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Australia unveils new firefighting aircraft to tackle extreme bushfire season

Xinhua, December 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australia's Victoria is expected to better tackle an anticipated horror bushfire season, with the unveiling on Wednesday of a new aerial firefighting fleet.

The fleet was launched by the Federal Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, and Victorian Minister for Emergency Services, James Merlino, at Avalon Airport, near Melbourne.

The new national fleet consists of 127 specialized aircraft - 64 planes and 63 helicopters - strategically organized across Australia, including six Erickson Aircranes which are capable of carrying up to 7,500 liters of fresh or salt water to douse the flames.

Of the new aircraft, 51 have been purchased through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). The Australian Government invests 11.1 million U.S. dollars each year into the NAFC to ensure Australians and the country's firefighters were protected by the best firefighting aircraft available.

On Wednesday, one of the powerhouses of the aerial firefighting fleet, an aircraft known as "Malcolm," commenced operations in Victoria, and another in "Ichabod" will begin work later this month.

During the 2015-16 fire season, NAFC aircrafts were used on almost 5,000 occasions, mainly for firebombing and emergency support purposes. The aircrafts also made more than 29,500 firebombing drops, containing more than 68 million liters of fire suppressant.

"All the governments in Australia recognize the importance of having access to a high-tech aerial firefighting capability to respond to bushfires quickly and efficiently, though Australians must also make a contribution in readying for the upcoming fire season themselves," Keenan said on Wednesday.

"I encourage all Australians to complete a bushfire plan, and help contribute to a national, coordinated and cooperative effort to enhance Australia's disaster resilience this summer." Endit