Greece is set to become the first European country to receive the new Canadair CL-515 firefighting aircraft as the European Union works to replace part of its aging aerial firefighting fleet.
Wildfires have burned about 440,000 hectares, or 1.09 million acres, across the EU since the beginning of 2026, increasing pressure on member states to strengthen their response capacity.
Greece to receive seven Canadair
Greece expects to receive seven CL-515 aircraft through the EU procurement program, the largest allocation among the countries participating in the initial order of more than 20 planes.
The country will make two of the aircraft available through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for deployment to other member states during major emergencies. Additional national orders have increased the expected production total to about 40 aircraft.
The CL-515 can carry six metric tons of water and refill from seas, lakes, or rivers in approximately 12 seconds. Its design also allows it to operate in more demanding conditions than earlier models, including nighttime missions.
European agreement restarted production
Bombardier ended Canadair production in 2015 because of insufficient demand. De Havilland Canada later acquired the program, but the company required a minimum number of confirmed orders before restarting the production line.
Greece supported a coordinated European purchase in 2020 and 2021 alongside other participating countries. Those efforts led to an agreement between the EU and De Havilland Canada in 2024.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said Greece will receive the first aircraft produced under the program. De Havilland Vice President Jean-Philippe Côté has also confirmed that the company will deliver the first CL-515 to Greece in 2028.
EU moves to replace aging aircraft
Several European countries still rely on older CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft for aerial firefighting operations. The new aircraft aim to improve fleet availability and expand the EU’s shared capacity when several countries face major wildfires at the same time.
Greece’s proximity to the sea may allow the CL-515 to refill frequently from coastal waters, reducing the interval between water drops during some operations.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
