The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and Canadian company Conair Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 10 June 2026 at the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin. The focus of the agreement is collaboration on aerial firefighting. Climate change is increasing the frequency of wildfires and bushfires, which endanger both human lives and the natural environment, and cause economic damage running into the billions. DLR and Conair, together with further stakeholders, intend to research and develop pioneering technologies and systems to make the fight against such fires more effective. Plans include research into new technologies and concepts for Earth observation satellites, aircraft, drones and ground vehicles, as well as their data-driven, intermodal operation using artificial intelligence. The goal is to achieve efficient and proactive firefighting in coordination with human emergency responders.
DLR contributes interdisciplinary expertise and experience from its research areas of aeronautics, space and transport. These include the design of aircraft and drones, as well as their physical and virtual certification, the acquisition and analysis of satellite data and the autonomous and networked operation of all types of vehicles. The Conair Group is the world's largest private company specialising in aerial firefighting with fixed-wing aircraft. It operates a fleet of more than 80 aircraft and over five decades of operational experience. As an integrated aerospace company, it has in-house expertise in development, manufacturing, certification and training, and is a sought-after partner for the development and introduction of next-generation aviation systems in disaster and emergency management.
