Thermal, CA – December 22, 2025 – Coulson Aviation officially announced the launch of the new Boeing 767 Very Large Airtanker (VLAT) program, marking a significant leap forward in aerial firefighting capabilities around the world.
This initiative aims to provide a sustainable replacement for existing VLAT platforms that are reaching the end of their operational life.
recent MD-11 and DC-10 The fleet’s retirement highlighted the structural challenges facing fire authorities around the world. As older wide-body aircraft continue to be retired, the ability to drop large quantities of fire extinguishing agents on large-scale missions is greatly reduced.
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Coulson’s Boeing 767 VLAT is designed to fill this gap, offering greater payload capacity, lower fuel consumption and long-term operational sustainability compared to existing platforms.
“The aerial firefighting field is experiencing rapid changes in the types of aircraft available, and agencies need solutions that will be safe, efficient and sustainable for decades,” said Britt Colson, president and CEO of Colson Aviation USA. He added, “The 767 is a proven wide-body platform with global support, broad component availability, modern systems and very competitive operating economics. Our program leverages these strengths to deliver performance that exceeds existing VLATs.”
The 767 VLAT integrates the largest specifications of the company’s patented Retardant Aerial Delivery System (RADS) developed to date, while also maintaining the ability to transport more than 160 people. The fire extinguishing agent tank capacity is expected to be larger than that of any VLAT currently in operation. The aircraft will be designed based on the multi-mission and ‘all-risk’ flexibility concepts that characterize the Coulson fleet, and will deliver significant improvements in payload, fuel efficiency and serviceability throughout its life cycle. According to the company, the engineering design phase, structural analysis and system integration planning are already underway.
The new 767 VLAT joins Coulson’s existing fleet, which includes the C-130H Hercules and 737 Fireliner. Large Airtanker FleetWe plan to supplement and expand. These models are currently evaluated as the most capable operational solutions among 4,000 gallon LATs.
With the introduction of the next-generation VLAT, the company aims to provide fire authorities with an additional strategic tool in scenarios requiring sustained, high-volume aerial suppression over long periods of time.
Coulson Aviation said it continues to invest proactively ahead of demand, ensuring its partners have access to highly reliable and efficient aircraft with global support. The Boeing 767 VLAT program represents the next step in the evolution of heavy aviation wildfire suppression and further strengthens the company’s position as a provider of safe, innovative and mission-ready solutions to the international firefighting community.
Source and image: Coulson Aviation. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
