Coulson Aviation Introduces CFR HALO, a Long-Term Fire Retardant Engineered for Modern Aerial Firefighting

First Coulson EmberWorks product is undergoing qualification in France and evaluation for inclusion on the USDA Forest Service Qualified Products List

THERMAL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coulson Aviation today introduced CFR HALO, a next-generation long-term fire retardant engineered specifically for modern aircraft, tank systems, and wildfire missions. It is the first product from Coulson EmberWorks, the company’s research and development division dedicated to advancing aerial firefighting technologies.

Developed through four decades of aerial firefighting operations and collaboration with firefighters, pilots, engineers, and agency partners, CFR HALO has advanced from formulation and internal validation into formal external qualification.

CFR HALO is undergoing testing with the Centre d’Essais et de Recherche de l’Entente Valabre, known as CEREN, as part of the French qualification process. In parallel, it is advancing through the USDA Forest Service qualification process for inclusion on the Qualified Products List, or QPL.

Together, these programs will independently evaluate CFR HALO’s performance, environmental profile, and operational suitability through two of the world’s leading aerial firefighting qualification systems, building a technical foundation for 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 COO 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. As operators, we had to step in and build what the industry needs next. CFR HALO is engineered for modern airtankers, with environmental performance built in from the start and a formulation designed to keep more of each load where firefighters need it.”

CFR HALO uses mission-optimized viscosity and flow characteristics designed to improve drop cohesion, reduce airborne drift, and support more accurate placement within the intended target area. The formulation can be optimized for different aircraft, terrain, weather conditions, and mission requirements while maintaining the long-term fire-retarding performance agencies depend on.

CFR HALO is also designed to integrate with existing retardant mixing, loading and application infrastructure without requiring agencies to replace established delivery systems or materially change operating procedures.

CFR HALO is grounded in Coulson’s direct operational experience. Over four decades, the company has seen the growing scale and intensity of wildfire response firsthand. In 2026 alone, Coulson’s fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleet has already delivered more than 10 million gallons of water and wildfire suppressant to fires worldwide.

CFR HALO extends Coulson’s integrated aerial firefighting model beyond aircraft and tank systems to the formulation delivered to the fireline. It is the first of several technologies in development through Coulson EmberWorks, including intelligent sensing, mission systems, and next-generation aerial response capabilities.

About Coulson EmberWorks

Coulson EmberWorks is the research and development division of Coulson Aviation, dedicated to advancing aerial firefighting through operationally driven innovation.

Built by operators, engineers, scientists and aviation professionals, EmberWorks develops practical technologies across suppression chemistry, intelligent sensing, mission systems, and next-generation aerial response. Every program has one objective: helping firefighters operate more safely, effectively and with better information.

About Coulson Aviation

Coulson Aviation is the world’s largest private aerial firefighting company, built on more than 60 years of operational heritage and four decades of aerial firefighting experience.

Operating across North America, South America, and Australia, Coulson supports national, state, provincial, regional and local government agencies worldwide. The company operates an advanced mixed fleet of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft supported by proprietary retardant delivery systems, intelligence platforms, training and mission support.

By investing ahead of operational demand and focusing on sustainable, in-production airframes and continuous innovation, Coulson is helping set the standard for the future of aerial firefighting.