The Canadian Commercial Corporation announced this week the signing of a government-to-government (G2G) contract with the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece for the sale of several DHC-515 FIREFIGHTER aircraft manufactured by De Havilland Canada (DHC). Through CCC’s contract, DHC will supply Greece with seven (7) DHC-515 aircraft, spare parts, and training and support. The contract results from cooperation between CCC, DHC, the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU), and its Member States to supply the EU with Canadian-made firefighting aircraft.
Building on the foundation of the iconic Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft, the DHC-515 is a new purpose-built aerial firefighting aircraft. It matches the other aircraft in the De Havilland fleet in terms of lifespan, ruggedness, and Canadian aerospace engineering quality.
2023 was a difficult wildfire season worldwide, including in Greece and Canada. The Hellenic Air Force provided exceptional service to the citizens of Greece in protecting the country's communities and natural resources by operating its current CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft in very difficult conditions. As the country faces longer and hotter summers, the government of the Hellenic Republic is making this significant investment in emergency response and civil protection through the purchase of the DHC-515 aircraft.
“We are thrilled that Greece and the CCC have concluded the agreement for the procurement of seven state-of-the art firefighter aircraft from De Havilland Canada. This aircraft is a crucial tool in the fight against the devastating effects of climate change, and Canada is proud to partner with Greece in years to come," said Karine Asselin, Canadian Ambassador to Greece.
CCC, Canada’s G2G contracting agency, and Export Development Canada, Canada’s export credit agency, are part of Canada’s overall support for the DHC-515 FIREFIGHTER™ program. For over 75 years, CCC has been helping Canadian companies like De Havilland Canada to establish successful commercial relationships with foreign governments. Every G2G contract signed with CCC has the legal effect of being signed in the name of the Government of Canada and comes with an assurance of the Government of Canada that the contractual terms and conditions will be met.
“We are pleased to be supplying these new aircraft to Greece to protect the communities and natural resources of the country. Greece has been flying CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft for nearly 50 years, and we look forward to continuing to support the Hellenic Air Force and the Civil Protection as they acquire these new DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft," said Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice President Programs, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada.
The DHC-515 scooper aircraft was officially announced by DeHavilland in 2022 and will be the next generation, following the CL-215, CL415, and CL-415EAF, featuring a fully digital cockpit and other upgrades. Although no firm timeline for production and delivery has been announced, the aircraft now has over 30 orders for aircraft from European countries.
