Coulson Aviation has introduced CFR HALO, a new long-term fire retardant designed for modern aerial firefighting operations, including today’s aircraft, tank systems, and wildfire missions.
The product is the first to emerge from Coulson EmberWorks, the company’s research and development division focused on advancing aerial firefighting technologies.
CFR HALO has been developed from Coulson Aviation’s four decades of firefighting operations and input from firefighters, pilots, engineers, and agency partners. The formulation has now moved from internal validation into formal external qualification.
The retardant is currently undergoing testing with the Centre d’Essais et de Recherche de l’Entente Valabre, known as CEREN, as part of the French qualification process. It is also advancing through the USDA Forest Service qualification process for inclusion on the Qualified Products List.
According to Coulson Aviation, the two qualification programs will independently assess CFR HALO’s performance, environmental profile, and operational suitability. The company said the process will also support a technical foundation for potential agency acceptance in Australia and key South American markets.
“Wildfires have changed. The aircraft have changed. The retardant hasn’t kept up,” said Britt Coulson, president and chief operating officer of Coulson Aviation. “Many legacy formulations trace their origins to an era before today’s airtankers and precision delivery systems. We cannot keep fighting today’s fires with chemistry designed for yesterday’s aircraft.”
Coulson said CFR HALO has been engineered for modern airtankers, with environmental performance designed into the formulation and a focus on keeping more of each load within the intended target area.
The company said the retardant uses mission-optimized viscosity and flow characteristics to improve drop cohesion, reduce airborne drift, and support more accurate placement. The formulation can be adjusted for different aircraft, terrain, weather conditions, and mission requirements while maintaining long-term fire-retarding performance.
It is the first of several technologies being developed through Coulson EmberWorks, including intelligent sensing, mission systems, and next-generation aerial response capabilities.
Coulson Aviation said its fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleet has already delivered more than 10 million gallons of water and wildfire suppressant to fires worldwide in 2026.
