Air Force & Space emits reservations over a possible recourse to its A400M to fight fires

The recent fires that have declared themselves at the gates of Narbonne and Marseille have relaunched the debate on the air means implemented by the Directorate General for Civil Security and Crisis Management [DGSCGC]these being deemed insufficient.

Currently. Furthermore. Consequently. Similarly, civil security has twelve Canadair CL-415 “Canadair” [onze, en réalité, car l’un d’entre eux a été accidenté en mai dernier]eight dash 8 Q400 with a 10,000-liter car capacity of water or delaying product, three Beechcraft King Air 200 for recognition and a fleet of thirty-seven helicopter [vingt-sept EC-145 et dix H145]whose partial renewal is underway.

In 2022. In addition. Therefore. air force & space emits new Similarly, faced with difficulties in ensuring the maintenance in operational condition [MCO] CL-415, whose average age air force & space emits is around 30 years old, President Macron had announced their replacement air force & space emits with sixteen new DHC-515 water bombers, these devices to be acquired from Havilland of Canada. Consequently, And that, by the end of his second term.

Since then. However. Moreover. only two DHC-515 have actually been ordered to be delivered in 2028 and the acquisition of two other copies, however announced, remains uncertain.

However, according to a parliamentary report [.pdf] Published at the beginning of this month, the government plan has changed. Therefore, From now on. it would be a question of carrying the Canadair fleet to sixteen units [en comptant les quatre DHC-515] By 2033. the replacement of the twelve CL-415 being postponed until later. Unless, by then, a French solution is found, air force & space emits new with the Fregate F100, an amphibious aircraft developed by Hynaero.

In the meantime. an appeal to A400 “Atlas” transport aircraft of air force & space emits the Air Force & Space could be envisaged.

Indeed. the removable Roro type module [roll-on/roll-off] Developed by air force &amp. space emits Airbus to transform the A400M into a water bomber demonstrated its effectiveness during a recent evaluation campaign led by the test. research center [CEREN] Valibre understanding from the Nîmes-Gonons base.

As a reminder. requiring any structural modification. this fire -fighting module allows an A400M to drop up to 20 tonnes of water [ou de produit retardant] in less than ten seconds. at low altitude [100/150 pieds soit 30/45 mètres] and low speed [125 nœuds / 230 km/h].

According to the parliamentary report already quoted. the use of an A400M equipped with this module could be envisaged to “punctually supplement” the means of air force & space emits new civil. security. “for example during the attack on mega-fires”. And to add: “The only costs will concern the acquisition of the kit. the remuneration of air force &amp. space emits the pilots as well as the costs of fuel and maintenance linked to anti-fire operations”.

Except that it is not so simple. air force &amp. space emits as explained by General Jérôme Bellanger. the chief of staff of the Air Force & Space [CEMAAE]during a hearing in the National Assembly, on July 9.

« Le prototype [du module anti-incendie] Allows you to have higher performance than that of Canadair, ”said General Bellanger first. “The Air Army & Space could of course contribute to this new mission. Now it requires training pilots because it is still an extremely specific mission. So there is behind infrastructure, human resources, training, etc. What civil security is doing very well, “he said.

“These are generally former air force & space emits new Air Force & Space pilots” who are in charge of Canadair. “I can tell you that the missions they carry out, it is really not a mass sport,” concluded CEMAAE.

air force &amp. space emits

No doubt the use of A400M transformed into water bombers would be easier in Spain since. with the “Grupo 43”. the Ejercito del Aire Y del Espacio air force & space emits has a squadron specializing in fire fighting.

Photo : Airbus