The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is putting the KC-390 Millennium airlifter on firefighting missions for the first time.
The Embraer multirole jet belonging to the First Troop Transport Group (1st GTT) flew to Corumbá to be used to fight fires from illegal burning in the Pantanal region, the world’s largest tropical wetland area.
The FAB had only carried out training missions in this configuration, one of several possible uses for the aircraft.
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To carry out the firefighting operation, the KC-390 receives the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS).
The equipment consists of a tube that projects water and flame retardant through the plane’s left rear door and an 11,300 liter reservoir.
The MAFFS II can be quickly installed or removed from the aircraft’s cargo compartment from its own base. Once placed on the plane, the equipment is connected to the aircraft’s electrical power system.
Missions with pressurized aircraft
The system used on the KC-390 is very different from the firefighting equipment that was used on the C-130 Hercules, which were retired from the FAB.
The new equipment, which projects water through the side door in the fuselage, allows the interior of the aircraft to be kept pressurized.
In the C-130, the launch tube was at the rear of the plane, which needed to execute the mission with the rear door/ramp open.
The system is provided by the United Aeronautical Corporation, based in the United States.
These resources, according to Embraer, “reduce the crew’s workload on firefighting missions, improving operation efficiency.”
The manufacturer also highlights the speed of the aircraft, which “guarantees shorter transit time and long-distance capacity projection, for rapid fire containment”.
