C-17 Conversion for fire fighting operations

Australian summers are hot and dry and bushfires are a significant risk to life and property. The worst ever recorded natural disaster were the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires in 2009, where 173 people lost their lives. To limit bushfire damage, an effective firefighting capability is essential. This project investigated the feasibility of using existing military assets and converting them to firefighting/control capability on an as required basis. This paper presents a conceptual design of a RAAF C-17 Globemaster III conversion to a temporary firefighting platform that provides three support roles: water drop, in-flight refill of standard firefighting aircraft and in-situ surveillance, command and control. Provisions were made for quick conversion with minor structural modifications to allow return to military status.