Esquadra 551 "Panteras" | Before the Fire: Live Training on Serra da Freita

With the 2026 fire season approaching, the Portuguese Air Force's Esquadra 551 "Panteras" has entered an intensified training cycle centred on aerial firefighting operations. In coordination with the Força Especial de Proteção Civil (FEPC), the squadron has been conducting live-fire exercises on the Serra da Freita, validating pilot proficiency, on-board systems including the Tsunami T-800E belly tank, and joint procedures with the FEPC's helitransported brigades.



The operational doctrine under development reflects a deliberate binomial approach: one UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to troop transport, inserting firefighting teams directly into the operational area, while a second focuses on aerial attack, delivering water drops on the fire front. The objective is to ensure that both suppression and manpower reach the fire simultaneously, a concept being tested under realistic conditions ahead of the season.

This gallery documents that preparation, capturing the intersection of aviation capability and civil protection doctrine at a moment when both are being put to the test.