European Wildfires Fuel Case for New Water Bomber

Unrelenting wildfires across Europe have focused the minds of policymakers on the imperative to strengthen air power options to combat the deadly blazes now spreading faster and farther. French start-up Hynaero, with backing from several leading legacy aerospace groups, is stepping up its plans to offer an alternative to the ubiquitous but aging Canadair water bomber for the 2030s.

The company’s objective is that its Fregate F100 platform will deliver a firefighting force multiplier with greater payload, mission duration, and reliability. The new aircraft, which CEO and co-founder David Pincet characterized as a “Super European Canadair,” is expected to be able to scoop up 10 tonnes of water (more than a 60% increase) and operate for more than four hours within 135 nm of its base at cruise speeds of 250 knots (40% faster).

Working with prospective partners including Airbus DS, Thales, Safran, and Latécoère, Istres-based Hynaero is looking to deliver a 21st-century avionics suite more compatible with the modern approach to firefighting. “From the start, we knew we needed a common doctrine to make sure that the basis for the mission system will be interoperable for all operators,” explained Pincet, a former French fighter pilot who also served as director of France’s Groupement d’Avions de la Sécurité Civile civil protection agency.

After launching in 2023, Hynaero held workshops with Canadair operators in France, Spain, Italy and Greece, seeking input for the development of an aircraft the company said would break Europe’s dependence on a North American aircraft that continues to enjoy market dominance despite not being produced since 2015. In Pincet’s view, converting regional aircraft like ATR 72s is not an efficient operational option as they fall short in operational capability and service longevity. 

New Generation Canadair

However, Hynaero accepts it cannot expect to displace the Canadair, which has been in action this summer fighting fires that threatened, among other locations, cities such as Bordeaux. The company's founders are pressing the case for European operators to have access to sovereign technology. 

In July, De Havilland Canada reported progress in its efforts to bring a new-generation Canadair 515 to market, replacing the CL-415 model that has not been in production for a decade. The company has committed to delivering the first two production aircraft in 2028. The aircraft has attracted customers from Croatia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France, and several Canadian provinces.

Another key objective for the Fregate is that it will support the increasingly complex coordination between air and ground-based firefighting. The platform is expected to tap artificial intelligence to analyze meteorological conditions and terrain to give crews real-time data to guide attacks on blazes.

The Fregate’s 2x5000-shp power requirements effectively mean an engine choice between the Pratt & Whitney PW150 turboprop and the Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100. Pincet said discussions are now in progress with Pratt & Whitney, as Hynaero works to firm up program partners.

In 2025, Hynaero secured €7 million ($8 million) in French government funding, and combined with a further €10 million in private equity capital, it can sustain engineering design work over the next 14 months. Pincet said it is close to drawing down further funding committed by investors based in Luxembourg as it navigates towards an overall program investment need of approximately €1.3 billion to get the Fregate into production.

Also last year, Airbus Defence and Space signed a memorandum of understanding to lend support to the program, which is likely to be channeled through the group’s division in Spain, where some manufacturing could be done. Prospective aircraft sales in target markets like Italy, Turkey and Sweden could result in further industrial workshare alliances. Several countries, including the UK, have acknowledged they now face an urgent challenge to strengthen their capability to fight fires with airborne assets.