Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Military planes and helicopters to fight wildfires from the sky, published on 22 October 2026, by when will A400M crews be fully trained for aerial firefighting operations; and through which course will they qualify.

The Royal Air Force is procuring an initial containerised aerial firefighting capability for the A400M Atlas aircraft to enhance the UK's ability to respond to significant wildfire incidents. The capability will be available to support the 2027 wildfire season and represents an important first step towards establishing a sovereign military aerial firefighting capability within the UK.