Israeli company Elbit Systems has tested a new fire extinguishing system that uses water sealed in thin-walled bags.
To extinguish fires from the air, special helicopters and airplanes are traditionally used, equipped with containers for water, which is dropped onto the flame. In this case, water should be discharged from a height not exceeding 30-40 meters, otherwise part of the water will evaporate in the hot air without reaching the goal. To avoid this, Elbit Systems specialists came up with the idea of sealing water in bags and throwing them into a fire.
This solution will allow to extinguish fires on the ground from a much greater height. In addition to water, you can seal foam or fire retardant in thin-walled bags. In addition, the system will allow you to extinguish the flame using aircraft, even at night. This is currently prohibited because the likelihood of a collision in this case is too high. Night vision goggles are ineffective as fires can be illuminated.
Elbit Systems has also developed a machine capable of sealing water into sachets at speeds of up to 10 tons per hour. Made from safe biodegradable polymer, each bag weighs 140 grams. The system was tested using two AT-802F firefighting aircraft, which dropped a total of 1.6 tons of water from a height of 150 meters. It can be used on any fire plane or helicopter.
