ECHO coordinates process of building new fleet
ECHO coordinates the process of building a new fleet of firefighting planes. On 31 March, De Havilland Canada officially announced the production of a new fleet of DHC-515 Firefighter aircrafts.
The DHC-515 Firefighter is based on the Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft, and includes new and upgraded features to help fight increasingly severe, frequent, and widespread wildfires as a result of climate change. De Havilland Canada has received a letter of intent for a minimum of 22 such planes from six EU Member States. Government-to-government negotiations are now supposed to start and hopefully lead to the signature of the relevant contracts.
Climate change is expected to have a strong impact on forest fire risk in Europe, as recognised by the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. Recently, forest fires have coincided with record droughts and heatwaves, affecting regions in central and northern Europe not typically prone to fires. Expansion of fire-prone areas and longer fire seasons are projected in most European regions, requiring additional adaptation measures.
Some EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) Member and Participating states have their own aerial means to deal with large fires, some of which are made available to the UCPM through the European Civil Protection Pool. France for instance has a state fleet of 12 Canadair CL-415, two of which are included in the European Civil Protection Pool, as 2 CL-415 Canadairs from Greece are. A common European effort is nevertheless needed to further support the UCPM and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre in its daily work within the framework of rescEU funding.
The first contacts with the manufacturer took place in 2020, with the first grants for two medium amphibious planes signed with France (2020) and Greece (2021) soon after. Negotiations continued throughout and, as part of this effort, on 31 March, De Havilland Canada (DHC) officially announced the production of a new fleet of DHC-515 firefighting aircraft.
“After an extensive business and technical review, we are pleased to announce that we have launched the De Havilland DHC-515 Firefighter programme, which will involve negotiating contracts with our European customers and ramping up for production.”
Improved capabilities
The DHC-515 Firefighter is based on the Canadair CL-415 aircraft, and includes new and upgraded features to help fight increasingly severe, frequent, and widespread wildfires as a result of climate change.
“We understand the important role the previous aircraft have played in protecting people and property,” “As our climate continues to change and summers increase in both temperature and length, the DHC-515 will be an important tool for countries around the globe to use in putting out fires.”
The DHC-515’s new features include:
- Delivery of multiple drops in rapid succession;
- Delivery of over twice as much water into a fire-zone per day (nearly 700 000 litres) as its nearest competitor;
- Full refill of its tanks in 12 seconds from nearby fresh or saltwater sources (including rivers, small lakes, and oceans);
- Refill in rough waters with waves up to two meters;
- High-lift wing and turboprop engines (which have up to 50 % lower CO2 emissions, burning 25 % to 40 % less fuel than jet engines) with instant thrust, allowing for safer operation in mountainous terrain and the ability to drop close to fire with superior precision;
- Performance in high winds typical with megafires;
- State-of-the-art navigational instruments for enhanced safety and improved situational awareness.
22 new aircraft starting from 2025
Pending the positive outcome of government-to-government negotiations through the Government of Canada’s contracting agency, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), six interested Member States have signed a joint letter of intent to purchase the first 22 aircraft, which DHC expects to deliver starting from 2025. A second tranche of planes will be discussed following this, giving other customers the opportunity to renew existing fleets or proceed with new acquisition opportunities.
“As the effects of climate change continue to impact countries around the world, the Canadian Commercial Corporation and the Government of Canada are proud to stand with De Havilland Canada in providing this world class solution to our EU partners and allies,” “We look forward to supporting De Havilland Canada as other governments wishing to procure these next generation aerial firefighting aircraft come forward.”