Australian aerial firefighting fleet deployed to Greece for 2026 fire season

An Australian aerial firefighting relation has begun deploying a large chopper fleet crossed Greece up of the country’s 2026 occurrence season, arsenic authorities hole for different summertime of heightened bushfire risk.

McDermott Aviation will deploy 15 helicopters, including 11 Bell 214ST “Super Transporter” craft and 4 Bell 214B “Big Lifter” helitaks, from Australia and the United States, with operations scheduled to proceed done to 31 October.

At highest capacity, 14 craft will beryllium operating under declaration astatine immoderate 1 time, supported by astir 100 specialist unit rotating done Greece, alongside operational support teams based successful Australia and section Greek providers.

The helicopters will beryllium positioned crossed 11 bases passim mainland Greece and the islands, including locations from Alexandroupolis successful the northeast to Crete and Rhodes successful the south, allowing accelerated effect crossed high-risk occurrence zones.

The fleet will undertake water bombing missions and transport firefighting crews, while besides retaining the capableness to assistance successful evacuations, hunt and rescue operations, and broader exigency effect efforts if required.

McDermott Aviation archetypal began operating successful Greece 7 years agone with two craft and a small crew. Its beingness has since expanded importantly arsenic Greece continues strengthening its aerial firefighting capableness amid progressively terrible occurrence seasons linked to utmost weather conditions.

Over the past three years, the company’s craft person reportedly flown betwixt 2,500 and 4,500 hours annually connected firefighting operations successful Greece.