At one time the United States heavy air tanker aerial firefighting fleet numbered in the mid forties. Attrition, accidents and the demise of several air tanker companies saw that number decline to just nine only a few years ago.
These nine were all Korean War vintage aircraft powered by piston engines. During this decline, the United States Forest Service (USFS), which administers the heavy air tanker contracts, dragged their feet in developing a plan to rebuild the fleet.
Finally in early 2012, the USFS issued solicitations for bids for seven next generation heavy air tankers. The solicitation said they must be turbine powered, cruise over 300 knots and have a payload of at least 3,000 gallons of retardant.
Contracts were awarded to five different companies for aircraft that included BAe-146, MD-87, Avro RJ-85, Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed C-130 aircraft. By the 2015 fire season, all these aircraft were on contract and flying on fires.
The aircraft proved to be very capable and after working through expected teething problems were in very high demand. With their higher cruise speeds and greater capacity, they could cover a larger area and be much more productive than the older legacy air tankers. Their high speed required the USFS to add jet powered lead planes to their fleet in the form of the Cessna Citation Jet.
In 2015, the USFS issued solicitations for seven more next generation air tankers. The same five companies filled the bids. Some of these aircraft are ready to go now and some, if not all, will be working during the upcoming 2016 fire season.
When funds were appropriated, $65 million was given to the USFS to acquire their own firefighting aircraft. This just happens to be the cost of one new Lockheed C-130 aircraft. Meanwhile in a convoluted deal between the USFS, the United States Air Force (USAF) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG,) the USFS wound up with seven Lockheed C-130s that had previously been operated by the USCG.
As part of the deal, the USAF will complete all inspections and conversions to firefighting before handing the aircraft over to the USFS. Flight crews and all maintenance will be contracted. At least one of these seven aircraft will be available for the 2016 fire season.
Slowly but surely, the heavy air tanker fleet is building back up. I do not foresee 44 “heavies” on contract again, but with the added capabilities of today’s heavies, maybe we will soon see the day when all orders for heavies will be filled during a busy fire season.
