The government is set to develop high-performance firefighting vehicles for large wildfires.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety noted on the 19th that they will engage in research and development related to wildfire response through the "National Safe Living Emergency Response Research" project. This project aims to quickly find solutions to disaster and safety issues that threaten the daily lives of citizens using science and technology, and to apply the results in the field.
The selected research topic this time is "Development of domestically produced high-performance (large) firefighting vehicles." The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have invested approximately 400 million won to localize a medium-sized wildfire response vehicle with a freshwater capacity of 2,000 liters and a high-performance pump. The Korea Forest Service plans to deploy 64 of these vehicles for wildfire extinguishing.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety decided to proceed with the development of large firefighting vehicles that enhance performance compared to the previously developed medium-sized wildfire response vehicles. In other countries, firefighting vehicles with a freshwater volume exceeding 6,000 liters are in operation. The largest freshwater volume firefighting vehicle in the country is about 3,500 liters, which is still dependent on imports.
The government plans to fully localize the chassis and equipment through modifications of military vehicles. It aims to develop a high-performance firefighting vehicle equipped with a 6,000-liter water tank, which is double the capacity of the KA-32 (Kamov) helicopter, the main firefighting helicopter. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will support 900 million won in research and development costs over two years.
Jeong Taek-ryeol, director of public convergence research policy in the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "We aim to rapidly promote research and development reflecting the needs in wildfire response and apply the results back directly to the field to enhance our country's wildfire response capabilities."