The U.S. Air Force, under the coordination of Northern Command, will deploy eight C-130 Hercules transport aircraft equipped with the MAFFS system to combat the fierce wildfires affecting various areas in Los Angeles. The first aircraft are expected to begin operations starting January 10, with the entire fleet scheduled to be operational by Sunday, January 12.

According to U.S. Northern Command, the C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) will be deployed from various Air Force units: the 146th Airlift Wing in California, the 152nd Airlift Wing and 192nd Airlift Squadron in Nevada, the 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Airlift Squadron in Wyoming, and the 302nd Airlift Wing and 731st Airlift Squadron in Colorado.
It was detailed that the eight C-130s, along with their support personnel, will relocate from their home bases to the Channel Islands in Southern California to assist firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles area. “March Air Reserve Base, located in Riverside County, California, has been designated as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Support Base to support disaster operations in the advanced distribution of supplies and equipment,” Northern Command stated in its release.
Regarding the deployment of the MAFFS-equipped Hercules aircraft, General Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said, “Northern Command acted immediately as we observed and learned more about the fires in the Los Angeles area. Providing support to civil authorities is a valuable part of our homeland defense mission… We have extensive experience and are prepared to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), and the state of California to assist the many citizens in need.”

Given the severity of the fires and the extent of the destruction, Northern Command is also prepared to provide additional support, including rotary-wing assets, personnel and resources for ground and aerial search and rescue, distribution of essential goods to affected citizens, emergency route clearing, incident awareness and assessment, and the deployment of medical capabilities.
Deployed assets and reinforcements on the way
The critical situation in Los Angeles has necessitated a massive deployment of both civilian and military aerial assets. According to the California Governor’s Office, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has deployed 31 helicopters along with six tanker planes. The Vertical Magazine portal reported that of those 31 helicopters, 13 are Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks, all equipped for nighttime operations.
In the coming hours, at least 10 UH-60 Black Hawks are expected to arrive from the California National Guard Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, along with five tanker planes from the U.S. Forest Service and 10 federal helicopters. The Department of Defense also announced that the Navy will deploy 10 helicopters from its base in San Diego, likely SH/MH-60 Sea Hawks.

The California Air National Guard is also deploying assets, including HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters equipped with Bambi Buckets.
“In addition to aerial assets, the California National Guard is also activating two ground firefighting teams and four military police companies to assist local law enforcement and emergency response,” said U.S. Army Major Jennifer Staton, a Department of Defense spokesperson, in a statement.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: U.S. Air National Guard – Senior Airman Thomas Cox
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