Water bomber
7,500 L of water or retardant, released in continuous flow to lay a retardant line, or in a burst effect for a full drop in under 1.2 seconds.
KEPPLAIR 72 — Missions
Three missions, one multirole aircraft
The KEPPLAIR 72's modularity keeps it useful year-round, serving civil safety and European civil protection.
Four configurations, one aircraft
The KEPPLAIR 72's modularity keeps it in service year-round, well beyond fire season alone.
Cargo
Up to 8.5 tonnes of freight across 75 m³ of usable volume, for logistics or humanitarian support missions outside fire season.
Medical evacuation
Medical configuration for the safe transport of 2 to 6 casualties, with medical staff and equipment on board.
Rescue team transport
Rapid transport of rescue teams along with their equipment.
Where the KEPPLAIR 72 stands among firefighting aircraft
Aerial firefighting aircraft are usually classified by payload: from SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers, a few hundred litres) to Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT, over 40,000 L, such as the DC-10 or the 747 Supertanker). At 7,500 L, the KEPPLAIR 72 sits as a mid-size multirole aircraft, between water-bombing helicopters and the Canadair CL-415, designed for responsiveness and versatility rather than maximum payload alone.
Forest fire fighting and civil protection
The European rescEU mechanism coordinates the pooling of aerial resources between member states during major crises. Facing an ageing Canadair fleet and delayed deliveries of next-generation aircraft, the KEPPLAIR 72 brings additional, rapidly available capacity, complementary to existing fleets.
Cargo and logistics support
Outside fire season, the same airframe can be mobilised for humanitarian logistics missions or transporting civil safety equipment to hard-to-reach areas.
Medical evacuation and European solidarity
In its medical configuration, the KEPPLAIR 72 follows the same mutual-aid logic as the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, reinforcing medical evacuation capacity during crises that exceed local resources.