Canadair CL-415

Greece will acquire a DHC-515 firefighting aircraft, known as the new Canadair, under the "Civil Protection 2021-2027" program, Deputy Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis announced Monday. 

The 53.1 million euro purchase, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, will be managed by the Climate Crisis Ministry.

The fire that broke out Sunday morning in a wooded area in Xylokastro, Corinth, in which two men aged 35 and 40 died, is in remission.

The European Commission has announced the start of production for 12 new Canadair DHC 515 firefighting aircraft, which will form the permanent European forest firefighting fleet (rescEU). These aircraft will be permanently stationed in Greece, Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

The European Commission confirmed on Thursday that the production of 12 new DHC 515 firefighting aircraft, an improved version of the Canadair 415, is under way.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Elefsina Air Base this morning, where the firefighting aircraft of the 383rd Special Operations and Aerial Firefighting Squadron and the 355th Tactical Transport Squadron are stationed.

Greece sent four firefighting aircraft to Albania on Tuesday and Wednesday to help combat a large forest fire in the south of the country.

The deployment was organized through the European Civil Protection Mechanism after Albania requested assistance. Greece provided two PZL planes on Tuesday and two Canadair CL-415 aircraft on Wednesday.

Greece’s fleet includes various types of aircraft, including Canadair and newer Air Tractor models.

Greece on Thursday approved the purchase of seven firefighting aircraft from Canada to bolster its defences against wildfires, which have ravaged the country in recent years.

The deal passed by Parliament is to buy seven DHC-515 aircraft from the Canadian Commercial Corp for 361 million euros ($392 million).

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Canada later this week, where he will finalize a deal to purchase seven DHC-515 Firefighters, the newest water bombers built by De Havilland, Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper reported Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Fire Service's special aerial operations units at the Elefsina Air Base, the 383rd Special Operations & Air Firefighting Squadron, and the 355th Tactical Transport Squadron on Saturday to express his support for the crews fighting to contain numerous wildfires that have ravaged areas in Attica over the past week amid scorching temperatures.