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.
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