Production of 12 fire-fighting aircraft for the EU has begun

BRUSSELS – After the signing of an agreement between several EU member states and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, the production of 12 amphibious firefighting aircraft has begun, which will be part of the permanent fleet of the rescEU system, the European Commission reported on Tuesday, adding that they will be distributed between six countries, including Croatia.

Aircraft from the rescEU system can quickly assist if a country experiences such large forest fires that local firefighting services need reinforcement. The rescEU system is part of the EU’s long-term strategy to establish a permanent fleet of firefighting aircraft and helicopters that will be distributed among six member states – Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

An additional ten firefighting aircraft will be directly purchased by member states to strengthen their national fleets.

“As wildfire seasons become longer, more dangerous, and increasingly unpredictable, we are tirelessly working to strengthen the EU’s firefighting capacity. Today’s news is proof that Europe intends to work on this even more intensively,” said the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, praising the successful cooperation between the Commission and member states.

Deliveries of the first series of these new aircraft are expected by the end of 2027, while the first series of helicopters is expected in 2026. The production will be financed by the European Commission, and the aircraft will become the new foundation of the EU’s defense against forest fires. (August 13, 2024)