The CCC announced on August 12th, 2024 the signing of a government-to-government (G2G) contract with France’s DGA – La direction générale de l’Armement (DGA) du ministère français des Armées – a branch of the defense ministry for the sale of two (2) DHC-515 FIREFIGHTER™ aircraft manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC). Through CCC’s G2G contract, DHC will supply the waterbombers to France and spare parts, training, and maintenance support.
In recent years, France has experienced a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires, largely attributed to climate change and shifting weather patterns. The new waterbombers will help reinforce the country’s firefighting resources as the effects of climate change continue to take hold.
“The DHC-515 represents the best that Canadian aerospace engineering has to offer and CCC is proud to help the government of France protect its people against wildfires with the next generation aerial firefighting aircraft.” said Kim Douglas, VP of Business Development and Marketing, CCC.
The DHC-515 FIREFIGHTER™ aircraft stands out in aerial firefighting by delivering an unparalleled volume of water—nearly 700,000 liters—into the fire zone each day. This capacity is more than double that of its closest competitor. What sets the DHC-515 apart is its remarkable ability to refill its tanks in just 12 seconds from a variety of sources, including rivers, small lakes, and oceans. Unlike land-based aircraft, which must return to an airport after each drop, the DHC-515 can continuously operate from nearby fresh or saltwater sources. This efficiency significantly enhances its effectiveness in combating wildfires.
“For decades, the Canadair aircraft have been the backbone of the French firefighting fleet. We are proud that France has once again selected the latest version of the Canadair, the DHC-515, to help protect the people and property of the country.” said Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice President, Programs and Business Improvement, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada.
This acquisition of Canadian waterbombers by France is the result of ongoing cooperation between CCC, DHC, the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU) and its Member States to supply the EU with Canadian-made waterbombers. RescEU is supporting the acquisition of 12 DHC-515 aircraft for Greece, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Spain and France with a total of twenty-two (22) DHC-515 aircraft purchased through CCC.
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 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 contract performance.
