Latest tech takes to the air

In 2021 the NSW RFS took delivery of two new Cessna Citation V aircraft in a boost to the Service’s aerial firefighting capability. The two aircraft (call signs Fire Scan 200 and Fire Scan 201) will serve a multipurpose role, able to perform lead plane functions for the NSW RFS 737 Large Air Tanker (LAT) and also conduct scanning operations and transport personnel.

Able to operate at the same airspeed as the 737 LAT, the Citations are a significant upgrade as lead planes for water-bombing missions. Compared to the much slower Bird Dog aircraft that previously functioned as lead planes on water-bombing missions, the new Citations will substantially cut the lag time associated with lead plane work. This means the LAT can now reach fires around the state in a shorter time to provide aerial support.

“Historically, what we were using three planes for, can now be done in one of the new Citations alone,” says Chief Superintendent Christopher Ryder, Manager Operational Field Support in State Operations. “The Citations can keep up with the LAT and can scan straight after the LAT drop.

“They can also do passenger transport, and their speed means we can move people around state a lot quicker too.”

The two new Citations will also be equipped with TK-9 imaging systems, designed and manufactured by Overwatch Imaging. The TK-9 will enable the Citations to perform high-resolution scans of fires in a range of spectrums including thermal and infrared anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 feet in altitude.

The mission system installed inside the Citations that produces the scanning imagery.

The technology will give the NSW RFS the ability to scan large areas quicker and more easily identify hot spots and fire edges.

The mission system installed inside the planes runs the scanning software and allows for the control of flight operations in real time from the NSW RFS State Operations Centre. The system’s speed of data delivery and automation of mapping processes enable fire imagery to be released to the public via the NSW RFS website or the Fires Near Me NSW app in much quicker time.

“It took roughly 90 minutes to produce aerial fire images under the old process, once we had planned the flight path, sourced approval, undertaken the flight, scanned the fire, downloaded the imagery and entered it into our mapping systems,” says Chief Superintendent Ryder. “Now with the Citations and the TK-9 scanning technology, that process will take more like 30 minutes.

“The new system will take much of the human intervention out of the scanning and mapping process and provide a better and more timely understanding of where the fire is for the public.”

A scan taken by one of the new Citations highlighting the hotspots of a hazard reduction burn in Glenbrook in April 2021.

The TK-9 represents a significant improvement in the quality and range of scanned imagery available to the Service. The technology can scan through smoke and will allow NSW RFS aircraft to fly underneath cloud to conduct a scan. It will also scan for fuel density and moisture, soil moisture and canopy density.

The TK-9 can detect fires and heat spots, and trials will be done to develop this capability. It can also be used to scan for new ignitions after lightning storms or even in search and rescue operations.

The different imagery produced will be automatically fed into the NSW RFS Common Operating Picture (COP) to allow for faster and more accurate decision-making around fire suppression.

A scan taken by one of the new Citations using an LVN spectrum of a hazard reduction burn in Glenbrook in April 2021.

“Previously our linescans only produced one layer of imagery, now we will be able to take much more information from a single scan,” says Chief Superintendent Ryder. “Nobody in the world has done this before for firefighting, putting hi-tech scanning equipment in a fast plane and automating the flight planning and mapping processes – it’s very exciting.”

The mission system will be operated by a NSW RFS member situated inside the Citation, enabling the mapping and uploading to COP to be done ‘live’ from the air. Previously this was done by personnel on the ground, with a much longer wait to access the imagery once the plane had landed.

The intention is for the NSW RFS to train members already skilled in Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to perform this role in the air in the new Citations. The training process has been finalised and members are currently undertaking the program.