Sierra Nevada (SNC) has been awarded a contract by the State of Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) for the delivery of two multi-mission aircraft (MMA).
Under the contract, SNC’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) business will build aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-12, which will offer DFPC with enhanced fire detection, location, and behaviour monitoring potential.
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Integrating sensors and communications equipment, the multi-mission aircraft will allow firefighters to detect small fires sooner than they grow into large incidents impacting Colorado’s lives, property and resources.
SNC ISR business development vice president Ralph Pollitt said: "The PC-12 is an ideal multi-mission platform to support the State of Colorado’s firefighting efforts this year.
"The aircraft is affordable, fast, can stay airborne for a long time, and can be operated from almost any airfield.
"The suite of sensors and communications equipment provides a capability that can greatly improve the firefighter safety and efficiency in handling an incident."
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By GlobalDataThe aircraft also features a communications system that enables the air crew to send the accumulated data to all wildfire response personnel via the Colorado wildfire information management system (CO-WIMS).
Developed by SNC’s team member, Intterra, CO-WIMS is a web-based collaborative information sharing tool that provides firefighters with instant access to fire location, behaviour, and other critical elements of information.
Mainly targeted at addressing the requirements of wildfire response personnel, the CO-WIMS can be accessed from tablets, computers and smartphones.
One of the two aircraft on order are anticipated to be operational this fire season.
