AFF Global 2026 reinforced the growing international demand for modular, interoperable aerial firefighting systems built around proven military transport platforms.
The 2026 Aerial Fire Fighting Global conference in Rome (March 24-26) reinforced what operators worldwide are recognizing: modular aerial firefighting systems built on military transport platforms represent the most scalable path to expanding global wildfire response capacity. MAFFS II and multi-platform expansion
A highlight of this year’s conference was the growing number of platforms demonstrating compatibility with modular firefighting systems based on the MAFFS concept. Embraer confirmed the C-390 Millennium’s compatibility with standard MAFFS II units, expanding the platform base beyond the C-130 Hercules that has carried the system for five decades. Leonardo’s C-27J Spartan, already in military service across Mediterranean nations, is gaining attention as a firefighting platform using internal tank configurations. For European nations facing escalating fire seasons, the ability to convert existing military airlift into firefighting capability without procuring dedicated tankers addresses both budget constraints and operational gaps.
Global demand signals delegations from Portugal, Greece, Romania, and several nations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East were actively evaluating modular firefighting systems. The common requirement: surge capacity that can deploy rapidly during peak fire season without the year-round fixed costs of a dedicated fleet.
MAFFS’ operational model, military aircraft that return to their primary mission when not fighting fires, was consistently referenced as the benchmark for how modular systems should work. The rescEU framework. The European Commission’s rescEU initiative, which aims to build shared aerial firefighting capacity across EU member states, was a major topic. The framework creates potential opportunities for MAFFS-compatible systems as participating nations standardize around interoperable platforms.
The 2026 conference made clear that the MAFFS model (proven, modular, multi-platform) is increasingly aligned with where global procurement is heading.
ORIGINAL SOURCES
- TangentLink AFF Global 2026: https://www.tangentlink.com/event/aerial-firefighting-global/
- Embraer C-390 MAFFS II certification (Air Data News): https://www.airdatanews.com/c-390-completes-firefighting-certification-says-embraer/
- Embraer C-390 MAFFS II (Flight Global): https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/embraer-completes-flight-testing-for-c-390-firefighting-variant/150066.article
- Embraer C-390 MAFFS II (Wildfire Today): https://wildfiretoday.com/embraer-tests-the-c-390-with-a-maffs-ii-retardant-delivery-system/