The Guardian — A Simple Box

Caylym's Guardian system enables hundreds more available aircraft to join the fight against wildfires, from the air, twentyfour hours a day.

Using well established cargo delivery procedures, the Guardian allows formations of aircraft to attack wildfires safely, from higher altitudes, at lower cost.

The Guardian is a significant advancement in Aerial Firefighting. Caylym’s development team, based in Fresno Ca., has designed a patented firefighting system that is simple and universal. The Guardian is an 8-ply, continuously wound corrugated container that holds 264 gallons or 1000 liters of liquid. Unlike other systems, no aircraft modifications are required to use The Guardian.

This advanced system is deployed using the well-established Container Delivery System (CDS) procedures from any rear-loading cargo aircraft. Each Guardian releases its contents below and behind the aircraft in an overlapping pattern creating an instant and accurate rainstorm. The Guardian has demonstrated the ability to deliver a payload designed for a direct attack or for laying a long, consistent, solid line for retardant.

An Aerial Firefighting Fleet

— When You Need It

Using existing military aircraft, The Guardian expands a country’s aerial firefighting capabilities without the need to perform any aircraft modifications. Local and national governments no longer need to maintain and store a single-mission firefighting fleet. For example, the United States only has a dozen or so high capacity water bombers, yet the ANG has hundreds of military C-130s capable of delivering the Guardian. These military aircraft, operated by State Air Guard Units, can serve their home or neighboring states in times of need. This potential aerial firefighting fleet is operated and maintained by the ANG and is mission ready.

Fast, Smart, Cost Effective Deployment

— Where You Need It

The Guardian can be assembled, filled and loaded in minutes with just two workers. Though the Guardian is 100% recyclable and 90% biodegradable each individual Guardian unit and its components remain tethered land inside the drop zone for easy clean up. Units can be collapsed into their space saving shipping configuration and recycled.

There Is A Better Way

  • No airframe modification on any aircraft is required to accommodate the Guardian.
  • The Guardian can be dropped from any rear-loading aircraft including:
  • C-27J, C-130, and C-17, C-295, CN-235, C-123, CV-22, CH-47, CH-53
  • The Guardian transforms rear-loading cargo aircraft into a firefighting platform.
  • Units hold 264 gallons (1,000 liters) of liquid (fresh/salt water, gel, foam, and retardant).
  • A C-130 carrying 16 units can drop any combination of units or the entire cargo, increasing flexibility and utility of each sortie.
  • Crews use standard Container Delivery System (CDS) procedures to deliver the Guardian.
  • Aircraft can fly and release payload at higher altitudes if safety is a concern.The ability to release payload at higher altitudes may allow for day and night operations.
  • Currently, aircraft start/stop flying during dawn/dusk.
  • Using CDS procedures increases aircraft and crew safety.
  • Delivery profile ‘gentle’ on aircraft.
  • Empty, tethered boxes fall in the drop zone.
  • The Guardian’s coverage delivers the payload at or above industry requirements.
  • The Guardian releases contents below and behind the aircraft eliminating liquid contact with the airframe reducing cleaning and maintenance costs.
  • 7 Guardian can lay out a line 550 x 65 meters.
  • The Guardian’s 8 layer, wound sidewalls lack any seams or joints and provide a solid, reliable container.
  • The Guardian weighs 105lbs empty and can easily hold 2400+lbs; a 23:1 one liquid to system weight ratio.
  • The Guardian contains no metal, pyrotechnics, sharp edges, seams or weak spots
  • Each unit requires only 2 workers and minutes to assemble, fill and load. No specialized hardware or skill required.
  • The Guardian ships in a collapsed configuration to minimize shipping and storage footprint.
  • 90 Guardian can be shipped in a 80ft container.
  • The Guardian can be prepositioned in high risk areas for quick response.

Engineered For Immediate Wildfire Attack

  • Dec 2010 US Patent US7845595B2 awarded for Guardian
  • Sep 2013: NGAUS Resolution ANG #37 passed
  • Dec 2013: Certified by Leonardo (formerly, Alenia Aermacchi) for drop from C-27J Spartan
  • Jul 2014: Inclusion as critical capability in 2015 (US) ANG Domestic Capabilities Priority book
  • Mar 2015: passed without exception, railcar G-force impact tests Nevada. (Mil Standard 1791)
  • Apr 2015: USAF and ATTLA approval of MIL Std 1791 test (G-Force tests); Guardian now approved for Operational Evaluation aboard US DoD aircraft
  • Jul 2015: Inclusion as critical capability in (US) ANG Domestic Capabilities Priority book 
  • Jul 2015: Certified by Italian AF and Italian Civil Protection (Forest Service) for aerial delivery using standard CDS procedures from the C-27J Spartan and the C-130J Super Hercules
  • Aug 2015 Service Disabled Veteran-Owned, Small Business (SDVOSB) certification received
  • Aug 2015: GSA certification received: GS-07F-05CA. GSA Schedule 84 (Fire and Flood response systems) awarded.
  • Sep 2015: NGAUS Resolution ANG #37 broadened and strengthened
  • August 2019:  USAF, HQ Air Mobility Command (AMC) Project 11-001-17, Guardian Containerized Aerial Fire Fighting System Operational Utility Evaluation Final Report:  “test was focused on Guardian CAFFS operational effectiveness and suitability as CDS”  “all test measure(s) passed the evaluation criteria”.  
  • Sep 2004: First drop C-123 Kingman Arizona
  • Aug 2009: First drop C-130A California, first saturation and drop patterns recorded
  • Apr 2010: First Guardian assembly facility and R&D center established in Fresno CA
  • Aug 2012: Official Industry member of the NGAUS
  • Jul 2013: First drop C-27J Romania, Romanian Air Force, preparing to use the Guardian in EU
  • Nov 2013: Leonardo adopted Guardian as Aerial Firefighting system of choice for the C-27J Spartan globally.
  • Dec 2013: Second Guardian assembly facility established in Middletown OH
  • Jul 2014: First drop C-130J Italy - Italian AF.
  • Sep 2014: Italian AF certification on the Guardian on both the C-130J and C-27J.
  • Jul 2015: Caylym moves to 42,000 sq/ft production facility in Fresno CA.
  • Jul 2015: The Italian AF and the Italian Civil Protection Service conduct a two-week capability and ground coverage results evaluation in Sardinia with resounding success and above expectation results.
  • Jul 2015: Italian AF certification on the Guardian on both the C-130J and C-27J
  • Jan 2016: US Forest Service recommends (US) ANG engage in the testing of CDS firefighting.
  • Mar 2016: First drops with C-130H in Thailand - Royal Thai AF.
  • May 2016: Guardian showcased at C-27J Global Users Conference Bucharest Romania
  • Jun 2016: Caylym is invited to Colombia to brief Air Force on the Guardian and enters in to talks to evaluate it in the Colombian Air Force CASA C-295.
  • Apr 2017: began USAF Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE) drops from C-130J aircraft
  • Aug 2017: Romanian Air Force successfully deploys Guardian system over active wildfire.
  • Jan 2018:  Romanian AF receives second large order of Guardians, Caylym provides advanced aerial fire fighting training to RoAF crews
  • Apr 2018:  Caylym displays Guardian with Leonardo and Peruvian AF C-27J at FIDAE Airshow (Santiago Chile) 
  • Jul 2018:   RoAF deploys to Greece, successfully drops Guardians on wildfires near Athens
  • May 2019: USAF concluded OUE flights
  • Aug 2019: USAF Issued OUE Final Report “test was focused on Guardian CAFFS operational effectiveness and suitability as CDS”  “all test measure(s) passed the evaluation criteria”  
  • Sep 2019: Peruvian AF (FAP) takes delivery of their order for 1400+ Guardians, Caylym trains FAP crews on Guardian and remote operations
  • Oct 2019:  RoAF successfully makes multiple Guardian drops on wildfires in Hatag Mountains of Romania
  • “No additional training is required.”
  • “CDS allows multiple aircraft to fight fires.”
  • “This capability is substantially less expensive than current aerial firefighting operations.“
  • “CDS is flown day or night at 500 feet above ground level (AGL) during the day and 1000 AGL at night.”
  • “These higher altitudes and commonality to normal CDS airdrop procedures increases safety.”​
  • Click to view Domestic Capability Priorities Firefighting Section 

138th US GENERAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTION – ANG #36
RELATING TO AERIAL FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITY
To ensure readiness of the Air National Guard, the National Guard Association of the United States supports:

  • “Highlight the need to the Interior Department and the Forest Service for development of additional fire fighting systems”
  • “Development and procure new system to disperse fire retardant and airdrop capability generic to all C-130 units. This capability would ensure that all C-130s could contribute to the Fire Fighting mission.”
  • “Codify the operational firefighting mission in Title 32”
  • “Provide survivor benefit parity between Title 10 and Title 32”
  • “Adjudicate firefighting services by allowing immediate employment of Modular Aerial Fire Fighting”

“Phase I National Air Tanker Study (NATS) Recommendation: A national fleet of 41 large airtankers (greater than 1000 gallons)”

  • The Guardian transforms hundreds of rear-loading aircraft into large airtankers without the need for airframe modification. For example a C-130 can deploy 16 Guardians with a total of 4224 gallons of liquid.
  • Since the Guardian can be used by the ANG the need to purchase additional, modern aircraft and aircraft for spare parts is addressed since the ANG aircraft are maintained at the highest standards.