Airbus completes unique trial in forest firefighting

Airbus completes a unique trial in forest firefighting at the Garrigues military camp in Nîmes
The test is demonstrating highly accurate water drops and is reducing detection to extinguishment time
Drones and aircraft are capturing images and are transmitting them in real time
AI systems are producing a comprehensive view of the tactical situation
The trial is marking a milestone in Airbus’s ecosystem for combating forest fires

Airbus has completed a unique trial in forest firefighting at the Garrigues military camp in Nîmes, France on 26th March that is linking aircraft, helicopters, drones and ground personnel through communication and data processing systems.

The test is demonstrating highly accurate water drops and is reducing the time between fire detection and extinguishment. Resources including the Airbus H130 FlightLab helicopter, ATR 72 test aircraft, Cirrus SR20 light aircraft and four drones are collecting and processing data in real time.

Drones and the light aircraft are capturing images including infrared footage and are transmitting them to Airbus servers connected to a command centre. AI systems are producing a comprehensive view of the tactical situation and are enabling flight paths and water drop points for the helicopter and ATR 72 simulating a water bomber. A local private mobile network bubble connected to Agnet is interconnecting the entire system.

The trial is marking a milestone in Airbus’s development of an ecosystem for combating forest fires that includes the A400M with firefighting kit and solutions for coordination between ground and air crews in line with decarbonisation goals.

Airbus has confirmed the successful completion of the first-of-its-kind trial linking aircraft, helicopters, drones and ground personnel.