AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES VALIDATION PROJECT

Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU) Validation Project

TESTING PHASE

The Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting has partnered with Prime Minute, a public safety and natural disaster response technology company, to conduct operational testing, evaluation, and validation of the Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU). The PGSU is designed to support rapid initial attack on new and emerging wildfires and to provide an additional suppression tactic to areas defined within the denied environment.

PROJECT STATUS

Testing Phase

VALIDATION LEAD

Center of Excellence

INDUSTRY PARTNER

Prime Minute Inc.

APPLICATION

Wildfire Initial Attack

EXPLORE THE CONCEPT

Explore the "Guidance Cone" Concept and Validation Results

See how the PGSU is deployed and navigates to its target using the guidance cone. You can also review detailed drop test data collected during the recent validation event.

GUIDANCE CONE

Altitude changes the guidance opportunity.

At a higher release altitude, the pilot has a wider release area and the PGSU has more time to make guidance corrections in response to current location, aerodynamics, and environmental conditions.

Release altitude12,000 ft AGL

Available release areaWider

Time available for correctionMore

Guidance correction opportunityMore

This interaction explains the approved Guidance Cone concept. It does not predict a specific flight path or guarantee an outcome.

COLORADO VALIDATION REPORT

Explore the Full Validation Findings

Review the methodology, measurements, results, and findings documented following the Colorado Validation Event.

View the Full Report

SEE THE PRECISION GUIDED SUPPRESSION UNIT IN ACTION

Testing A New Approach to Wildfire Initial Attack

Go behind the scenes of the Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU) validation project and see how the Colorado Center of Excellence is bringing emerging wildfire technology into an operational environment for testing and evaluation. From preparation and aircraft integration to live deployment, see how the CoE is evaluating a new approach to rapid initial attack and expanding suppression options in denied environments.

VIDEO PLACEHOLDER

Project overview and field testing

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Evaluating A Precision-Guided Approach to Initial Attack

The Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU) is an emerging aerial water-delivery system being developed to support rapid initial attack on new and emerging wildfires. The concept is designed to provide another way to deliver suppression during a fire’s earliest stages, including in remote, difficult-to-access, or denied environments where traditional resources may be constrained or delayed.

Each PGSU weighs about 1,000 pounds and carries 110 gallons of water, using precision-guidance technology to navigate to a predetermined target after release from an aircraft.

The broader operational concept extends beyond a single unit. An aircraft is designed to carry and deploy multiple PGSUs against an emerging fire, allowing several precision-guided water deliveries to work together in a coordinated suppression effort.

How the Delivery Concept Works

After release from an aircraft, each PGSU uses GPS guidance and onboard flight controls to navigate to a predetermined target, adjusting as conditions change.

Once it reaches the target area, the PGSU releases its 110-gallon water payload through an engineered dispersal system designed to rapidly distribute the water across a 35-foot suppression radius.

The dispersal system is designed to increase the water’s surface area for heat exchange while maintaining sufficient concentration for effective fire suppression.

PGSU AT A GLANCE

One Coordinated Suppression System

110 Gallons Per Unit

Each individual PGSU carries 110 gallons of water, delivered through an engineered dispersal system designed to maximize its suppression potential.

Multiple Units. One Suppression System.

An aircraft can carry multiple PGSUs, allowing precision-guided water deliveries to work together against an emerging fire.

GPS-Guided Delivery

GPS-guided technology and aerodynamic flight controls navigate each unit toward a predetermined target and make corrections as conditions change.

35-Foot Suppression Radius

Each PGSU is designed to distribute its water payload across a 35-foot suppression radius.

Designed for Denied Environments

The PGSU is being evaluated for conditions where darkness, smoke, weather, terrain, or other constraints may limit traditional aerial resources.

Operationally Tested by the CoE

The CoE is evaluating the PGSUs safety, accuracy, and precision through operational testing and validation.

GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PGSU

Project Image Gallery

Go behind the scenes of the PGSU validation project. From system preparation and aircraft integration to deployment and evaluation, these images document the people, technology, and operational testing behind the project.

As Prime Minute’s validation partner, the Center of Excellence is independently evaluating the PGSU’s safety, accuracy, and precision under realistic operational conditions.

Explore the gallery for a closer look at the technology and the work required to put an emerging aerial system through operational validation.

THE COE’S VALUE

Looking Beyond Incremental Improvement

Incremental improvement is essential to public safety. After every incident, training exercise, and operational deployment, responders learn, adapt, and find ways to improve existing systems, technologies, and tactics.

But not every challenge can be solved by making today’s system incrementally better. Sometimes, we have to explore an entirely different way of accomplishing the mission.

That is where the Center of Excellence provides unique value. The CoE has a full-time team dedicated to looking beyond today’s operations; identifying emerging technologies, bringing innovation together with operational expertise to test and validate new capabilities that could fundamentally change what is possible.

The PGSU validation project puts that mission into action: not simply asking how an existing aerial suppression tactic can be improved, but creating space to explore and validate a fundamentally different approach.

Improve

Public safety organizations continuously learn from operations, refining existing technologies, tactics, and processes to become safer and more effective.

Explore

The CoE looks beyond incremental improvement to identify emerging technologies and new approaches that could create entirely new capabilities for public safety.

Transform

By combining innovation with operational expertise, rigorous testing, and validation, the CoE provides an environment where promising ideas are challenged, refined, and advanced. This process helps determine whether new concepts have the potential to transform what is possible in public safety.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Designed for the Denied Environment

Darkness, smoke, weather, terrain, resource availability, and other operational constraints can prevent traditional aerial firefighting resources from reaching a fire when suppression could have the greatest effect. The PGSU is being evaluated as a potential option within this broader operational problem.

FIELD NOTES

Project Updates

Testing milestones, observations, media, and published resources will appear here as the validation project progresses.

UPDATES FORTHCOMING

Testing is underway

Project updates, observations, and resources will be added here as they become available.

PROJECT FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU)?

The Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU) is an emerging aerial water-delivery technology developed by Prime Minute Inc. It is intended to give firefighters an additional tool for rapid, targeted response to new wildfires, especially during the critical initial attack phase when current aviation resources may not be available.

Each PGSU carries 110 gallons of water and uses GPS guidance to navigate to a predetermined target after being released from an aircraft. The Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE) has partnered with Prime Minute to test, evaluate, and validate the PGSU’s safety, through accuracy and precision.

Why is the Center of Excellence testing the PGSU?

The CoE is a full-time team of 16 experts with over 260 years of combined public safety experience. Our mission is to research, develop, test, and evaluate new technologies that advance aerial firefighting and enhance overall public safety. The Precision Guided Suppression Unit (PGSU) gives us the opportunity to explore a fundamentally new strategy for wildfire response and one that could improve rapid initial attack and provide more options when traditional suppression resources are limited.

Does one PGSU only carry 110 gallons of water?

Yes, each individual PGSU holds 110 gallons of water. However, the system is not intended to rely on just one unit. Instead, aircraft are equipped to carry and deploy several PGSUs in sequence, enabling multiple targeted water drops in rapid succession. This coordinated approach increases the overall suppression impact and is more effective against emerging wildfires than a single drop.

How does the PGSU reach its target?

Before deployment, the system calculates a “Guidance Cone,” a virtual pathway that considers the target location and current flight and environmental conditions. After release, the PGSU’s wings and flight-control surfaces actively steer the unit within this cone, adjusting for changing factors like wind gusts to stay on course.

If the system detects that the PGSU cannot stay on its intended path, cannot remain within the Guidance Cone, or an operator activates an abort, it triggers an emergency sequence. This process automatically deploys a large parachute and sounds an audible alarm to ensure safe recovery.

For a visual explanation of the Guidance Cone concept, visit our Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn pages.

How is the water delivered?

Each PGSU releases its 110-gallon payload using a specially engineered dispersal system that rapidly spreads water over a 35-foot suppression radius. This design maximizes the water’s contact with the fire, improving heat absorption and increasing suppression effectiveness by maintaining enough concentration to help extinguish flames.

The CoE and Prime Minute are continuing their partnership to rigorously test, evaluate, and validate the PGSU. One key question they are working to answer is: “How many PGSUs are needed to extinguish a fire of a given size?”

Is the PGSU safe for firefighters?

Safety is fundamental to this project. The PGSU is specifically designed for wildfire suppression in locations where firefighters cannot safely operate or reach, such as highly remote or environmentally hazardous areas. The CoE and Prime Minute are working together to establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and detailed safety guidelines for using the PGSU. Safety will always remain the highest priority in developing and deploying this technology.

Where is it intended to be used?

The PGSU is being developed as an advanced initial-attack tool for new and emerging wildfires, especially in situations where traditional suppression resources are delayed, unavailable, or unable to operate effectively.

The PGSU is intended for use in remote or hard-to-reach terrain and other denied environments. Factors such as darkness, heavy smoke, adverse weather, challenging terrain, limited resource availability, or operational constraints may prevent the use of conventional aerial firefighting methods.

What is a “denied environment”?

A denied environment is a set of conditions that prevents or restricts aerial firefighting resources from effectively engaging a fire. Factors can include nightfall, smoke and other degraded visual conditions, difficult terrain, weather, aircraft limitations, and resource availability. When these conditions delay effective suppression, an emerging fire has additional time to spread and intensify.

For a deeper understanding of this concept, we recommend reading the technical paper authored by Aviation Projects Manager Tony Somogyi.

How could the PGSU help address denied environments?

The PGSU is being evaluated as a potential way to expand aerial suppression options, especially during the rapid initial attack phase of a wildfire. This capability is especially valuable when traditional firefighting resources are unavailable because of safety concerns, difficult environmental conditions, or limited personnel and equipment. The PGSU is not designed to replace firefighters or current methods. Instead, it serves as an additional resource that gives first responders more flexibility and tools to extinguish wildfires before they can grow in size and impact.

Is the PGSU intended to replace airtankers, helicopters, or firefighters?

No, the PGSU is not intended to replace firefighters, airtankers, or helicopters. Instead, it’s being evaluated as an additional wildfire suppression tool for aerial firefighting, that could work alongside existing resources, and be available in environmental conditions that current aerial tools are ineffective in. Operational testing aims to determine how the PGSU can best complement and enhance current wildfire response strategies and tactics.

What happens if a PGSU cannot safely continue toward its target?

Safety is always the highest priority. The PGSU includes built-in safety features to protect both people and property. If the system detects that the PGSU cannot stay on its intended path, cannot remain within the Guidance Cone, or an operator activates an abort, it triggers an emergency sequence. This process automatically deploys the water at altitude as a large parachute opens and an audible alarm that alerts nearby personnel.

The parachute system gently lowers the PGSU to the ground, ensuring a safe landing. Once recovered, the unit can be inspected, refilled, and prepared for use in future initial attack operations.

What role does COTAK play in the project?

The CoE is using the Colorado Team Awareness Kit (COTAK) during operational testing to provide real-time location identification and enhanced situational awareness of both the PGSU and the aircraft deploying it. By leveraging GPS technology on each unit and the aircraft, COTAK allows the team to monitor precise locations and movements throughout the operation as well as the location of other participating and non-participating entities such as other aircrafts, etc.

This improved visibility helps the testing team oversee every stage of deployment and assess how different technologies, like COTAK and the PGSU, can integrate and function together in real wildfire scenarios.

Learn more about COTAK.

Has the PGSU been proven to extinguish wildfires?

The PGSU is a new technology currently undergoing rigorous operational testing and evaluation. Testing is divided into multiple phases. The first phase focused on assessing the safety, accuracy, and precision of the PGSU. Future phases will examine how well the unit suppresses fire, including its heat absorption and overall effectiveness. The CoE will continue to share project updates and research findings as testing progresses.

Is the State of Colorado endorsing Prime Minute or the PGSU?

No. The CoE’s role is operational testing, evaluation, and validation. Working with industry change-makers allows the CoE to evaluate emerging concepts in realistic environments and look towards the future of public safety technology. Participation in a testing project does not constitute commercial endorsement of a company or product.

Can fire departments request a PGSU for an incident today?

Currently, fire departments cannot directly request a PGSU for active incidents. The capability is still in the testing and evaluation phase. The CoE and Prime Minute are working to determine not only how the technology performs in real-world conditions, but also what infrastructure, resources, partnerships, and protocols would be required for future operational use. We will share updates on deployment processes and accessibility as the project advances. Please check our website and social media channels for the latest information.

What happens next?

The project is ongoing. The CoE will continue its partnership with Prime Minute for further operational testing and validation. Phase two will focus on making system and engineering improvements, as well as testing how the PGSU interacts with fire heat. A key question moving forward is: “How many PGSUs are needed to extinguish a new wildfire ignition?” We will post regular updates and findings on our website and social media as the project progresses.

FOLLOW THE WORK

Stay Connected to the CoE for More Project Updates

Follow the Colorado Center of Excellence as testing continues and new findings become available.