CCC, Croatia sign contract for DHC-515 firefighting aircraft

OTTAWA, March 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CCC is proud to announce the signing of a government to government (G2G) contract with the Ministry of the Interior of Croatia for the sale of two (2) DHC-515 FIREFIGHTERtm aircraft manufactured by De Havilland Canada (DHC). Through CCC's G2G contract, DHC will provide the DHC-515 aircraft to Croatia, along with spare parts, training, and maintenance support. The contract 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 firefighting aircraft.

Building on the foundation of the iconic Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft, the DHC-515 FIREFIGHTERtm 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.

Croatia, like the rest of Europe and Canada, continues to face significant wildfire seasons as our summers become both longer and hotter. Currently, Croatia currently operates six CL-415 aircraft and will increase its aerial firefighting program by one-third with the acquisition of these two new DHC-515 aircraft. The Croatian Government and European Union are making this significant investment to augment Croatia's emergency response capacity through the purchase of these Canadian-made waterbombers.

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 FIREFIGHTERtm 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.

To learn about how Canada's G2G contracts support Canadian exports, contact CCC.

Quotes

"Canada is proud to facilitate the purchase of De Havilland Canada's next generation aerial firefighting aircraft by Croatia and to help the Ministry of the Interior to combat wildfires. We are committed to providing practical tools to address the wildfires that threaten the security of Croatia's citizens and historical sites." ? Diane Montambault, Vice-President, Contract Management and Operations, CCC

"The activities undertaken over the past few years by the Croatian Government with its partners from Canada and with the support and assistance of the European Commission, have enabled Croatia to be among the first EU Member States to sign the Purchase Agreement for two new DHC-515 aircraft, thereby contributing to the establishment of permanent firefighting capacities at the EU level. This is a major common achievement, which also proves that only by joining our forces at national, European and global levels, we can efficiently respond to the devastating consequences of climate change, such as wildfires, all with a view to ensuring the safety of our citizens." ? Davor Bo?inovi?, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Croatia. 

"The EU and Croatia are our strategic partners and close allies. We are pleased that during the most recent Canada-EU Summit, Canada confirmed our commitment to our partners to help mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, including by facilitating the acquisition of these mission-critical De Havilland aircraft. I commend Croatia for the leadership role it is playing in the region in combatting wildfires." - Jessica Blitt, Canadian Ambassador to Croatia

"It has been a couple of years since the European Commission has initiated the process to scale up aerial firefighting capacities in Europe. I congratulate Croatia to sign into reality the first planes of what will form a new generation of European firefighting aerial capacity. And I thank Canada for facilitating these agreements with the company concerned resuming production of these very much needed specialised planes. This is an important step to acquiring the aircraft which will help protect citizens not just in Croatia but across Europe. It will be 100% paid for by the European Commission as part of our strengthened rescEU firefighting capacity ready to fight ever more intense wildfires in Europe." ? Janez Lenar?i?, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management 

"De Havilland Canada is proud to support the Croatian Ministry of Interior and Air Force as they protect the communities and natural resources of Croatia. The purchase of these new DHC-515 aircraft will provide additional assets to the Croatian Air Force as they continue to battle wildfires in Croatia." ? Neil Sweeney, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, De Havilland Canada 

Quick facts

• Increased wildfire risks due to climate change has generated a demand for additional aircraft within the EU and globally. The Member States of the European Union (EU) currently operate over 50% of the global fleet of previous iterations of the DHC-515 FIREFIGHTERtm aircraft.
• The DHC-515 FIREFIGHTERtm aircraft delivers the highest quantity of water into the fire-zone per day (nearly 700,000 L), more than twice as much as its nearest competitor. Refills its tanks in 12 seconds, from nearby fresh or saltwater sources including rivers, small lakes, and oceans, while land-based aircraft must return to airport after each drop.

Related

• CCC, EU Buyers sign LOI for purchase of De Havilland Aircraft
• Canada's G2G approach
• De Havilland Canada
• rescEU

Contact

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About CCC

CCC is Canada's government to government contracting agency. We help build successful commercial relationships between Canadian businesses and governments around the world through our government to government contracting approach. We are also the Government of Canada's designated contracting authority for U.S. Department of Defense requirements from Canada. To learn more about how we have facilitated billions in trade between Canadian businesses and governments around the world, visit ccc.ca.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f6df4f7-3cea-42ab-8ffa-7e62ca067ef0