France signs major agreement with Airbus to strengthen firefighting capacity. France Director General of Civil Security and Crisis Management Julian Marion, Bordeaux At the 'Aerial Fire Fighting Europe' conference held in , Airbus produced A400M a fire extinguishing kit for a military transport aircraft Letter of Intent (LoI) This cooperation is seen as an important step for France to fight more effectively against fast-spreading natural disasters such as forest fires.
Letter of Intent and Testing Process
Within the framework of the signed Letter of Intent, Airbus, April 2025in France, A400M Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO) will carry out a new flight test activity of the fire extinguishing kit. December 2024 in SpainFollowing the latest tests carried out in , the French Civil Security, A400M He stated that the aircraft could be used as a high-capacity firefighting vehicle, especially against rapidly spreading forest fires. This A400MIt demonstrates the potential of being a versatile platform in both military and civilian areas.
A400M Fire Extinguishing Kit Features
Developed by Airbus A400M Roll-on/Roll-off fire extinguishing kit, does not require any modifications to the aircraft and can be easily replaced with any aircraft in the A400M fleet. This kit allows the storage of water or fire retardant chemicals in a tank in the aircraft's cargo compartment. The liquid is transferred to the discharge pipe by a mechanical arm and is expelled by gravity. In the design of the prototype, the aircraft is 20 ton capable of discharging water or fire retardant liquid.
Sara vargas, Airbus Defence and Space Project Manager, ReutersHe told , the A400M aircraft had this fire extinguishing kit for about 2-3 hours He said that the aircraft can be installed within 15 minutes and then the aircraft will be ready for full firefighting operations. This rapid installation time A400Mmakes it an extremely effective tool in emergency situations.
A400M Capabilities and Benefits
A400MOne of the biggest advantages of the aircraft's firefighting capabilities is that flying slow and low This allows firefighting operations to be carried out with very high safety standards. In addition, manipulation ability Thanks to this, the aircraft can operate effectively even in difficult weather conditions.
AirbusThis new capacity of, “Swiss army knife” It is noteworthy that he defines it with an analogy. Because A400Mis a platform designed as an aircraft with the potential to perform not only firefighting but also a variety of military and civilian missions.
Future Use and Potential Buyers
Airbus confirms A400M's firefighting capability France and Europe He stated that it will have strategic importance in economic and industrial terms for the FranceIn addition to other European countries It also has great potential for. It was also stated that Airbus plans to have this kit in use within a few years and continues to negotiate with potential buyers.
