They're still dealing with the bush fire on the ground, like ants.
They've never had a decent-sized fixed-wing firefighting aicraft.
Maybe that's because no State, on its own, can justify large fixed-wing and would need to coalesce on a national firefighting program. Coalescing is not what States do very much of in Australia. Maybe that's because air power isn't highly regarded.
No excuse: the Australasian Fire Authorities Council had by far the most extensive testing of any western nation on the IL-76 waterbomber; by for the world's most powerful, proven firefighting airplane. They said nice things about it.
Use it? No way! We're Aussies and bloody good at fighting the bush fire the way we've always done it: with disasters followed by belly-gazing, go-nowhere inquiries.
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