Saab to Supply Water-bombing Aircraft to Sweden

Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency has awarded Saab a contract to provide two AT-802F water-bombing aircraft to put out raging forest fires.

“The order is for the capability to fight fires with two firefighting aircraft, from 1 April to 30 September, through to 2023. Under the contract there is also the opportunity to trigger an option for two more aircraft, beginning with the 2021 fire season,” Saab said in a statement Friday.

The AT-802F is a water-bombing aircraft that in the event of a forest fire can release 35,000-50,000 litres of water per hour. The firefighting aircraft will be based in Nyköping, where Saab already has aviation operations for, among other things, aerial target towing and support for the Swedish Coast Guard’s aircraft, the company said.

From Nyköping, firefighting aircraft can within two hours reach Copenhagen or eastern Finland and within three hours, Luleå in the north of Sweden. If necessary, the firefighting aircraft can be based at another location with advanced technical and maintenance resources.