Airforces

ast year was the worst

fire season on record in

the United States. During

October and December 2017 in

particular, air tankers were seen

almost daily dropping retardant

on blazing land in California.

Defence technologies are

increasingly being transferred

to the firefighting community,

including the full-motion video

(FMV) that can be provided by

remotely piloted aircraft systems

(RPAS) such as the MQ-1

Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.

Meanwhile, the military’s

Modular Airborne Fire Fighting

System (MAFFS) has been in

use for almost half a century,

but now there is a more capable

version that can be carried by

the latest C-130J Hercules.

RPAS operations

Speaking at the Tangent Link Aerial

Firefighting North America (AFFNA)

18 conference and exhibition,

the USAF’s Brig Gen Dana

Hessheimer, director, Joint Staff

California National Guard, spoke

of the MQ-1’s work until its recent

retirement. Hessheimer is well

versed in MQ-1 operations, and

was deployed to Incirlik, Turkey

as the commander of the 39th

Expeditionary Operations Group.

This unit supports the secretive

Operation Nomad Shadow, a

presidential-directed MQ-1 mission

to support the Turkish government.

Hessheimer spent 12 years in

the unmanned business after

finishing his time as a C-135

pilot. He was formerly the wing

commander at the 163rd Attack

Wing at March Air Reserve Base,

California, initially equipped with

MQ-1s, but now flying Reapers.

The wing has a training unit which,

as well as working in classified

overseas work, is involved

in the firefighting mission.

As Hessheimer described, “The

2013 Rim Fire [a huge wildfire

AFM’s regular

columnist Alan

Warnes visits

California to witness

US Air Force rapid

response and life-

saving support for

the US Forest Service

and CAL FIRE as they

conduct vital aerial

firefighting operations.

VSVS

Warfi ghters

L

A C-130J Hercules, assigned to the

146th Airlift Wing at Channel Islands Air

National Guard Base in Port Hueneme

in California, drops fi re retardant near

Santa Barbara, California, in December

2017 during the Thomas wildfi re.

USAF/J M Eddins Jr

34 // MAY 2018 #362 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

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