Australian first: national Large Air Tanker

AUSTRALIAN FIRST:

NATIONAL LARGE AIR TANKER

Australia’s aerial firefighting capability has been taken to new heights with the addition of a national Large Air Tanker, available to all Australian states and territories as needed.

MOLLY PRICE

AFAC

On 23 December 2021, Australia welcomed its new national Large Air Tanker (LAT), to help strengthen the resilience of Australian communities against bushfires. It is the first nationally leased aerial firefighting asset for Australia, allowing the LAT to move around the country and be made available for all states and territories to use.

The aircraft is funded by the Australian Government, through a partnership with the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). It is available Australia-wide as needed and is being supported by WA at the Busselton airbase. If required, the aircraft can be moved to a longer-term deployment to other airbases.

The LAT was flown in from California via Fiji and touched down in Australia at

Richmond Airbase in NSW. Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Bridget McKenzie, welcomed it as a significant boost to Australia’s aerial firefighting capability.

“The aircraft will be ready to support fire suppression efforts wherever it is needed. Its operations will be integrated with the hard work of firefighters on the ground. These measures, along with a well-prepared community, will make a great difference for us this disaster season.”

The national LAT is a Boeing 737 operated by aerial firefighting specialists Coulson Aviation Australia. It is capable of dropping 15,000 litres of retardant or water at flow rates of up to 3,000 gallons a second, the highest rate of any LAT. It is extremely mobile and able to deploy quickly across the country or to situations that may not otherwise be well served by aerial or ground firefighting resources.

The national LAT will work with and supplement the current 161-strong large airtanker, other fixed and rotary wing firefighting aircraft that operate across Australia in 2021–22, alongside more than 250 other aircraft on NAFC’s ‘call when needed’ fleet. The diversity in the NAFC fleet continues to be an effective approach to aerial firefighting in Australia.

Every year, bushfires in Australia threaten communities and cause substantial damage and economic loss. Well-documented changes in climate, demographics and settlement patterns indicate increasing risk and a greater role for mitigation measures such as aerial firefighting. A national LAT capability fills a current gap and is complementary to other firefighting aircraft. It demonstrates a continued partnership between federal and state/territory governments, using NAFC as the collaboration entity.

The Australian Government has provided $4 M to fund the standing charges of the LAT and the smaller lead plane, along with a contribution to the cost of ferrying the aircraft across the country. States and territories contribute infrastructure, supervision and support, with hourly operating charges borne by the jurisdiction benefiting from the resource.

Naming Australia’s national LAT

The national LAT has landed in Australia, but it is yet to be given a name. Emergency Management Australia, NAFC and the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience are giving young Australians the opportunity to name it.

At the start of Term 1 2022, Australian students in Years 5–8 from schools in regional and rural areas will have the opportunity to submit entries to name the national LAT. This competition will allow young Australians to get involved and contribute to Australia’s disaster resilience.

The winning class will: „ have their nominated name displayed on the national LAT and will be invited to contribute to the design of the aircraft’s livery „ receive a visit from the Senator the

Hon Bridget McKenzie to celebrate the success „ be featured, along with their school, in the Australian Journal of

Emergency Management.

PHOTO: AFAC For more information about the national LAT naming competition, visit www.schools.aidr.org.au/nationallat-naming-competition.

Left: Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie (centre) welcomes the arrival of the national Large Air Tanker with DirectorGeneral Emergency Management Australia Joe Buffone (left) and AFAC CEO Rob Webb (right).

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