Defense Acquisition Program Administration, UH-60 Helicopter "Fire and Wildfire Response Capability Doubled"

[Financial News] The performance improvement of the UH-60 helicopter fire extinguishing equipment operated by the Army has been completed through the project to maximize existing power performance. 
On the 24th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that with the completion of this project, the military's fire extinguishing operation capability and flight safety are expected to be further enhanced.
The existing UH-60 helicopter used a widely used fire extinguishing equipment worldwide, a detachable bucket-type water container, Bambi Bucket, which was attached to the helicopter to scoop water from reservoirs or rivers and drop it at the fire site. 
However, the Bambi Bucket had a long nozzle exposed below the helicopter's body, posing a risk of collision with terrain features during movement, and affected the aircraft's stability when taking off after water intake. Recently, the need for performance improvement, such as increasing water capacity and improving drop accuracy, has been raised when deployed in large-scale fires such as wildfires.
Through the project to maximize existing power performance, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration replaced the helicopter's fire extinguishing equipment from the existing external-mounted 1600-liter capacity Bambi Bucket to a large-capacity 3218-liter water tank system that can be attached and detached inside the aircraft. In addition, to reduce the risk of safety accidents during helicopter movement and water intake and to improve drop accuracy at the fire site, an electronic control drop device was applied. Also, even when reservoirs or rivers freeze in winter, it is possible to supply water to the tank from the ground using a fire hose, enhancing the ability to perform fire extinguishing missions.
Park Jeong-eun, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Base Power Project Support Division, emphasized, "We will continue to enhance the operational efficiency and safety of weapon systems that operators can directly feel in the field," and "We will continue to pursue the project to maximize existing power performance, which can also contribute to protecting the lives and property of the people."





wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yun Reporter