the 415's would be great, but why would you want/need the military to operate them.. Canada and the US as well as others (spain etc..) all run them as a civil operation.. are we not that capable..?
Not exactly true...across Canada, the Cl 415 fleets are civilian operated, but State-owned, due to the high acquisition costs of the airframes. In the USA, the first 415 has just gone into private hands, but I believe that the company has a multi-year contract from the USFS, which will help persuade bankers to loosen the purse-strings for a loan..
On the operational side of things, scoopers are great if you've got suitable water (~ 1 mile of water) close to the fire. Obviously, the further away from the fire, the longer your circuit time, and the less effective you are..it's all about gallons per hour..