Fire suppression system and process for deployment

A combined air- and ground-based firefighting system, comprising:

• one or more aircraft configured for the air-based firefighting operations;
• one or more fire trucks or water tanker trucks configured for the ground-based firefighting operations;
• a main line extending from a water source to an airfield, the main line formed of lengths of conduit having an inner diameter of at least about 8 inches (at least about 20 cm);
• an adapter connected to the main line at the airfield, the adapter including one or more connection points connected with one or more branch lines, the one or more branch lines also connected to one or more water dispensing devices to provide an arrangement for transferring water to the one or more aircraft and/or the one or more fire trucks or water tanker trucks, the one or more water dispensing devices configured to direct water into the one or more aircraft and/or the one or more fire trucks or water tanker trucks;
• and
• one or more inline pumps or branch line pumps for boosting water pressure in the main line to at least about 80 psi (at least about 550 kPa) at the water dispensing devices.