Sweden to get new Saab firefighting aircraft
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has ordered two Air Tractor AT-802 F firefighting aircraft from service provider Saab.
The order will enable Sweden to call on Saab to help tackle forest fires between 1 April and 30 September each year until 2023. An option has also been made available for two more aircraft for the 2021 summer season.
Ellen Molin, head of Saab Support and Services, said: ‘We are part of Sweden’s national security and our specialist expertise and flight permits made it natural for us to complement our operations in Nyköping with aerial firefighting capabilities’.
From Nyköping, the AT-802 F can reach Copenhagen in under 2h and eastern Finland in 3h. The aircraft will also be made available to other EU member states if required.
When operational, the aircraft can release 35,000-50,000l of water per hour to tackle forest fires.
More from Defence Notes
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
