Portugal

Air Force wants C-130 fighting fires in 2027

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 19/10/2026, 21:11:23 UTC.

Briefings

Portugal's Air Force participated in 56 missions with Black Hawk UH-60 helicopters during 2026, achieving a 94% initial attack success rate and reducing incidents lasting over 90 minutes by 34%. The program, part of the PRR initiative, involved 13 helicopters total, with 9 dedicated to rural firefighting and 4 for medical emergency support. The Air Force acquired 13 Black Hawk helicopters, with 9 for firefighting and 4 for medical support. The Air Force closed with Ace Aeronautics purchase of Black Hawk helicopters. Portugal passed a permanent capacity for firefighting, developed from the ground up, defined as a 'true state project'.

Key points

• Portugal's Air Force participated in 56 missions with Black Hawk UH-60 helicopters during 2026, achieving a 94% initial attack success rate.
• The program involved 13 helicopters total, with 9 dedicated to rural firefighting and 4 for medical emergency support.

Context

The Air Force participated in the first time with two Black Hawk helicopters in direct combat against fires under the Rural Firefighting Special Device (DECIR). The program is part of the PRR initiative, where Portugal purchased 13 Black Hawk helicopters, with 9 for firefighting and 4 for medical support. The Air Force closed with Ace Aeronautics purchase of Black Hawk helicopters.

Limitations

Data covers only 2026, with 2025 figures provided for comparison. Future projections for 2027 and beyond are expressed as expectations rather than confirmed outcomes. The evidence does not include data on Canadair bombers or AW119 Koala helicopters.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 19/10/2026, 21:26:08 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeihsqunbibo75gv22oafvddycnaclel7h6wg3qsb6vc3rtob3m2kj4