Since November, Colombia has been facing an extreme heat wave, caused by the El Ninõ phenomenon. causing several forest fires, which have already destroyed around 18 thousand hectares of vegetation. In of the neighboring country, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) lent the Colombian Air Force an airborne forest firefighting system.
Activated at the end of January, the Zeus Squadron took off from Anápolis Air Base (GO) with one of its freighters Embraer KC-390 Millennium to carry the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS II, acronym in English for Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) to Galeão Air Base (RJ). In Rio de Janeiro, a Colombian C-130 Hercules was waiting to receive equipment loaned by the Brazilian government.
After ground tests, carried out by soldiers from the Gordo (BAGL) and Zeus squadrons, the Colombian Hercules took off back to El Dorado airport (SKBO), the largest and most important in that country, to begin aerial firefighting.
“The system was installed on Colombia's C-130 aircraft with the of Galeão Air Base. The device's electrical and structural connections were adapted in order to make the Brazilian equipment compatible with the foreign plane. Furthermore, a team of FAB technicians provided full to the ground operations of the aircraft and equipment and went on board the aircraft to provide all assistance if necessary”, explained the Commander of the Gordo Squadron, Lieutenant-Colonel Umile Coelho Rend.
“This mission demonstrates the capabilities, through the KC-390, to demands for cooperation between Brazil and its neighboring countries whenever necessary, being a source of great pride for us crew ”, explains the Commander of the KC-390 aircraft used in the mission, Major Aviator Anderson Dias.
MAFFS II
Among the main characteristics of the MAFFS II system are the low maintenance cost, quick configuration and multi-mission flexibility, which can be used to combat fires, chemical spills, nuclear, radiological and biological contamination, among others.
By having this system, the FAB is part of the list of Air Forces capable of carrying out major firefighting missions, as already occurred in 2023, when he helped fight the forest fires that hit the city of Concepción, in Chile, in the center-south area of the country. The operation involved the release of 636 thousand liters of water and more than 40 hours of flight.
Currently, this collaboration not only reinforces ties between Brazil and Colombia, but also highlights the need for a prompt response to environmental challenges. The situation in Colombia serves as a warning about the urgency of coordinated and effective actions on an international scale to preserve the environment.
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