AKKA Partners With PFW Aerospace And Rosenbauer Around Its Turnkey Conversion Solution of Grounded Military Aircrafts Into Firefighters

The AKKA Group announces the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with PFW Aerospace GmbH, a global leader in aviation and Rosenbauer international AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of systems for firefighting and disaster protection, entering into a strategic partnership with the intention to commercialize quick-change firefighting kits compatible with various cargo aircraft.

As announced in June 2021, AKKA has designed and patented a turnkey conversion solution to repurpose grounded military transport aircraft featuring a rear Cargo Door into firefighters.

This Plug & Play solution kit can be fitted, within one hour and without any structural modification, to numerous military aircraft types, such as the A400M, the C-130 Hercules, the CASA C-295 and CN-235, the C-27J Spartan, or the Embraer KC-390 (non-exhaustive list), bestowing an additional firefighting function to these traditionally military aircraft.

In this partnership AKKA will stay the sole patent holder of the solution, in charge of further developments and upgrades. PFW Aerospace GmbH will handle the manufacturing of the kits, while Rosenbauer, will be in charge of the kits’ commercialization.

Jean-Franck Ricci, AKKA’s Group Managing Director in charge of business development and sales, commented: “We are extremely pleased to be signing this Letter of Intent and continuing this journey alongside two global players such as PFW Aerospace and Rosenbauer, in the fields of aviation and firefighting respectively. Wildfires across the world are a clear concern, posing a threat to human lives, significant damage to biodiversity and to the entire ecosystem. This underscores the environmental importance and economic relevance of our solution, which allows States to provide ad hoc support to firefighters without having to build or buy new aircraft.”.

Stefan Zimmermann, CEO of PFW Aerospace, added:
“We are delighted to be part of this trilateral team approach together with AKKA and Rosenbauer to provide a new innovative solution for effective aerial firefighting. With our manufacturing experience of thousands of fuselage held fuel tanks, we are confident to offer the necessary expertise to produce the convertible water tank kit in the future.”.

ABOUT AKKA
AKKA is a European leader in engineering consulting and R&D services. Our comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions combined with our expertise in engineering, uniquely positions us to support our clients by leveraging the power of connected data to accelerate innovation and drive the future of smart industry. AKKA accompanies leading industry players across a wide range of sectors throughout the life cycle of their products with cutting edge digital technologies (AI, ADAS, IoT, Big Data, robotics, embedded computing, machine learning, etc.) to help them rethink their products and business processes. Founded in 1984, AKKA has a strong entrepreneurial culture and a wide global footprint.

ABOUT PFW AEROSPACE
Hutchinson PFW AEROSPACE GmbH and aviation have been inseparably connected to each other for over 100 years. The product portfolio of the long-established German company is made up of complete pipe systems for conveying fuel, water, oxygen, hydraulic fluid or bleed air, complex structural components such as pressurized floors, fuselage coverings, APU compartments, Inner Board Flaps and support constructions, as well as fuel Tanks.