The Royal Air Force is currently unable to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in the United Kingdom because it has deployed all its airdrop water buckets, known as “Bambi buckets,” to Cyprus. These buckets, which are suspended from Chinook helicopters and capable of carrying up to five tonnes of water, are essential equipment for combating wildfires by scooping water from open sources and dropping it directly onto affected areas.

Military sources revealed that budget-saving measures within the Ministry of Defence led to a shortfall of available Bambi buckets in the UK. According to insiders, the MoD did not procure a sufficient number of these firefighting devices during a 2024 purchase, despite advice recommending otherwise. As a result, RAF crews currently possess no operational buckets in the UK, limiting their ability to support domestic wildfire responses.

Instead, the RAF personnel and equipment are deployed in Cyprus, where the Ministry of Defence is responsible for emergency services within its sovereign base areas. The Bambi buckets are actively used there by trained crews to manage wildfires in the region.

While the MoD has not publicly commented on the decision to allocate all firefighting buckets to Cyprus, the situation highlights the constraints faced in balancing equipment availability across different operational demands. The lack of suitable air support equipment could present challenges as the UK experiences increased wildfire risks amid changing climate conditions.