Defence’s Director General Estate Service Delivery, Brigadier Gabrielle Follett joined Ventia at Rosenbauer’s Brisbane headquarters to officially welcome eight new Rosenbauer PANTHER “S” 6×6 firefighting vehicles, delivered from Europe three months ahead of schedule.

Brigadier Follett shared, “This new capability is fundamental to the safe operation of our Defence bases. Our training areas and aerodromes cannot function safely if we do not have a firefighting and emergency response capability and people with specialist experience who work together with us to support the Australian Defence Force”. 

Each PANTHER “S” 6×6 carries 8,000 litres of water and 1,200 litres of firefighting agent, with pumping capacity of up to 7,000 litres per minute. Powered by a 700‑horsepower engine, the vehicles can accelerate from 0–80 km/h in under 29 seconds and reach speeds of up to 115 km/h, enabling rapid response in high‑risk environments.

To ensure mission readiness, Ventia deployed Senior Aviation Firefighters to Rosenbauer’s manufacturing facility in Austria last year to conduct rigorous factory acceptance testing, including detailed inspections of safety systems, controls and performance.

“The new fleet will significantly enhance on‑base emergency readiness. They will be based at RAAF Base Pearce, HMAS Albatross and RAAF Base Edinburgh and RAAF Base Sale”, said John Rogers Executive General Manager, Defence at Ventia. 

“Rosenbauer Australia is proud to support Ventia and the Department of Defence with the delivery of the new PANTHER ‘S’ fleet,” said spokesperson Kylie Legge for Rosenbauer Australia. “Hosting the welcome event at our Brisbane headquarters was a great opportunity to showcase the capability of these vehicles and the collaboration behind the program. These world-class firefighting vehicles will play a vital role in protecting Defence personnel and infrastructure across Australia.”