Hynaero has partnered with Latécoère to support development of the Fregate-F100, an amphibious firefighting aircraft intended as a European alternative to Canadair-type water bombers. The French programme is aimed at renewing ageing wildfire fleets and boosting capacity for operators facing stronger fire seasons across Europe.
Latécoère will contribute additional development capability to the project, which Hynaero positions as a fully new aircraft rather than an adaptation of an existing platform. The Fregate-F100 is being designed for next-generation firefighting missions, with the wider objective of strengthening French industrial sovereignty in a niche market long dominated by established scooping aircraft.
Industry coverage has linked the aircraft to a payload of up to 10 tonnes of water and advanced cockpit systems, while Airbus has also backed the programme since March 2025. The latest partnership does not include an order, certification milestone or delivery timetable, but it extends momentum behind a European-made competitor as demand rises for newer firefighting aircraft.