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Avincis is partnering with McDermott Aviation to acquire five 214ST helicopters, expanding its capabilities in aerial firefighting and utility operations. The deal adds dedicated heavy-lift rotorcraft capacity to Avincis’ emergency-response and specialized aviation activities.
Aerial Firefighting
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Avincis is partnering with McDermott Aviation to acquire five 214ST helicopters, expanding its capabilities in aerial firefighting and utility operations. The deal adds dedicated heavy-lift rotorcraft capacity to Avincis’ emergency-response and specialized aviation activities.
Japan has sent three CH-47 helicopters aboard the JS Kunisaki to West Kalimantan, Indonesia, for its first overseas Self-Defense Forces wildfire-fighting mission. The deployment supports bilateral humanitarian assistance as fires on Borneo produce toxic haze across neighboring Southeast Asian countries, while Malaysian authorities pursue cloud seeding.
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Cailabs is introducing shared optical ground-station infrastructure, while ICEYE and Arianespace will evaluate Ariane 6 for sovereign SAR missions. Poland’s EYCORE reported first imagery from its inaugural radar satellite, and BAE Systems and the U.S. Space Force completed a critical design review for Epoch 2 missile-warning satellites planned for 2029.
Indonesia’s president has designated the former Italian navy carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi as a floating fire station as it sails toward the country. Firefighting will be an early operational mission for Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier, adding an emergency-response role to its naval deployment.
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Kepplair Evolution raised €6 million to advance an ATR 72-based firefighting aircraft, while Viraj Aero secured €4.5 million for steam-injection technology and 15 Toulouse-area jobs. Separately, The Exploration Company raised $450 million, bringing its total funding to about $680 million, for reusable spacecraft.
Kepplair has started converting ATR 72 regional airliners into water bombers, with an aircraft completing a pre-modification flight in Toulouse. The effort repurposes an established turboprop platform for aerial firefighting missions and marks the beginning of the modification program.
French firm Kepplair is preparing an ATR 72 conversion for aerial firefighting and expects to obtain supplemental type certification for the modification in 2027. The project would adapt the turboprop platform for a specialized mission, subject to certification approval.
Austrian operator Kitz-Air has acquired three Airbus H225 heavy-lift helicopters from Milestone Aviation Group, expanding its fleet for specialized aerial firefighting missions. The transaction is Kitz-Air’s first with the helicopter lessor and supports its plans to strengthen firefighting capabilities globally.
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