France has deployed an Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft in an active wildfire operation for the first time. Equipped with an experimental retardant drop kit, the aircraft joined efforts to contain a major fire in the Gironde department as the blaze advanced toward the wider Bordeaux area.

The fire broke out on July 22 north of the Arcachon Bay and spread rapidly, prompting large-scale evacuations of residents and tourists from several coastal communities and the western outskirts of Bordeaux. Around 1,400 firefighters were deployed on the ground, while at least 18 aircraft and helicopters took part in aerial operations. According to French authorities, the blaze at one point generated such powerful updrafts that it created its own winds, further complicating efforts to bring it under control.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered the deployment of the A400M from July 25, several days earlier than initially planned. During its first operational passes over Gironde, the aircraft released a long line of fire retardant ahead of the advancing front, making France the first country to use the system on an active wildfire.

The French ministries of the interior and the armed forces signed an agreement with Airbus on July 17 to make one A400M available for experimental firefighting operations. Training of French Air and Space Force crews began on July 20, while the final test drop was carried out on July 24 near the aircraft’s home base at Orléans-Bricy.

The roll-on/roll-off kit is installed inside the aircraft’s cargo hold and does not require permanent structural modifications. The tank can be loaded or removed within approximately one to two hours, after which the A400M can return to its regular military transport duties.

In a single pass, the A400M can release up to 20,000 litres, or around 20 tonnes, of water or fire retardant. The liquid is gravity-fed through a pipe system installed on the rear cargo ramp. On the ground, the tank can be refilled using standard pumps in less than ten minutes.

The first trials of the system were conducted in Spain in 2022, when an A400M released 20 tonnes of water in less than ten seconds while flying at approximately 125 knots. The system was further improved during trials in 2023, when it produced a high-concentration retardant line more than 400 metres long.

Detailed trials were carried out at Nîmes-Garons in April 2025 in cooperation with the French CEREN testing and research centre. During those tests, the A400M conducted drops from an altitude of less than 30 metres at a speed of around 230 kilometres per hour. The distribution and concentration of the retardant on the ground were measured to confirm the system’s suitability for operational use.

Unlike amphibious Canadair CL-415 aircraft, the A400M cannot scoop water while flying low over a lake or the sea. After each drop, it must land and refill its tank, meaning it is not intended for direct attacks on flames or the rapid, repeated drop cycles typically performed by Canadairs.

Its primary mission is indirect attack. The A400M can lay a long and dense line of fire retardant ahead of the fire front, slowing its advance, protecting populated areas and allowing firefighters on the ground to establish defensive positions. Its large payload could be particularly useful against wide-front fires that can no longer be attacked directly.

Compared with France’s Dash 8-Q400MR aircraft, the A400M carries roughly twice as much retardant in a single pass, while its capacity is approximately three times greater than that of a Canadair. Additional advantages include the ability to operate at night, fly in adverse weather conditions and use shorter or less-prepared runways.

France currently operates 25 A400Ms, with two more expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Under current plans, the fleet is due to grow to at least 35 aircraft by 2030. The country’s civil protection fleet also includes Canadairs, Dash 8 aircraft, Beechcraft reconnaissance aircraft and several types of firefighting helicopters.

The French government has stressed that the A400M is not intended to replace specialised firefighting aircraft, but to provide additional capacity during large and prolonged wildfires. Its use will have to be coordinated with its core military missions, as the Atlas remains a key element of France’s strategic and tactical airlift capability.

The Gironde operation therefore marks an important step for a system that had remained in the demonstration phase for several years. The results of its first deployment on an active wildfire could influence decisions by France and other A400M operators on acquiring additional firefighting kits, particularly after Spain announced in May that it would equip part of its own fleet with the same system.