How the A400M military transport plane was converted to fight wildfires in France
French Air Force personnel refueling an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft at Air Base 123 Orléans-Bricy, June 11, 2026. LOIC VENANCE/AFP A military transport plane has joined France's fleet of aircraft fighting the forest fires. Twice as long as the iconic Canadair and able to carry three times as much water or fire retardant, the A400M is supplementing the civil protection fleet battling the massive wildfire near Bordeaux, since Saturday, July 25.
- ▪French Air Force personnel refueling an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft at Air Base 123 Orléans-Bricy, June 11, 2026.
- ▪LOIC VENANCE/AFP A military transport plane has joined France's fleet of aircraft fighting the forest fires.
- ▪Twice as long as the iconic Canadair and able to carry three times as much water or fire retardant, the A400M is supplementing the civil protection fleet battling the massive wildfire near Bordeaux, since Saturday, July 25.
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French Air Force personnel refueling an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft at Air Base 123 Orléans-Bricy, June 11, 2026. LOIC VENANCE/AFP A military transport plane has joined France's fleet of aircraft fighting the forest fires. Twice as long as the iconic Canadair and able to carry three times as much water or fire retardant, the A400M is supplementing the civil protection fleet battling the massive wildfire near Bordeaux, since Saturday, July 25. France is the first country to test the system that converts the aircraft into a firefighting plane during an actual wildfire.
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