Joint Aerial Firefighting Operations
Indonesia and Australia launched joint aerial firefighting operations in East Kalimantan on Nov. 6, 2026, targeting the distribution of 100,000 liters of water daily to suppress forest and land fires, ANTARA News reported.
The mission concludes on Nov. 12, having sent 20 aviation experts from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) to tackle active fires covering roughly 40 to 50 hectares throughout East Kutai District, Kutai Kartanegara District, Samarinda City, and Paser District.
As reported by ANTARA News, the mission stems from talks held between Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman. Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier stated that the bilateral disaster response cooperation builds on previous efforts that saw Indonesian personnel deployed to assist Australia during the 2020 bushfires.
Two Hercules Aircraft Carry 15,000 Liters of Water
Two Australian C-130 Hercules aircraft configured as large air tankers support the mission, alongside a Cessna Citation lead aircraft, ANTARA News reported. Each Hercules carries approximately 15,000 liters of water per sortie.
BNPB Head Kristomei Sianturi told reporters in Jakarta that the two aircraft support up to six sorties daily. Ambassador Brazier noted the scale of the aerial support.
“The two aircraft have a water carrying capacity of approximately 15,000 liters and support up to six sorties with a water distribution target of approximately 100,000 liters per day,” BNPB Head Kristomei Sianturi said.
One Crew Member Dies in Eurocopter Crash
A civilian Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma helicopter crashed into the Barito River in Barito Kuala regency, South Kalimantan, on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, killing one crew member and injuring two. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) identified the dead crew member as Yayan Supyansury, a helicopter landing officer, whose body was evacuated to the Jenamas health center.
The surviving crew members are Australian pilot Michael John Betterridge and New Zealander co-pilot Hugh Andrew John Page. Sunday’s crash occurred four days after an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 heavy transport helicopter crashed while scooping water in Seruyan Regency, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. That accident killed Captain Cpn Posthumous Nurhafiz Akbar of Squadron 31/Amur Yudha Cakti.
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