Comprehensive firefighting assistance via Airbus technologies
Airbus Helicopters and Satellite Solutions Aid in Wildfire Fighting Efforts
Airbus, a leading aerospace company, is contributing significantly to the fight against wildfires with its range of aircraft and satellite solutions. These offerings provide complementary capabilities in water-bombing, detection, monitoring, and evacuation.
Key Features and Capabilities
Airbus Helicopters
The Airbus H225, equipped with a belly-mounted water tank, is a formidable force in aerial firefighting. This helicopter can effectively suppress active fires with its water-bombing capabilities. It also includes a built-in search and rescue mode for rapid detection of fire targets and rescue operations. Onboard emergency stretchers facilitate immediate medical care during evacuations or rescues.
The Airbus H145 supports aerial firefighting missions, offering high maneuverability and advanced flight systems. It is used for reconnaissance and rapid response, benefiting from redundancy features for enhanced safety and reliability.
Helicopters like the Black Hawk are noted for high-efficiency water drops and excellent wind tolerance, allowing operations in challenging conditions.
A400M Atlas
The A400M strategic transport aircraft extends wildfire fighting capabilities by refuelling helicopters such as the H225M Caracal in flight, enabling longer-range missions and sustained firefighting or evacuation operations. Its large payload capacity can support rapid deployment of firefighting crews, equipment, and evacuation of evacuees when ground access is limited.
C295 Medium Transport Aircraft
Although no direct firefighting-specific features are highlighted, the C295 serves as a versatile medium transport aircraft that can be equipped for firefighting roles, such as troop and equipment transport or aerial delivery, aiding evacuation and logistical support in wildfire scenarios.
Satellite Solutions
Satellite-based air quality monitoring provides global data on pollution and smoke dispersion, allowing early detection of wildfires and monitoring their progression remotely. Satellites enable real-time surveillance over large and remote areas that are difficult to cover with helicopters or aircraft, supporting command centers in decision-making for resource allocation and evacuation planning.
In summary, Airbus helicopters specialize in direct wildfire suppression and rescue, leveraging water tanks, advanced detection, and medical support. The A400M enhances operational reach by aerial refueling and strategic transport. The C295 supports logistics and evacuation with flexible transport capacity. Meanwhile, satellite monitoring contributes critical early detection and ongoing fire behavior tracking, complementing airborne efforts with broad-area intelligence.
Improved avionics, automated flight features, and increased interoperability are key drivers for Airbus in addressing firefighting challenges. Airbus helicopters play an essential role in fighting fires, particularly during the fire attack phase. The H125 can drop up to 1,200L of water each time it flies over the scene and can transport up to four firefighters with their equipment.
Airbus Defence and Space conducted a new flight test campaign of the A400M Roll-on/Roll-off firefighting prototype kit, which can drop 20,000 litres of retardant and create lines up to 400 metres long. Water-bombing helicopters, equipped with a flexible bucket or belly tank, can drop up to 4,000 L of water each time they fly over a fire.
Airbus helicopters have proven flight capabilities in all-weather conditions, making night flights a new normal for firefighters. Satellites can help detect fires at an early stage, monitor and analyze their progress, and assess the damage through their ability to see through clouds and wide geographical coverage.
70% of mainland fire and rescue services in the UK rely on the digital solution SAFEcommand for better coordination. The roll-on/roll-off kit does not require any modification to the aircraft and can be interchangeable to any aircraft in the A400M fleet.
Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing wildfire fighting efforts, with Airbus Helicopters leveraging advanced avionics and automated flight features for improved performance.
Satellite-based air quality monitoring technology provides early detection of wildfires, enabling remote tracking and decision-making for resource allocation and evacuation planning.
