such as the Reaper, comes at
huge cost to the Department
of Agriculture. It’s clear that
CAL FIRE and other agencies
prefer cheaper equivalents
where possible to these
expensive-to-operate drones.Enter MAFFS
The USAF has been supporting
federal firefighting efforts with
MAFFS since 1971. Previously
installed in the C-130E/H and
now in the C-130J, MAFFS was
developed from an insecticide
spray system used on the C-123
Provider. The original system
included sub-tanks attached to
pressurised tubes that pushed
out 3,000 gallons (11,356 litres)
of retardant under pressure
from the ramp of the C-130.
The aircraft additionally had
to fly nose-up to ensure all of
the retardant was delivered.
Today, four units operate
C-130Js equipped with MAFFS- These are the California
ANG's 146th Airlift Wing at Port
Hueneme, the Nevada ANG's
152nd Airlift Wing at Reno, the
Wyoming ANG's 153rd Airlift
Wing at Cheyenne and one Air
Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
unit: the 302nd Airlift Wing/731st
Airlift Squadron at Peterson Air
Force Base, Colorado. Each
wing has two systems, usually
kept inside the same aircraft. The
airframes have to be carefully
checked for any corrosion that
the retardant may have inflicted.
Tragedy struck the MAFFS
community on July 1, 2012
when a C-130J operated by
the 145th Airlift Wing, North
Carolina ANG crashed in poor
weather while fighting the White
Draw Fire in South Dakota’s
Black Hills. Only two of the
six crew on board survived.
Lt Col Bradley Ross, operations
officer of the 731st Airlift Squadron
based at Petersen AFB confirmed
to the AFFNA conference: “MAFFS
1 served inside the C-130H until
2009, when it was replaced by the
newer MAFFS 2 version, which
was tailored for the C-130Js.”MAFFS 2
The US Forest Service (USFS) is
responsible for the systems, but in
the US they are only used by air
force C-130s. MAFFS 2 operates
through modified paratrooper doors
located on each side. Unlike the
original system, the ramp remains
closed during the entire mission,
keeping the aircraft pressurised.
This enables it to get to the fire
faster and to ensure it retains its
structural integrity. The other major
benefit is that compressed air can
be generated on board to dispense
the retardant from the ramp. The
old system used compressors on
the ground, which effectively tied
the C-130s to two air bases.Ross explained how co-operating
with the US Forest Service
works: “When we are activated
or mobilised for a firefighting
mission, we are primarily a federal
asset and the ANG units are
activated by the individual state.
We typically operate as a surge
capacity. We are called when
aerial resources are strained and
there are more requirements than
the civilian fleet can handle.”
MAFFS Hercules are utilised
under the Defense Support of Civil
Authorities (DSCA) programme,
and typically are used for a couple
of weeks each season. Under the
DSCA effort, military or DoD assets
can be utilised for something other
than a military effort, including
an emergency response.
Ross continued: “We have pre-
determined agency agreements
with the US Forest Service
where they can request our use,
but we cannot volunteer our
services. There are some state
considerations for the ANG units,
and there are some considerations
under the Companies Act of 1932that protects civilian contractors
from the military providing
resources that they can deliver.”
MAFFS was designed by the
Chico-based Aero Union, which
ceased business in 2011 after
the USFS cancelled a contract
for six P-3 air tankers that made
up 95% of its income. United
Aeronautical Complex (UAC)
and Blue Aerospace acquired
the vast majority of Aero Union’s
assets and the intellectual
rights for MAFFS 1 and 2.
In addition to the USAF, Greece,
Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Tunisia
and Turkey have operated MAFFS- UAC is now building new
MAFFS 2 systems at its Chico
facility, and the Colombian Air
Force is the latest customer.
It is clear that the MAFFS-
equipped C-130Js provide a
great service. In late April, the
firefighting AFRC/ANG units will
once again gather at Sacramento
McClellan Airport, California
to hold a summit designed to
ensure their aircrews are qualified
for the upcoming fire season.
A MAFFS-equipped C-130J drops water over the Angeles National Forest
during training. USAF/Preston SchlachterThe wing of a C-130J as its crew
prepares to tackle the Pier Fire,
southeast of Fresno, California in
August 2017. ANG/TSgt Jeff AllenAFM38 // MAY 2018 #362 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
Intel
Report