver it to the customers by 2022," Xinhua quoted Huang Lingcai, the plane's chief designer at state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), as saying. AG600 performed its maiden flight in December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation programme. China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States. AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires. It has a range of up to 4,500 kms (2,800 miles) and is designed to be able to take off and land in two metre (six feet) waves. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for fire fighting trips, according to state media. In December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies. State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) has spent almost eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing Co 737 and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires

China to deliver world's largest amphibious aircraft to customers by 2022

China&#39;s home-grown AG600, the world&#39;s largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.&nbsp;The plane, codenamed &quot;Kunlong&quot; according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight.

With a wingspan of 38.8 meters (127 feet) and powered by four turboprop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours.&nbsp;&quot;Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world&#39;s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft,&quot; chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua.

The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported.&nbsp;While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes&#39; flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 97 meters and a length of 67 meters but only made one brief flight, in 1947.

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The AG600&#39;s flight capabilities put all of China&#39;s island-building projects in the South China Sea well within range.&nbsp;&quot;Its 4,500-km operational range and ability to land and take off from the water makes it well-suited for deployment over China&#39;s artificial islands&quot;, said James Char, a military analyst at Singapore&#39;s Nanyang Technological University.

The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China&#39;s territorial claims -- the James Shoal -- in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported.&nbsp;The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia and is currently administered by Malaysia. The collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 80 kilometers from Malaysia&#39;s coastline and about 1,800 kilometers from the Chinese mainland.

&quot;The plane&#39;s capacity and maneuverability make it ideal for transporting material to those maritime features that are too structurally fragile to support runways,&quot; Char said.

Beijing&#39;s buildup in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

The Philippines for many years was one of the region&#39;s strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal.&nbsp;

The panel ruled last year that China&#39;s territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte.

The launch of the new amphibious aircraft further strengthens China&#39;s rapidly modernising military.

Earlier this year, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A. This complemented the Liaoning, a second-hand Soviet carrier commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.

China&#39;s military expenditure in 2016 was an estimated $215 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, putting it in first place in Asia, well ahead of India ($56 billion), Japan ($46 billion) and South Korea ($37 billion).

The plane, codenamed 'Kunlong', took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight

China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight. The plane, codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight. With a wingspan of 38.8 meters (127 feet) and powered by four turboprop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours. "Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua. The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported. While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 97 meters and a length of 67 meters but only made one brief flight, in 1947. The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will be used for firefighting and marine rescue × The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island-building projects in the South China Sea well within range. "Its 4,500-km operational range and ability to land and take off from the water makes it well-suited for deployment over China's artificial islands", said James Char, a military analyst at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims -- the James Shoal -- in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported. The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia and is currently administered by Malaysia. The collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 80 kilometers from Malaysia's coastline and about 1,800 kilometers from the Chinese mainland. "The plane's capacity and maneuverability make it ideal for transporting material to those maritime features that are too structurally fragile to support runways," Char said. Beijing's buildup in the South China Sea, through which some $5 trillion in annual trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations. The Philippines for many years was one of the region's strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal. The panel ruled last year that China's territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte. The launch of the new amphibious aircraft further strengthens China's rapidly modernising military. Earlier this year, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A. This complemented the Liaoning, a second-hand Soviet carrier commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits. China's military expenditure in 2016 was an estimated $215 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, putting it in first place in Asia, well ahead of India ($56 billion), Japan ($46 billion) and South Korea ($37 billion).

World's largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China

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