Airbus: pioneering sustainable aerospace for firefighting success

Two things are common in the 21st century: the next natural disaster is never far away and technology is never far from our reach. Clearly, the latter is part of the solution to the first. In fact the Royal Commission Report into the 2019–2020 bushfires in Australia, detailed that there are opportunities to develop and utilise new and existing technologies in all phases of a natural disaster. The Report also stated that technology can be used to deliver key functions of disaster management such as through emergency notification to communities, aerial support, fire spread modelling and tactical radio systems.

Many people fly on commercial aircraft, and many would recognise the name Airbus, the world’s largest commercial aircraft manufacturer. Few realise it is also the world’s largest helicopter company with over 50% market share, and Europe’s largest defence and space company. Through this unique business portfolio, Airbus provides a range of innovative products, services and solutions to support disaster response agencies at every phase of a crisis. Conceptually, these form the Airbus disaster management ecosystem:

aerial and space platforms such as satellites, military aircraft, drones and helicopters;
unique applications such as mission-critical services, satellite imagery, analytics, data fusion, command & control (C2), situational awareness and imagery to support decision making and coordination of actions; and,
connectivity-related technology, through a full range of critical communication solutions (4G/5G/Satcom) to ensure the vital link between all the stakeholders, even in the most challenging environments.

Many of these sit within the Royal Commission Report as existing technologies, while others are at various levels of development maturity. Airbus recognises that success for the end user can only be achieved by working closely with the agencies and by partnering with agile Australian companies and universities. By doing so, Airbus seeks to integrate emerging technologies to work hand in hand with existing technologies.

Helicopters

Critical to any disaster response are aerial assets, particularly helicopters. For firefighting missions, helicopters have multiple advantages over ground-based and fixed-wing options, in particular their improved access to water sources that only a helicopter could exploit, such as narrow rivers, pools, or even a firefighter’s base. But beyond this, when intervening to fight fires, helicopters are part of an entire network that involves multiple actors and products. Interconnectivity within this network is a major contributor to the success of a firefighter’s mission in this disaster management ecosystem. Precise communication between aerial assets such as other helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and drones, helps firefighters evaluate the risk of a fire starting in the area as well as determine the exact location where they need to intervene. Helicopters are also key to enable aerial command and control and establish a clear operational process for all actors mobilised.

Beyond coordination in the air, it is also essential to preserve a close link to ground systems. The information flow directed from air to ground is paramount to enable the teams on the ground to act as efficiently and safely as possible. Through improved glass cockpit layouts and visibility, as well as new-generation features such as infrared cameras and laser distance measurement, helicopters support firefighters to access real-time situational assessment and tracking. As a result, on the ground and in the air, firefighting missions rely on a continuously integrated, multi-asset approach. The recent increase in wildfires around the world has shown that proven flight capabilities in all weather conditions are a must and that night flights are set to become a new normal for firefighters. Improved avionics, automated flight features and increased interoperability remain amongst Airbus’ key drivers to address this challenge.

Satellite imagery

The Royal Commission Report into the 2019–2020 bushfires in Australia stated that Earth observation systems are a key technology for managing disasters. Whenever a major disaster occurs, satellites play an essential role by providing a global view and accurate data that can only be captured from space. Natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods or wildfires can drastically alter landscapes and cut communications. In some situations, maps are no longer sufficient. Ground infrastructure like roads or bridges may have been destroyed, and rescue teams rely on satellite imagery to act quickly, orient themselves in the field and support coordination.

This is why the International Charter Space and Major Disasters was formed in Europe in 1999. Whenever a disaster strikes, the Charter activates satellites to direct humanitarian relief to those in need and help rescue teams on the ground. In 2023, Airbus’ Pléiades Neo satellites joined the pool of assets available when the Charter is activated.

The Airbus fleet of satellites provides users with unique access to multi-source, multi-resolution optical and radar sensors. Optical satellites provide high-resolution images, with advancements in technologies making it now possible to achieve 30cm resolution, which makes the Pléiades Neos perfectly suitable to map in detail the damage to road networks or individual buildings. Other satellites provide radar imagery that can penetrate cloud cover and operate at night, with both types of information gathering critical to the quick delivery of aid and support. It is also possible to compare archived data with newly acquired data, preparing damage assessment maps which offer further, detailed views of how the landscape and infrastructure have been affected.

High Altitude Platform Station

Zephyr, operated by UK-based Airbus subsidiary AALTO, is a world-record-breaking fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial System, classified as a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS). The aircraft relies on solar energy and batteries to power continuous day-and-night flight for months at a time, operating above 60,000ft, above weather and conventional air traffic, and below satellites. It remains the only fixed-wing HAPS to have demonstrated day-and-night longevity in the stratosphere – remaining in the air for over 64 days in 2022.

Zephyr offers unparalleled Earth observation and connectivity services for both commercial and government customers. Through its Strat-Observer service, it delivers very high-quality imagery using Airbus’ Earth observation technology, as well as acting as a sky-based tower to provide direct-to-device connectivity over challenging terrain, equivalent to the coverage of up to 250 terrestrial towers.

This service enables real-time video transmission of disaster areas, providing precious support to ground responders, and ensures continuous communication even when ground infrastructure is compromised. First commercial flights are planned for 2024.

Situational awareness

Airbus’ SAFEcommand™ is an all-encompassing Public Safety, Security and Government product suite that provides improved situational awareness and a common operating picture. It is used by 74% of UK Fire and Rescue Services, covering 75% of the UK population. SAFEcommand securely shares critical information with those operational resources who need it – whether on the incident ground to incident commanders, control room staff or mobile resources. It is centrally managed to facilitate the dissemination of essential operational information and software updates to in-vehicle systems via TETRA, Wi-Fi and 3G/4G LTE networks.

Australia has a diverse set of regions, with various combinations of urban, rural and bush environments. As such, Australia is home to several different federal, state and territory governments, and volunteer response agencies, making intra-agency coordination challenging. For the first time, SAFEcommand would put in place a standard gateway product across all Australian disaster response agencies providing a national or regional view of real-time incidents, resource location, resource status and potentially meteorological information. The response agencies would continue to use their existing products, and Government organisations would have a single source of truth view of any disaster.

Crisis Management System

The Airbus Crisis Management System (CMS) is a 360° situation awareness tool that addresses a major gap in disaster management. It delivers dynamic, real-time and predictive intelligence including critical infrastructure data, resource data, impact parameters and sensor data for the dynamic scenario. The CMS does not replace existing agency systems but rather provides a layer sitting across all, and thereby allows the exchange of information across multiple systems.

Within the platform, existing and future components can be integrated to work seamlessly. Different data sources and formats are merged to one consistent data flow for inter-agency cooperation with real-time situational awareness. It supports crisis and disaster management stakeholders and institutions in cross-domain preparation, planning, coordination and cooperation as well as monitoring tasks thus improving crisis resilience.

Capitalising on long-standing experience, Airbus helps disaster response agencies and emergency services by delivering advanced solutions in aerial assets, communications and geo-information systems through the entire crisis situation. Airbus’ assets and services are customised based on the operational requirements, while remaining scalable and adaptable to ensure the optimum product for the end users. And finally, Airbus remains dedicated to supporting and ensuring the mission success of those who make this world a safer place; we pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world.