De Havilland Canada and the European Union (EU) have concluded negotiations for the procurement of a fleet of 22 newly produced C-515 firefighting amphibious aircraft.
In addition to this deal, and in response to the strong recognition the historical Canadair brand enjoys in Europe, De Havilland Canada also announced that this model of aircraft will be changed from the DHC-515 Firefighter to the De Havilland Canadair 515.
“When people are close to a wildfire in Europe, they ask when the Canadairs will come to help protect their community,” De Havilland Canada CEO Brian Chafe said on October 4, 2024.
The EU’s acquistion of these 22 aircraft (an additional two from the 20 that were originally planned) will provide a pooled fleet for the joint use of EU members that face large forest fires with regularity, such as France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece.
The project is funded by the EU through the rescEU program under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which aims to make resources available in response to natural disasters and other emergencies.
During the celebration for the closing of the negotiations, representatives of De Havilland Canada presented Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, with a scale model of the Canadair 515 aircraft emblazoned with the rescEU livery.
In addition to the purchase, the Spanish government announced the acquisition, separate to the European common purchase, of another five C-515 aircraft for its own use in April 2024. Although Spain is also a participant in the rescEU program, these supplementary aircraft are intended to replace its ageing fleet of CL-215 and CL-415 firefighting aircraft, most of which have been in service for several decades.
The De Havilland Canada Canadair 515 is still under development. This new amphibious aircraft type is expected to be certified at some point during 2025.