An Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft operated by the French Air and Space Force has been deployed in a live firefighting operation for the first time as wildfires continue to affect southwestern France.
Equipped with a removable firefighting kit, the A400M released fire suppressant ahead of advancing flames near Bordeaux. The mission marked the aircraft’s first operational use against an active wildfire following several years of development and testing.
Installed inside the cargo hold, the system does not require any permanent modification to the aircraft. It can carry approximately 20 tonnes of water or fire suppressant, which is discharged through the rear ramp. A single pass can create a line around 400 metres long.
Unlike amphibious firefighting aircraft such as the Canadair, the A400M cannot refill directly from a body of water. It is expected to be used primarily to create containment lines during large wildfires, as well as for night missions and operations in limited visibility.
Airbus conducted the first trials of the A400M firefighting system in Spain in 2022. The system was further developed during tests in 2023 and 2025 before being used under real wildfire conditions in France.
French authorities said the A400M would not replace the country’s existing Canadair, Dash and helicopter fleets, but would provide additional and complementary firefighting capacity.
