صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Rabat –The Royal Armed Forces continue to enhance their operational readiness to confront forest fires, by harnessing a specialized air fleet that includes “Kanadir” aircraft, “Turbo Thrush” aircraft, and “Super Puma” helicopters, within an integrated national system that relies on coordination between the various stakeholders to ensure rapid response and limit the spread of fires.
The air fleet includes eight Canadair CL-415 aircraft, 15 Turbo Thrush aircraft, in addition to two EC225 Super Puma helicopters belonging to the Royal Gendarmerie, as part of a proactive national plan in which the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Auxiliary Forces, Civil Defense, the National Water and Forest Agency, the General Directorate of Meteorology, and local authorities participate.
Lieutenant Colonel Badr Bourassi, commander of the firefighting squadron at the third air base in Quneitra, confirmed that the squadron’s primary mission is to protect forests, lives and property, through quick and effective interventions immediately after recording any fire, stressing that the continuous readiness of air and technical crews and coordination between the various stakeholders constitute a decisive factor in containing fires.
Major Belhaj Anas, pilot of the Knadir plane, explained that the plane is distinguished by its ability to supply more than 6,000 liters of water within about 12 seconds from lakes, dams, or the sea, before returning directly to the focus of the fire, which enhances the speed of intervention, especially in mountainous and rugged areas.
In the same context, Assistant Afshko Fatima Al-Zahraa indicated that Super Puma helicopters are equipped with a tank with a capacity of up to 2,500 liters, with the possibility of resupplying with water in about 20 seconds, which increases the effectiveness of suppression operations.
For his part, Assistant Mohamed Diba, the pilot of the Turbo Thrush plane, explained that the plane’s tank capacity ranges between 2,000 and 2,500 litres, with the ability to fly for up to four and a half hours, making it an important means of combating forest fires.
These air capabilities are accompanied by a specialized maintenance system that relies on national competencies, as Air Commodore Rashid Aqawi, Commander of the Air Base for General Support of the Royal Air Forces, confirmed that Morocco has become able to carry out major maintenance of the “Kandir” aircraft locally, in accordance with the highest safety standards, ensuring the readiness of the fleet and enhancing national sovereignty in the field of air maintenance.
For his part, the Director General of the National Water and Forest Agency, Abdul Rahim Homi, revealed that the Kingdom has mobilized more than 2,800 forest observers and guards within the early warning system, supported by an air fleet and ground intervention means, all of which work within the framework of unified leadership and permanent coordination, with the aim of protecting forest wealth and reducing the effects of fires on humans and the environment.
Source:“My press”
