The field demonstration took place recently as part of an exercise led by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority and witnessed two Air Tractor aircraft from the Israeli Fire Fighting Squadron extinguishing a burning field from as high as 500 feet.

The high-altitude system improves pilot safety and increases the effectiveness of aerial firefighting

This is more than four times higher than the average altitude of standard aerial firefighting.

The aircraft used Elbit Systems’ HyDrop system to launch 1.6 tons of 140 g liquid pellets in a computed ballistic trajectory and achieved a precise hit with saturation of 1-2 litres per 1m2.

The HyDrop system includes a static or mobile pellets manufacturing machine that can produce up to 10 tons of pellets per hour. The pellets are biodegradable and can be filled with either water, foam or fire retardant. They have been proven to have no harmful residue and their dropping is safe to crews on the ground.

Elbit Systems said that the high-altitude system improves pilot safety and increases the effectiveness of aerial firefighting, during day and night, by eliminating the liquid loss caused by the aerosol effect.