Israel and 3F partner on firefighting aircraft platform

IAI to develop next-gen wildfire aircraft with Fire Free Forests

Israel Aerospace Industries has announced a new strategic partnership with Fire Free Forests (3F) to develop a next-generation airborne firefighting platform.

According to a statement by Israel Aerospace Industries, the collaboration is formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding and will focus on adapting the 767BDSF aircraft for large-scale aerial firefighting.

The aircraft platform is based on IAI’s BEDEK Special Freighter and will include the capacity to carry and disperse around 40 tonnes of fire-retardant material.

IAI will lead technical development while 3F will oversee business planning, commercial delivery and a service model aimed at governments and public-sector institutions.

The agreement was signed in Israel and includes an international rollout plan focused on fire-prone regions in North America, Europe and Australia.

Aircraft capabilities to support large-scale fire suppression

IAI explained that the new platform, designated 767FF Fire-Fighter, is engineered to support aerial suppression of severe and wide-ranging wildfires.

The aircraft will include precision systems to release fire-retardant material, as well as sensor equipment to detect fire sources and assess local conditions.

Wind patterns and ground data will be analysed in real time through a networked sensor system.

A command and control unit will be integrated into the platform to coordinate aerial and ground-based firefighting resources simultaneously.

The company said the approach is intended to address high-intensity fires more quickly than traditional ground operations alone.

Fire Free Forests to manage service delivery

Fire Free Forests will be responsible for commercial deployment and subscription service design.

The organisation will target government clients, reinsurance bodies and climate resilience projects as part of the business model.

Marc Berdugo, Funding Partner at Fire Free Forests, said: “This partnership reflects a shared ambition: to bring to market the most effective and scalable aerial response to wildfires. Fire Free Forests aims to offer a decisive solution to the growing threat of mega-fires.

“On one hand, it is based on a substantial fleet of high-capacity firefighting aircraft.

“On the other, it introduces a cost-sharing model among major public stakeholders, through an innovative assistance and insurance approach.

“With IAI’s world-class technical expertise, we are confident in our ability to deliver a powerful public-good instrument to safeguard lives, forests, and biodiversity.”

Deployment plan includes global rollout

According to IAI, the deployment of the firefighting system will take place in stages and focus on countries facing regular wildfire outbreaks.

Initial efforts will be supported by logistics centres in the United States, Canada, Australia and Southern Europe.

Each hub will coordinate local delivery and maintenance support for the firefighting fleet.

Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, said: “As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity due to climate change, the need for innovative, large-scale solutions has never been more urgent.

“We are proud to apply our advanced engineering and aircraft conversion capabilities to help protect lives around the world and look forward to collaborating with 3F on this.”

Aviation division to lead technical development

The aviation division at IAI will lead all engineering and aircraft adaptation work.

Yaacov Berkovitz, Executive VP and General Manager of IAI’s Aviation Division, said: “IAI continues to demonstrate its ability to develop cutting-edge solutions that address emerging global challenges and its unique capability to adapt airborne platforms into competent, mission-tailored solutions.

“This new firefighting platform fuses our world-leading expertise in aircraft conversion to deliver a highly effective response to climate-driven threats

“A major leap forward in aerial firefighting capabilities.”

The division oversees all manned aviation work at IAI, including maintenance, upgrades, and conversion services for a global client base.

IAI stated that its existing clients include Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.

Israel and 3F partner on firefighting aircraft platform: Summary

Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fire Free Forests.

The purpose is to jointly develop an airborne firefighting platform.

The platform is based on the 767BDSF aircraft.

IAI will lead engineering and aircraft adaptation.

The aircraft will carry 40 tonnes of fire-retardant material.

It will include real-time sensors and a central control system.

Fire Free Forests will manage commercial delivery.

The service will use a subscription model.

Target clients include governments and reinsurers.

Deployment hubs are planned in the US, Canada, Australia and Southern Europe.

The information was published by Israel Aerospace Industries.