France deploys a single modified Airbus A400M as a 22-tonne wildfire water bomber
France has used a modified Airbus A400M Atlas to drop retardant on the Gironde megafire, with the aircraft’s cargo bay configured to carry up to 22 tonnes. The deployment highlights both the A400M’s substantial firefighting capacity and the constraints of operating a single military airlifter, including refueling near Marseille.