With the flames now closing in on the city of Bordeaux, Paris is saying the blazes could continue burning for months<\/a>. Over 220,000 persons have been evacuated, according to the European Commissioner for crisis management Hadja Lahbib<\/a>.<\/p>\n Congratulations to the @Armee_de_lair<\/a> and S\u00e9curit\u00e9 Civile @SecCivileFrance<\/a> for the first successful #A400M<\/a> deployment to fight the wildfires in South West of France.<\/p>\n On July 25, a FFrench Air & Space Force A400M has been equipped with a Roll-on\/Roll-off (RO-RO) firefighting\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ArWdhwUzeR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Airbus has been testing a modification kit to rapidly convert the A400M into a water bomber aircraft. This would allow the A400M to supplement traditional firefighting aircraft in case of high demand, such as with the current wildfires.<\/p>\n A variety of assets is being employed in the operation, including France\u2019s fleet of 12 Canadair CL-415<\/a> amphibian firefighting aircraft operated by the S\u00e9curit\u00e9 Civile (Civil Protection) force; A\u00e9rospatiale AS 350B3 helicopters of the Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne Fire and Rescue Service (Pompiers13) equipped with the Bambi Bucket system and Dash-8 Q400-MR multirole tankers. According to Aerial Fire<\/a>, six Australian Air Tractor AT-802<\/a>Fs from Aerotech Group and Xo Aviation have also been pressed into service for this effort.<\/p>\n L\u2019 A400M dans la lutte\ud83d\udd25. \u2014 Arm\u00e9e de l\u2019Air et de l\u2019Espace (@Armee_de_lair) July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n A400M firefighting conversion and capability<\/p>\n The images released by Airbus and the FASF show the aircraft carrying the \u2018A400M Firefighter Demo Kit Mk2\u2019 and releasing the fire retardant. The press release by the Ministry of the Armed Forces<\/a> suggested a single A400M being used in what it termed \u2018Operation Sentinelle\u2019, as a part of the continuing firefighting qualification testing being carried out with the Military Air Expertise Centre (CEAM), Airbus and the Directorate General for Civil Security and Crisis Management since 2024.<\/p>\n The service\u2019s 25-plus A400Ms are based at Air Base 123 (BA 123) in Orl\u00e9ans.<\/p>\n A French A400M military plane dumped retardant over Lacanau\u2019s wildfire-hit forest land, joining firefighting efforts for the first time pic.twitter.com\/iLx4gMmyVI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Reuters (@Reuters) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Indonesia too has been considering ordering firefighting kits for two of its own A400Ms<\/a> from Airbus. Airbus said in November 2025 that the roll-on\/ roll-off (Ro-Ro) modular firefighting kit allows the A400M to be rapidly converted into a water bomber aircraft, capable of dropping up to 20,000 litres (20 tons) of fire retardant or water in a single pass.<\/p>\n The Ro-Ro kit can be rapidly installed in the cargo hold without any permanent airframe modification. The tanks, which discharge the fire retardant through the rear ramp, can be refilled in under 10 minutes by standard ground pumps.<\/p>\n The company previously conducted trials<\/a> and certification of this firefighting module in April 2025 at N\u00eemes-Garons. The performance of the kits firefighting ability was separately assessed by Entente-Valabre\u2019s Test and Research Centre (CEREN).<\/p>\n Images du premier largage de liquide retardant depuis la soute d\u2019un A400M.<\/p>\n Une premi\u00e8re mondiale, rendue possible en seulement quinze jours gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la mobilisation exemplaire de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 civile, des arm\u00e9es et d\u2019Airbus. Merci \u00e0 toutes celles et ceux qui l\u2019ont rendue possible.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/XpA7afWFXb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 S\u00e9bastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The statement from Airbus said the so-called \u201ccup grid tests\u201d demonstrated \u201cthe accurate distribution and concentration of retardant upon reaching the ground,\u201d with the modified A400M flying at altitudes below 30 meters (98 feet) and speeds around 230 km\/hour (125 knots).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>Canadair CL-415s at the Air Base 123 in Orl\u00e9ans. (Image Credit: French Air and Space Force)<\/p>\n The French Ministry of the Armed Forces added that the 20 ton fire-retardant drop capability is \u201cequivalent to two drops by Dash aircraft.\u201d The Ministry further explained how the A400M would be used in the firefighting role: \u201cThe aircraft would operate upstream of the flames. Its use would thus contribute to providing ad hoc support to specialized resources in this field, particularly those of the Civil Security service: Canadair and Dash aircraft. This new capability would not change the aircraft\u2019s structure, which would retain its military capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Impresionante, gracias por vuestra lucha. pic.twitter.com\/3y1g6UfmS1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Capit\u00e1n General de los Tercios (@capTercio) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n While the firefighting kit has now been used operationally, the trial phase will still continue and put the kit through the \u201cnecessary [\u2026] testing and qualification.\u201d The statement further added \u201cThe CEAM (Air Warfare Experimentation Center) is fully committed to this effort, particularly in the operational performance evaluation phases and the formulation of conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>Le lundi 29 juin 2026 sur la base a\u00e9rienne 106 \u201ccapitaine Michel Croci\u201d les Air tractor d\u00e9collent de la base (Image Credit: French Air and Space Force)<\/p>\n France\u2019s former defense minister and current Prime Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu described the first real-life fire retardant drop by the A400M as \u201cA world first, made possible in just fifteen days thanks to the exemplary mobilization of Civil Security, the armed forces, and Airbus.\u201d He further added: \u201cThank you to all those who made it possible. This new capability now strengthens the aerial resources already deployed in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n Le combat continue, force \u00e0 ceux qui sont en pleine bataille encore aujourd\u2019hui ! Il faudra s\u2019en rappeler une fois le calme revenu. pic.twitter.com\/XSc1l3UroF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Europe mobilizes<\/p>\n Interestingly, at least one of the two Czech S-70 Firehawks<\/a> that Prague ordered in November 2025 also operated in suppressing the fires in the village of La Temple, in the Gironde department in southwestern France\u2019s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic said<\/a> on X that \u201cThe Czech air firefighting module in France today helped protect the village of Le Temple, which was practically surrounded by flames. The fire in the Gironde department affected around 30,000 ha.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude81\u010cesk\u00fd modul leteck\u00e9ho ha\u0161en\u00ed ve Francii dnes pom\u00e1hal chr\u00e1nit obec Le Temple, kterou plameny prakticky obkl\u00ed\u010dily. \ud83d\udd25 Po\u017e\u00e1r v departementu Gironde zas\u00e1hl okolo 30 000 ha. Pracovali jsme ve formaci s francouzsk\u00fdm vrtuln\u00edkem a kolegy ze Slovenska. \u2014 Hasi\u010dsk\u00fd z\u00e1chrann\u00fd sbor \u010cR (@hasici_cr) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid has informed<\/a> that seven aircraft and four helicopters from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and Turkey have been sent to France to help battling the fires.<\/p>\n More \u2b07\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/8k2TLSrd7Y<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@eu_echo) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Europe is also mobilizing to help Spain with the wildfires that are similarly expanding across its territory. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has informed<\/a> that four Canadair CL-415s (two each from Italy and Greece), along with 14 and 33 specialist personnel, respectively, are in various stages of beginning firefighting operations.<\/p>\n Greece additionally reported<\/a> sending a C-27J Spartan<\/a> to Spain to support the operations.<\/p>\n Grazie Italia! \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 https:\/\/t.co\/nJkGxTCBzA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@eu_echo) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n France, Greece and Turkey have sent six aircraft to Spain, while Portugal has deployed 134 personnel and 41 vehicles. Many of these aircraft are Portuguese and Turkish AT-802 firefighting aircraft.<\/p>\n Te\u015fekk\u00fcrler T\u00fcrkiye! \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 https:\/\/t.co\/Yz7XYQNBxF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@eu_echo) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Firefighting efforts so far<\/p>\n The French Air and Space Force has also said<\/a> that the BA 123 and BA 107 in Villacoublay were providing support to the Civil Security department\u2019s CL-415s. The aircraft landed there for technical stops while dousing fires in the Fontainebleau forest in Seine-et-Marne region.<\/p>\n \u201cAt very short notice, the military was able to refuel the aircraft, allowing them to quickly resume their missions,\u201d said a statement.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udccd Sud de la France | Les arm\u00e9es aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de la population \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n \u27a1\ufe0f Face \u00e0 cette crise majeure, les arm\u00e9es sont mobilis\u00e9es en appui des forces de s\u00e9curit\u00e9s int\u00e9rieures et des services de secours engag\u00e9s contre les incendies.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfaf Au plus pr\u00e8s des zones sinistr\u00e9es, elles d\u00e9ploient\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/vCWIb4m9nx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Arm\u00e9e fran\u00e7aise \u2013 Op\u00e9rations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Other FASF bases supporting the firefighting efforts include BA 701 Salon-de-Provence in the Southeast, which is \u201cpositioned close to the most exposed areas\u201d and \u201chosted a water-bombing helicopter from the Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS) throughout the summer season.\u201d Further west, BA 106 in Bordeaux-M\u00e9rignac reactivated its water-bombing base on Jun. 24, as it was \u201clocated in the immediate vicinity of the most vulnerable forest areas.\u201d<\/p>\n En cette p\u00e9riode d\u2019\u00e9preuve, je salue l\u2019engagement exemplaire de celles et ceux qui sont mobilis\u00e9s face aux incendies. Le d\u00e9vouement qui anime l\u2019ensemble des acteurs de la lutte contre le feu, des services de secours aux sapeurs pompiers, appuy\u00e9s par les hommes et les femmes des\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/b0l6Xbh3YI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chef d\u2019\u00e9tat-major des arm\u00e9es (@CEMA_FR) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n This facility specifically supported the resupply of water for the firefighting aircraft. \u201cSince its commissioning this season, more than 240 movements have already been recorded, involving Dash 8s, Air Tractors, as well as \u00c9cureuil and Puma helicopters,\u201d the FASF said.<\/p>\n Dans la vall\u00e9e de la Restonica, le feu de for\u00eat de Corte a d\u00e9j\u00e0 parcouru pr\u00e8s de 1 000 hectares et continue de progresser. Les sapeurs-sauveteurs du 7e RIISC d\u00e9ploient 2 km de tuyaux pour contenir la progression des flammes.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\ude92\ud83d\ude81Chaque nuit depuis une semaine, entre 10 et 20\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/9l5q3swji9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 S\u00e9curit\u00e9 Civile (@SecCivileFrance) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Spain struggles<\/p>\n Even with Europe\u2019s help, Spain is left with an aerial emergency rescue capability gap following the sanctions against Russia. In fact, its ten Russian Kamov Ka-32 11BC helicopters cannot receive spares or be serviced by Russian technicians owing to the embargo, La Razon<\/a> reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n Espagne : des h\u00e9licopt\u00e8res anti-incendie russes clou\u00e9s au sol par les sanctions europ\u00e9ennes<\/p>\n Depuis 2024, l\u2019Espagne combat les feux de for\u00eat sans ses h\u00e9licopt\u00e8res Kamov Ka-32. Ces appareils russes, capables de larguer plus de 5 000 litres d\u2019eau avec une grande pr\u00e9cision et\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/YYSCZ9tg8g<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/gBIvd80WMI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Laurent Ozon (@LaurentOzon) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Portugal is similarly a former user of the Ka-32 firefighting helicopter, highly recognizable for its coaxial rotors. The country sent six of the aircraft to Ukraine<\/a> in late 2024, after they were grounded by the sanctions.<\/p>\n Others have also pointed<\/a> to the Russian Beriev Be-200<\/a> jet-powered amphibian aircraft that could have been requisitioned to meet the pressing need. The aircraft have however their limitations in terms of logistics, maintenance and maneuverability while flying between valleys and mountainous regions.<\/p>\n Ces hydroavions amphibies russes sont extr\u00eamement performants pour lutter contre les incendies de for\u00eat. Ils peuvent charger 12000 litres d\u2019eau en 14 secondes en rasant la surface de l\u2019eau et sont parmi les plus rapides et les plus efficaces au monde dans leur cat\u00e9gorie (seul\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/VQJaGTuYHg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Didier Ma\u00efsto (@DidierMaisto) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
L\u2019AAE avec @AirbusDefence<\/a> , @CeamAwc<\/a> , @SecCivileFrance<\/a> et EMATT testent un kit de largage de retardant permettant de larguer jusqu\u2019\u00e0 20t d\u2019eau.
\ud83c\udfaf Appuyer les moyens sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s pour renforcer la lutte contre les incendies.
\ud83d\udd17 https:\/\/t.co\/4H5AJFAfSB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XNbYfPZc3h<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/France-A400M-Firefighting-2-706x397.jpg\"\/)
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\u2705 \u010cesk\u00fd t\u00fdm je v po\u0159\u00e1dku. pic.twitter.com\/A00Huqn6yN<\/a><\/p>\n