This is a concern, year after year: Canadair can carry out all the elimination of forest fires? The famous yellow and red water bombers Canadair CL-415, capable of dropping 6,000 liters of water and reproducing “reach” above a body of water, have an average age of more than 25 years. And its advanced age generates additional maintenance costs and the risk of seeing the fleet immobilized for longer than expected.
A Senate report dated 2023 indicates “an efficient fleet, but whose growing mobilization and aging constitutes concern factors.” Especially since the manufacturer, from Havilland Canada, had stopped the production chain for more than 10 years, due to lack of customers … before announcing its revival in 2022 (for a modernized version, the CL-515), after a group order of the European Union.
Emmanuel Macron had announced in 2022 his desire to renew the Canadair fleet by 2027, a horizon that has been moved away since then, the first installments of new generation bombers are expected as soon as possible in 2028-2029.
Other airplanes projects
Projects in parallel have been launched in France, to be located in this strategic market, but very limited, water bombers.
Run in 2020, the Girondine Hynaéro company offers a plane capable of dropping 10,000 liters of water, almost twice as a Canadaair. During an organized meeting with the Association of Professional Journalists of Aeronautics and Space, the president of Hynaéro, a former Air Force and Space and Civil Security, specified that he has already signed three letters of intention for a total of 27 planes, with civil security, “an Australian private operator and a private Mediterranean operator.”
The Bourget Fair was also an opportunity for Hynaéro to present its concept to the American Defense Department, as well as operators in the IndoPacific area. The discussions would also be underway with Canada and Spain.
Called Frigate-F100, the project benefits from the support of France 2030, the BPI, and can count on Airbus: the European aircraft manufacturer supports Hynaéro, among other things, in the commercial and the funds to support and “ensure the project” to accelerate the development phase, it is said in Airbus.
The calendar is tight for Hynaéro, which shows the ambition of flying protesters in 2029, for the first installments in 2031. The company has raised so far 1.1 million euros and completes the viability phase of the concept. She hopes to raise 15 million euros this year, including 7 in subsidies.
Another actor seeks to establish in this segment and proposes to develop a water bomber based on the ATR-72 model. Building in Toulouse, Positive Aviation, which counts in its management team of the alumni of Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Airbus, wishes a commercial launch since 2028 and indicates that it has signed a contract with an American client for 10 aircraft.
“Plug and Play” Kits
For its part, Airbus develops a kit to combat forest fires, intended to be charged in A400m military transport aircraft. This “rolling/rolling” team, which does not require a modification of the plane, would fall up to 20,000 liters of water or delay.
The first tests were held in Spain in 2022 and Airbus announced at the end of June that he had directed a new test campaign in France this time, of the Nîmes-Gans aerodrome, which is also the “base of the mother” of civil security.
This solution has aroused the interest of civil security, but according to the information of BFM Business, there would be no political or military desire to transform the A400M of the Air Force and the space in Bombardier d’Auu. If the decision was made to acquire kits, they would be displayed according to ad hoc reinforcement. In addition, despite the ease of integration and implementation, this would represent an additional mission for the Air Force and space, which should also train its crews in this new capacity.
In Airbus, it is indicated that France would be “an ideal client” and that the concept would also interest the United Kingdom, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
Source: BFM TV
