Firefighting Aircraft

A New Weapon Against Wildfires Is Already on the Way

Two of the four planned Embraer C 390 aircraft are to be capable of being converted into firefighting aircraft at any time in the future—in just four hours.(Bild: Embraer)

Starting in 2028, the Austrian Armed Forces’ next generation of transport aircraft will also be used as firefighting aircraft. This is made possible by a system called MAFFS II.  

In the future, assistance for the country’s fire departments—which are currently under immense strain—will increasingly come from the air. Starting in 2028, the new C-390 transport aircraft will arrive for the Austrian Armed Forces, along with dedicated firefighting modules that can be installed in the aircraft as needed. The “Krone” asked experts from the Austrian Armed Forces to explain how they work:

• The MAFFS II wildfire suppression system was ordered as part of the procurement process for two of the four aircraft. This system allows each container to carry up to 11,000 liters of fire suppressant, which can be dispersed over a fire area in about four seconds.

Two of the four planned Embraer C 390 aircraft are to be capable of being converted into firefighting aircraft at any time in the future—in just four hours.(Bild: Embraer)

The massive tank inside the aircraft, which can be installed within four hours.(Bild: Embraer)

• The system fits on pallets and can be installed within four hours. Unlike helicopters equipped with so-called “Bambi Buckets,” the C-390 must land to refill the system and requires suitable takeoff and landing facilities in the vicinity—but in return, it can carry nearly four times as much as the most powerful helicopter. Refueling the tanks on the ground takes just under 12 minutes, according to Militär Aktuell.

Instead of the normal cabin door, the nozzle is mounted on the side.(Bild: Embraer)

• The aircraft can use the system either to take on water and drop it directly over the fire, or to disperse fire-retardant chemicals over forests that are under immediate threat from flames. The chemicals are sprayed through a nozzle mounted on the outside in place of a cabin door.

The deployment of the new aircraft will likely not be limited to our national borders: “With the new system, we will be able to help not only domestically but also our neighbors in fighting wildfires in the future,” said Air Force Chief Gerfried Promberger in an interview with “Krone.” As recently as November 2021, Austria itself had to rely on international assistance when two Italian firefighting aircraft “refueled” in the New Danube to extinguish the Rax fire.