SACRAMENTO – California is the first state in the nation to own, operate, and deploy a C-130 Hercules airtanker to fight wildfires and protect communities, the first of seven aircraft that the state is retrofitting and deploying.

Capable of flying 800 miles with a payload of 4,000 gallons of fire retardant, the C-130H now has the greatest speed and range of CAL FIRE’s airborne fleet. 

“The climate crisis has made wildfires more destructive, and we need to match these threats with new resources. This aircraft will beef up CAL FIRE’s ability to hit fires earlier and harder, better protecting Californians. It’s part of our overall strategy that adds more boots on the ground and state-of-the-art technologies to CAL FIRE’s world-leading capabilities, along with our huge ramp up in forest management,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

Governor Gavin Newsom — in partnership with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Representative Ken Calvert — spearheaded this initiative for California to take on ownership of these aircraft, speed up the time to have them flying firefighting operations in California, and expand CAL FIRE’s firefighting capabilities.

The journey to bring C-130H aircraft into service as CAL FIRE airtankers began in 2018 when California secured approval to acquire seven from the United States Coast Guard. After lengthy delays, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 14, 2023, enabling the transfer of aircraft from the federal government to California, where CAL FIRE will instead complete the aircraft’s retrofitting.

The United States Air Force and the United States Coast Guard played a crucial role in maintaining these aircraft, including the replacement of the inner and outer wing boxes and providing essential spare parts. Once at CAL FIRE’s Aviation Management Unit, the aircraft underwent significant modifications, including the installation of a 4,000-gallon tank and a specialized retardant delivery system (RDS).

Even before this, California had built up the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world. These new C-130Hs will be strategically located throughout the state at CAL FIRE bases to mobilize when needed, adding to the helicopters, other aircraft, and firefighters ready to protect Californians.