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France advances use of adaptable Airbus A400M to fight fire
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

France advances use of adaptable Airbus A400M to fight fire

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • France has accelerated the deployment of its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, adapted for firefighting, to combat a massive wildfire in Gironde.
  • The A400M can carry approximately 20 tons of retardant, equivalent to two Dash aircraft, and three times the water volume of a Canadair.
  • The deployment, initially planned for July 29, was moved up due to the severity of the fire, which has already burned 19,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of 110,000 people.

France has expedited the operational deployment of its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, retrofitted for firefighting, to aid in combating a massive wildfire raging in Gironde, near Bordeaux. The decision, announced by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, allows the aircraft to join the firefighting efforts immediately.

The Airbus reversible A400M, adapted to fight fires, to add it this afternoon to the resources fighting the gigantic fire that is advancing in Gironde, near Bordeaux.

— French Prime Minister Sébastien LecornuThis quote announces the accelerated deployment of the A400M for firefighting.

The A400M, with a wingspan of 42 meters, was originally scheduled to enter service around July 29. Its adaptation for anti-fire tasks required technical work and a testing period. The aircraft is equipped with a system capable of dropping about 20 tons of fire retardant, a capacity equivalent to two Dash aircraft. It can also carry three times the water volume of a Canadair water bomber, according to government spokesperson Maud Bregeon.

The accelerated deployment comes amid a critical situation in Gironde, where the wildfire has consumed at least 19,000 hectares since igniting on Wednesday. The blaze has forced the evacuation of approximately 110,000 people over the past three days and is advancing towards Bordeaux. Evacuations have been carried out in several towns within the metropolitan area.

The A400M can be equipped with a system for launching about 20 tons of retardant, which is equivalent to the capacity of two Dash aircraft, and a volume of water three times greater than that of a Canadair.

— Government spokesperson Maud BregeonThis quote details the significant firefighting capabilities of the A400M aircraft.

This deployment had become a point of political contention, with leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon advocating for its immediate use. Government spokesperson Bregeon had previously stated that adapting the A400M was more complex than assembling Lego, highlighting the technical challenges involved. The urgency of the situation, however, prompted the government to advance the aircraft's integration into the firefighting operations.

adapting the A400Ms is a bit longer and more complex than a Lego game.

— Maud BregeonThis quote highlights the technical complexity and time required for the A400M's adaptation, contrasting with a political demand for immediate use.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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