22 May 2020: The K-MAX helicopter continues to be the helicopter of choice by the US Forest Services (USFS) for fire fighting. Kaman Air Vehicles is awarded a contract of 40 per cent use of all Type 1, large helicopters exclusively for four years, immediate use.
Honoured to receive the contact Darlene Smith, Vice President and General Manager of the Kaman Air Vehicles division said, "Kaman is honoured to provide a product that allows K-MAX operators to successfully support the USFS fire fighting operations and our employees are proud of the role the K-MAX plays in reducing personal loss to all Americans who are impacted by wildfires. We stand by with parts and support to ensure our operators are available to aid the USFS in this critical function,"
"The K-MAX continues to be a proven aerial fire fighter worldwide and is the most cost effective Type 1 helicopter in service today," said Roger Wassmuth, Senior Director of Business Development. "We are extremely proud of our K-MAX operators and pleased the USFS has decided to increase the number of K-MAX's on exclusive use contracts."
ROTAK Helicopter Services has been selected to provide two of the exclusive use Type 1 helicopters for wildfire suppression.
"We are very excited to operate our K-MAX helicopters to support the USFS, it's a great platform with a proven historical record," said Ely Woods, General Manager, ROTAK Helicopter Services.
ROTAK Helicopter Services is an Alaskan based helicopter operator specializing in aerial construction activities, wildfire suppression, disaster relief, and power line construction.
The K-MAX is a rugged, low-maintenance aircraft featuring a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for cyclical, external load operations. The aircraft can lift up to 2,722 kg of weight.