Air assets
Water-bombing aircraft: the French fleet in 2026
Twelve Canadair amphibious aircraft, eight Dash 8s carrying fire retardant, three King Airs for coordination, Air Tractors hired every summer — and, since July 2026, a military A400M capable of dropping 20,000 litres in a single pass. Who does what, how, and why this fleet is both formidable and under strain.
Key points
- Civil Protection is bringing into line 23 aeroplanes : 12 Canadair CL-415s, 8 Dash 8 Q400MRs and 3 Beechcraft King Airs, all based at Nîmes-Garons.
- Every summer, some Air Tractor AT-802 Leased vehicles are increasing the number of vehicles on the road — and since July 2026, a Military A400M The experimental aircraft can drop 20,000 litres.
- The Canadair is refuelled on the water in 12 seconds; the Dash is refuelled on the ground at 22 refuelling stations spread across the country.
- The doctrine : large-scale attack on emerging fires — four-aircraft patrols and an armed aerial surveillance unit on high-risk days.
- Aircraft only fly during the day: at night, the task is taken over by ground-based assets and specially equipped helicopters.
Five aircraft, five roles
Not all water bombers are the same: from the amphibious aircraft that scoops water from the waves, to the fast twin-turbine aircraft that lays retardant barriers, the agile single-engine aircraft hired out in the summer, and the 141-metric-tonne military four-engine aircraft, each aircraft fulfils a specific role within the operational doctrine. The fact sheets below detail the history, technical specifications, missions and statistics for each one.
Canadair CL-415 ‘Pélican’
6,137 litres scooped up in 12 seconds: the iconic amphibious aircraft of aerial combat, and the only aeroplane in the world designed for this purpose.
Dash 8 Q400MR ‘Milan’
10,000 litres of fire retardant at 680 km/h: the workhorse of the Armed Aerial Surveillance unit and support units.
Read the factsheet New — 2026Airbus A400M ‘Atlas’
20,000 litres in a single pass – a world first during the Lacanau fire: the Air Force joins the fire-fighting effort.
Read the factsheet Rented out in the summerAir Tractor AT-802 ‘Abel’
3,000 litres, very manoeuvrable, perfect for rough terrain: the seasonal addition that fills the gaps in the fleet.
King Air B200 ‘Bengale’
Not a single drop of water on board, and yet it is indispensable: it is this that coordinates the ballet of the bombers.
Read the factsheetHow the fleet is getting involved
It all starts with the Area Operations Centre and the Forest weather : on orange or red days, aircraft are pre-positioned and the Armed Aerial Surveillance (GAAr) takes off — fully loaded aircraft patrolling above sensitive mountain ranges to tackle any avalanche within minutes of detection.
In the case of a confirmed fire, the escalation procedure is set out as follows: Canadair Noria constantly moving between the water and the hearth, Dash who lay lines of retardant along the edge to contain the fire front, King Air at altitude, which coordinates the drops and acts as the radio link with the rescue operations commander. A single drop never extinguishes a fire on its own: it slows it down and cools it so that the ground crews might attack him.
A high-performing fleet… but a small one
Behind the spectacular images, the reality of operational capacity is a cause for concern: the Canadair aircraft have an average service life of over 25 years, and their successor, the DHC-515, will not arrive until 2028; maintenance keeps 2 to 3 aircraft grounded at any one time; and global warming is extending the risk to regions far from the southern bases. This is precisely what the recent trials are all about — the leasing of Air Tractors, heavy helicopters, and now the removable kit on the A400M which would enable the military transport fleet to be mobilised on an ad hoc basis during peak periods.
Follow these updates live.
Aircraft and helicopters in the air, active fires, today’s alerts: the real-time maps on the Forest Fires website link each page in this section to the situation on the ground. And if you witness a fire breaking out, call 112 first and foremost.