MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Bazalt state-owned research and production association is working on a new aviation fire-fighting system, chief designer of the system Alexei Tereshin said on Thursday.
"Bazalt is engaged in R&D related to the new ASP-500 aviation fire-fighting system that is intended for localizing forest fires on areas of up to 1,000 square meters," Tereshin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Current dischargers installed on fire-fighting aircraft do not ensure delivery of fire-fighting mixtures to the fire zone, he explained. The most efficient dischargers can only guarantee the delivery of five percent of mixtures in the zone.
"ASP-500 ensures delivery of 100 percent of mixtures to the fire zone, and the explosive method of spraying creates an air shock wave that is an additional fire-fighting factor," Tereshin said.
ASP-500 is a shell containing 400 liters of fire-fighting mixture and spraying charge. Its explosion creates a cloud more than 30 meters in diameter. This produces a flow of fire-fighting mixture with an initial speed of about 400mps covering a fire area of 1,000 square meters.
The system can be installed on any plane or helicopter that is equipped for dropping bombs weighing 500kg and can be used in any weather conditions with air temperature varying between five degrees below zero and 50 degrees above zero Celsius.
"The use of the system as the first strike asset is the most efficient in putting out large area fires," Tereshin said.