The American Supertanker plane landed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Friday evening.
The plane will help in putting out the fires that are raging across the country. It is expected to be operational on Saturday.
The Supertanker, the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world, is based on the Boeing 747 and is capable of carrying up to 19,600 gallons of retardant or water.
The Boeing 747-400 Supertanker is considered the most advanced firefighting aircraft in the world. It became operational last spring, replacing the 747-100 Supertanker which the United States sent to help Israel fight the 2010 Carmel wildfires.
Unlike other firefighting aircraft, the Supertanker disperses water in a manner similar to falling rain over a wider area, rather than dumping the water over smaller areas. This approach is also safer for firefighters on the ground.
The Supertanker joins the international efforts to put out the fires in Israel. Russia, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, and Italy have already sent firefighting planes. Israel also turned to France and Portugal for help Friday morning.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)