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This summer once again proved how vital international cooperation is in protecting communities against wildfires. As a trusted partner, Helicopter Alliance provided UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters equipped with 3,410-liter Bambi buckets to support missions across Europe.

In total, 681 water drops were executed during five international deployments (Bulgaria 🇧🇬, North Macedonia 🇲🇰, Albania 🇦🇱, Montenegro 🇲🇪, and Spain 🇪🇸) in 2025, with 15 specialists and 25 operational days. Each mission combined the expertise of Czech HZS crews with our helicopters and pilots, ensuring rapid and effective response in challenging conditions.

The most demanding deployment took place in Albania, where our teams executed 197 water drops under extreme conditions – temperatures above 40 °C, strong winds, and challenging terrain. This mission showcased both the resilience of the aircraft and the professionalism of the crews working side by side with colleagues from Slovakia 🇸🇰, the UAE 🇦🇪, and Italy 🇮🇹.

These missions are made possible thanks to shared European funding through the rescEU  transition program, combined with support from Czech ministries. This model of cooperation allows the Czech Republic 🇨🇿, together with partners like Helicopter Alliance, to respond swiftly to international requests and strengthen European resilience.

The footage we are sharing comes from the Spain deployment, where our helicopters supported firefighting in the mountainous regions of Extremadura and León.

Helicopter Alliance is proud to support the Future Air Force Conference 2025 as a main partner.

The conference will take place on 17–18 September in Prague under the patronage of the Czech Air Force and will focus on the challenges of pilot training in the Information Age.

Our team will be present throughout the event and looks forward to meeting with customers, partners, and colleagues to exchange perspectives and strengthen cooperation.

We're proud to see our UH-60L Black Hawk flying in support of the EU in Emergencies rescEU Civil Protection Mechanism — the first-ever UH-60L to take part in this vital European initiative.
At Helicopter Alliance, it's incredibly rewarding to see our aircraft actively helping protect people, communities, and the environment across Europe during this year’s fire season.
With its proven performance, speed, and heavy-lift capacity, the UH-60L brings real strength to the front lines of firefighting when every second counts.

Follow the link for expert insight into aerial firefighting from the Slovak Fire and Rescue Service.