An A400M military transport aircraft carried out its first operational drop of fire retardant over Lacanau in the Gironde department on Saturday, marking the plane's debut in active wildfire conditions.
Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered the deployment to assist firefighters battling blazes that have already destroyed 32,700 hectares in the region. The aircraft, fitted with a prototype removable kit developed by Airbus, can release up to 20,000 litres of water or retardant in a single pass — roughly the equivalent of two Dash water-bomber loads. The kit recharges in under 10 minutes.
The drop system was previously tested near Nîmes in April 2025. Saturday's mission represents the first time the converted A400M has been used against a live fire.