French aircraft developer Hynaero and Italian aerospace group Leonardo have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration on major aerostructural components for the Fregate-F100 amphibious firefighting aircraft. The programme is designed to carry a 10-tonne water payload, with a first test flight planned for 2030 and entry into service targeted for 2031.
The exploratory agreement covers potential cooperation in aerostructure design and manufacture, engineering, testing and validation, certification, industrialisation, maintainability, and aircraft-system design and production. Leonardo could become a tier-one supplier for major structures, potentially including the Fregate-F100’s fuselage and wings, although the MoU does not establish a final workshare, production contract or funding commitment.
Hynaero, based in Istres near Marseille, expects the partnership to support promotion of the aircraft in Italy and create export opportunities. The Fregate-F100 concept completed validation in 2025. Planned characteristics include a 250-knot cruise speed, more than four hours of firefighting autonomy at 250 kilometres from base, a ferry range of up to 2,500 kilometres, fly-by-wire controls, a head-up display and predictive-maintenance capability.