IAI and 3F team up to build Boeing 767 firefighter aircraft as climate change increases global risk
July 18, 2025
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Fire Free Forests (3F) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a Boeing 767 firefighter aircraft.
The 767FF Fire-Fighter will be based on IAI’s BEDEK Special Freighter (BDSF)— a converted Boeing 767 designed for specialised civil and emergency missions.
A purpose-built response to escalating wildfires
Wildfires have surged in frequency, scale, and destructiveness across the globe. The demand for high-capacity airborne firefighting systems has intensified sharply.
From the Canadian Rockies to Southern Europe and the Australian outback, governments are under pressure to respond more quickly and effectively to climate-fueled fire emergencies that threaten lives, economies, and ecosystems.
This collaboration aims to offer a purpose-built solution to one of the most pressing climate-related challenges of the decade.
The aircraft, engineered by IAI, will be capable of dispersing up to 40 tonnes of fire-retardant material with precision targeting.
IAI will equip the firefighter aircraft with advanced sensors. These will detect fire origins, assess wind conditions and terrain. They will feed this data into a real-time command and control network that links air and ground assets.
This integration is designed not only to suppress fires but also to improve coordination and efficiency during emergency responses, which is increasingly essential as fires grow larger, spread faster, and burn in less predictable ways.
IAI partners with 3F: A business model designed for global reach
IAI will lead the technical development and aircraft integration. 3F will manage the commercial and strategic framework.
The model includes a subscription-based service that enables governments, reinsurers, and disaster resilience programmes to access firefighting capacity without the need to maintain or purchase a fleet.
3F will also take the lead on financing, operational planning, and global client engagement, with a focus on fire-prone regions such as North America, Australia, Southern Europe, and parts of Latin America and Africa.
IAI brings decades of experience in aircraft modification through its BEDEK Aviation Group. The Boeing 767BDSF is one of its most widely deployed conversions, known for its range and payload flexibility.
IAI’s cargo conversion services have been used by major logistics operators including Amazon, DHL, FedEx, and ATSG.
The 767FF Fire-Fighter leverages this legacy, reconfiguring the freighter platform into a climate-adaptation asset capable of high-volume, mission-specific response.
Boeing 767 firefighter: an urgent need driven by climate change
IAI President and CEO Boaz Levy stated, “As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity due to climate change, the need for innovative, large-scale solutions has never been more urgent.”
He expressed confidence that IAI’s technical capabilities would enable the delivery of a platform capable of saving lives and protecting natural assets.
Yaacov Berkovitz, Executive Vice President and General Manager of IAI’s Aviation Group, said the new aircraft demonstrates the flexibility of IAI’s engineering and its readiness to address emerging global risks. He described the new firefighting platform as “a major leap forward in aerial firefighting capabilities.”
Marc Berdugo, Founding Partner at Fire Free Forests, stated that “Fire Free Forests aims to offer a decisive solution to the growing threat of mega-fires.” He said the initiative was designed to strike a balance between operational scale and financial accessibility. Berdugo noted that the subscription model allows a wide range of governments and agencies to share access to large-scale response capability, backed by IAI’s engineering and fleet support.
Boeing 767 firefighter aircraft will be deployed in high-risk regions
The phased rollout of the 767FF will include strategically located hubs in high-risk regions, designed to minimise response time during wildfire emergencies. The platform is intended to complement existing aerial and ground-based assets, while adding volume and coordination capacity during peak fire seasons.
As wildfires become a defining climate and safety challenge of the 2020s, the partnership between IAI and 3F marks a shift toward integrated, multi-stakeholder solutions, combining aerospace innovation and disaster readiness in a single airborne system.
