Turkey strengthens its fire fleet
The Turkish government has demonstrated the mechanism of the 2023 fire campaign. As for extinguishing from the sky, the specialized fleet consists of 21 aircraft, 94 helicopters and 8 drones; 25,000 firefighters and about 120,000 volunteers are added to them. Ankara's goal is to protect the value of the country's forests and woodlands.
"Based on our past experience, this year we have further strengthened our ability to respond to fires. We want to survive the summer without incidents with forest fires," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
As part of the new measures, three T70 water-jet helicopters manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries will be used in case of forest fires.
The first four of the 20 Airtractor model aircraft with a capacity of three tons, which are both amphibious and capable of transporting water from the ground, will serve in case of forest fires this year, and the rest will replenish the fleet of the country's Main Forestry Department within three years, writes Daily Sabah.
In addition, 4,799 ground vehicles (land rovers, construction equipment, rapid response vehicles) are provided for extinguishing forest fires.
Another 31 helicopters, two aircraft and two UAVs from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were also designated as reserve forces.
The use of technology also plays a crucial role in the timely and effective response to forest fires. For earlier detection of fires, 184 of the existing 776 towers were converted into smart towers, and 324 camera systems were installed.
These systems identify the fire and alert the personnel on duty. The software developed in Turkey, known as "Fire Decision Support Systems", determines in advance possible locations of fire spread based on meteorological data.
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