ST Engineering to convert Boeing 757 for use in aerial firefighting

Singaporean aerospace engineers ST Engineering has announced that it has been contracted to design and convert a Boeing 757 passenger aircraft for use as an aerial water bomber.

The conversion is reportedly being done on behalf of a US-based aerial firefighting contractor called Galactic Holdings.

ST Engineering will be responsible for the ‘full scope’ of the project, including the design, engineering, conversion and certification of the aircraft, however the conversion of the prototype will be carried out at Galactic Holdings’ airframe maintenance and modification facility in the US.

The aircraft, planned for designation as known as a Boeing 757P2T, will have a capacity of around 26,500 liters, making it ‘one of the largest aerial firefighting platforms on the market when it enters service’ according to ST Engineering.

Darrin Henry, Managing Member of Galactic Holdings, said: “We have committed to deploying the first Boeing 75HP2T in 2024, and building a fleet after the award of the Supplementary Type Certificate. It is an advantage that we can also rely on ST Engineering for maintenance services for our future fleet.”

Jeffrey Lam, President of Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering, said: “In addition to breathing new life into otherwise retired aircraft, we are glad that we can tap our expertise in aircraft conversion to develop innovative solutions to be used in the crucial fight against forest and wildfires that are increasing in numbers in various hotspots across the world.”

Retrofitting existing aircraft for new purposes can be an economical and less wasteful way of meeting specific aircraft needs compared with purchasing new ones. Canadian airline Exploits Valley Air Service (EVAS) similarly announced plans in August 2021 to convert passenger planes into air ambulances for operator Latitude Air Ambulance.