National Interagency Aviation Council (NIAC) Phase III Strategy I am happy to be here today. Aviation remains a key component to wildland fire management. The future for the agencies will undoubtedly involve change but the basic components of the fire management programs will remain steady. There are many challenges to face, particularly in terms of cost management. Focus on these challenges by the practitioners will help us determine achievable, realistic solutions. It is important to think about what you are doing and from a variety of perspectives when possible. Good ideas can come from anywhere. Over the next two decades a general increase in fire occurrence, size and severity is expected. These wildland fires will be more complex and present higher risks to the public and firefighters. This increase is largely due to historic accumulations of fuel, apparent trends in climate and weather patterns and increasing human development in fire-prone wildlands. Increasing human development has already converged with weather patterns, resulting in many more fires in the wildland-urban interface. While aviation is just one part of the response to wildland fire, a robust aviation capability is essential to meet this challenge. In the near term, the Predictive Services group at the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) believes that the 2008 fire season will again be above normal, due to widespread underlying drought conditions. Issue Key Points: In spite of normal amounts of winter precipitation, Predictive Services still expects an above-normal fire season in 2008. Geographic area predictive services units are monitoring local conditions and, as the need surfaces, works with fire managers to request early severity dollars for firefighter capability outside of their normal season. Fire weather program managers remain concerned about long-term droughts in parts of the country. The 2007/2008 winter La Niña weather pattern so far has resulted in significant drought relief in the Northwest, as snowpacks are near or above normal levels. Depending on how snowpacks melt in the summer, heavy fuels should remain moist into fire season. Florida and south-central Texas, however, have missed much of this precipitation and may see a regional drought persist into spring. Eastern New Mexico, Texas, western Oklahoma and portions of Colorado and Kansas are at elevated risk. Current severe drought conditions across the Southeast and Florida are expected to elevate fire potential leading to a second consecutive active spring fire season in the Southern Geographic Area. Dry conditions will likely expand across western Texas and Oklahoma increasing the likelihood of rapid fire spread, spotting, and higher difficulty of control especially during high wind speed events.
Unseasonably warm temperatures and below normal precipitation forecast for the eastern seaboard in spring along with numerous insect infestations and associated defoliation will lead to above normal fire potential. The eastern half of the country has seen some relief of regional drought, but overall the drought in the Southeast is still severe. So on with our discussion. I have been asked to discuss, the National Interagency Aviation Council (NIAC) Phase III study as well as the current status of the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) program. The NIAC Phase III strategy In general the following summarizes the themes of the study. The study displays recommendations covering the next 10 years and reflects interagency totals. NIAC was chartered initially the National Multiagency Coordinating Group at the National Interagency Fire center in Boise because of the need to have a standing aviation group to address operational aviation issues. The group is now chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and addresses the full spectrum of aviation issues. Phase I of the comprehensive national strategy focuses on the acquisition and use of wildland fire aviation resources by federal wildland firefighting agencies, and was delivered to the Departments on August 15, 2006. Agencies involved in this effort include the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), National Park Service (NPS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Business Center (NBC), Aviation Management Directorate (AMD) and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF). Phase II focused on refinement of the initial broad strategy. This document includes a more specific definition of the issues facing federal wildland firefighting agencies and recommendations to improve organization, procurement and management of aviation resources across all of the agencies. Recommendations developed during Phase II include: increased standardization of business practices, policies, and procedures; improved command and control systems; simplified contracting; transition to reliance on modified transport category aircraft as the backbone of the large air tanker fleet; and evaluation of the number, location and types of air tanker bases to be maintained in the future. The National Interagency Aviation Council (NIAC) has now completed the aviation strategy for the federal wildland fire agencies. Phase III displays a national strategy for the organization, procurement and management of aviation resources used in federal wildland firefighting.
Although the strategy is primarily focused on federal agencies, coordination with state aviation programs is on-going, as their support significantly contributes to the ability of federal wildland firefighting agencies to successfully suppress wildfires. This coordination is demonstrated through joint programs, joint contracts and seamless mobilization of resources. This 10 year+ strategy focuses on modernizing the large airtanker fleet, increasing helitack module size, establishing a national air attack program, adjusting the Aerial Supervision Module program from lease-based to government-owned and re-energizing the Infrared program. Aircraft that can perform multiple missions (retardant delivery, smokejumping, cargo delivery and passenger transport) should be given strong consideration if/when purchasing new aircraft. These multi-purpose aircraft can increase efficiency and lower cost by eliminating the need for separate platforms. Specific recommendations are: Large Airtankers The report recommends acquiring additional aircraft to maintain a core federal fleet of 25 Large Airtankers. The goal is to maintain a fleet of 24-32 aircraft. This could be accomplished a number of ways and the study recommends determining the optimal approach over the next two years. Management in Washington is still determining the course of action to pursue. Regardless of aircraft provenance, the type certificate holder must be ready to provide the necessary engineering support for continued airworthiness Although NIAC Phase II recommended transport category aircraft for airtankers, both military and commercial aircraft can be viable for employment in special missions Neither military nor commercial aircraft may be taken off-the-shelf and employed in special mission roles for which they were not designed Employing an aircraft in a special mission role, regardless of its origin, requires that agencies review and fully evaluate the vendors continued airworthiness program The key general steps are as follows: Establish the basis for an existing maintenance program Determine if the baseline program needs to be updated to latest Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) Re-evaluate the baseline program for special mission usage (e.g. firefighting)
Maintain and update the continued airworthiness program as necessary Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS), supported by the Forest Service, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, will continue to serve as surge capability for the federal fleet. SEATS The study recommends 35 SEATS on exclusive use contract. Water Scooping Aircraft The study recommends 3 water scooping aircraft on exclusive use contract. Type 1 and 2 Helicopters The study recommends 34 type 1 helicopters and 47 type 2 helicopters on exclusive use contract. Surge requirements are met through call-when-needed sources. Helitack crew size is recommended at 15 firefighters for type 2 helicopters. Type 3 Helicopters The study recommends 100 type 3 helicopters on exclusive use contract. Smokejumper aircraft The study recommends 19 smokejumper platforms with a combination of government owned and exclusive use contract. The Aerial Delivered Firefighter (ADFF) Study Update results are consistent with this proposal. IR Aircraft The study recommends maintaining the current 2 aircraft fleet while evaluating other opportunities such as combining capability with air attack or ASM platforms. Transition if and when an alternative is feasible. Also hiring a program manager and seeking new sensor technologies, and pursuit of communication technologies that deliver imagery from the aircraft to the end user. Air Attack A new program to establish 25 aircraft and ATGS personnelhired for that specific job. ASM Establish a 20 government owned aircraft fleet.
Large Transport Continue with the current contract for one jet and evaluate other opportunities to use government owned fleet if a multipurpose aircraft is available. Management Issues Continue to refine centralized management practices. Much of this has been initiated in the past two years. No recommendations on airtanker base closure were included but the study suggests maintaining bases that will accommodate the future fleet of large airtankers. Additional efficiencies may be realized if adjustments in smokejumper bases occur and further consolidation of air attack bases could occur. If management of bases is transferred to a cooperator, financial support for a defined period of time by the Forest Service will facilitate the transition. The study recommends the NBC-AMD and the Forest Service continue to work together particularly regarding inspections, standards and acquisitions. This study has been briefed to the agency heads, the two departments and some portions will likely get briefed to Congress. The OIG has initiated and audit concerning Forest Service plans on managing the aviation fleet into the future and plans for replacing current platforms. Where the study recommendations end up is yet to be determined so standby. MAFFS 2 The current systems have or are completing refurbishment which should extend their usable life for the next few years. MAFFS 2 is continuing to make progress. The FS intends to acquire eight (8) MAFFS 2 to replace the 8 original systems currently in use. In July 2007 the FS received the first system (System 1) from Aero Union Corporation in Chico, California for further ground testing and flight evaluation. Static and functional ground tests were conducted by FS Test and Development Center personnel verifying system operation and fluid flow rates in the week that followed. Further testing by the Air Force was conducted in Chico, California on the 5 th thru the 9 th of November. System 1 was flown by an Air Force Test Pilot to determine the effects of shifting fluid in the main tank on handling characteristics. There were no significant differences noted as compared to other typical missions. Integration of the system with the C-130 electrical system was demonstrated using a reduced diameter pulley and prototype soft start circuit package during the week of November 12 th. Design and documentation of the design modification is in process.
Evaluation of a generator used to start the MAFFS 2 for multiple cycles indicated no degradation using the soft start and reduced pulley combination. Flight testing is expected to resume in early February 2008, with two weeks anticipated for flight characteristics and two weeks for grid testing. Following successful contract qualification testing of System 1, seven additional systems will be delivered. At least 4 systems are expected to be available for MAFFS training in May 2008. The remaining systems will be delivered prior to the end of August 2008. Activation of at least one military C-130 will be needed for evaluation in the field and to determine how best to operate under reduced numbers of support personnel (ie. MAFFS Lite ) from existing tanker bases with the improved system. Preliminary efforts to qualify MAFFS 2 on the J model C-130 (used in California) are also being coordinated between the Forest Service, contractor, military, and Lockheed. A meeting was held on November 30 th at the military engineering authority to discuss actions that can be taken to streamline the integration of MAFFS 2 on the J model. Thanks for giving me your time and I will take questions at this time.