TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF AVIATION FIREFIGHTING IN ECOSYSTEMS: THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Abstract

The article examines the technical aspects of aviation firefighting in ecosystems based on the experience of leading countries around the world. The features of natural and man-made ecosystems in the plane of fire suppression are disclosed. It is specified conditionality of occurrence of requirement in aviation firefighting, first of all, by existing features of ecosystems, and also available level of technical development and possibilities of manned aviation on operative performance of tasks of firefighting in ecosystems. The state of fire aviation of the USA and Canada, European countries, China and other countries, as well as infrastructural peculiarities in organization of fire extinguishing from the air were investigated. According to the results of the study it is noted that the fleet of fire-fighting aviation or aviation involved in fire suppression consists of different types of aircrafts and helicopters, which are used depending on the ecosystem for rapid elimination of the fire occurred in the ecosystem. Attention is focused on the prospects of creating aviation firefighting means based on unmanned aviation, which develops in an avalanche-like manner and allows to optimize firefighting in different ecosystems. Attention is drawn to the direction of development, though not quite new, but useful, the essence of which is the use of aviation firefighting means in the form of special bombs on the example of Russia, China and Israel. The state of fire-fighting aviation fleet of Ukraine was analyzed. Proposals of technical and organizational character of the further development of fire extinguishing from air in Ukraine are investigated. The analysis of the given proposals showed that the direction connected with the development of unmanned aerial firefighting aircraft in natural and artificial ecosystems of Ukraine still remains at the level of ideas, though it requires further promotion in our country, which has a number of aviation enterprises, capable of successfully solving the following problems under the conditions of the necessary financing. The conclusions focus on the fact that the considered directions of development of fire aviation in Ukraine are mostly at the level of ideas, which should be, first of all, scientifically grounded. The directions of further research should be considered the development of the newest and scientifically justified technical solutions with their subsequent implementation in the infrastructure of aviation firefighting in Ukraine