The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) has released images captured on Friday during an aerial surveillance mission to combat rural fires.
In a statement issued Saturday, the FAP announced it “enhanced support and surveillance missions for rural fires yesterday, deploying C-295M and P-3C CUP+ aircraft, in addition to the existing resources established by the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) and the National Republican Guard (GNR).”
During the initial hours of the mission, fires were detected and identified in four locations: Forjães, Penafiel, Peral do Meio, and Ucanha, according to the Air Force.
“These aerial surveillance missions aim to enhance early detection capabilities of rural fire outbreaks and identify risk behaviors, enabling a faster and more effective response in combating flames,” officials explain, adding that “whenever a suspicious activity is detected, it is followed and reported, with immediate communication to the competent authorities, ensuring appropriate intervention, thereby promoting a deterrent effect.”
The Air Force also provided details about the aircraft used in the mission, noting that “the C-295M and P-3C CUP+ are aircraft with high autonomy and capabilities for information gathering and target tracking, even in low visibility conditions, through advanced sensors and imaging systems.”
See the images in the gallery above.
