Greece intends to acquire seven De Havilland Canada DHC-515 water bombers to combat the increasing incidence of wildfires throughout the country, with deliveries anticipated to start in early 2028, as announced on Tuesday. Additionally, Greece will upgrade seven of its existing CL-415 aircraft to the DHC-515 standard.
At least two of the new DHC-515s will be incorporated into the European civil protection mechanism, RescEU, making them available for missions beyond Greece's borders. The majority of the funding for this procurement and upgrade program will come from the European Union through the AEGIS initiative.
Jean-Philippe Côté, vice president of De Havilland, the manufacturer of Canadair aircraft, announced that production of Greece's DHC-515s is already in progress. "We aim to deliver the first DHC-515 aircraft in early 2028. The structural components for the initial aircraft are currently being produced at DHC's facilities in Calgary, Canada. The first unit off the production line will be sent to Greece," he shared with Kathimerini.
In the meantime, flight tests are being conducted on a De Havilland-owned CL-415 that has been upgraded to the 515 configuration. These tests are expected to be completed prior to the first delivery to Greece. Sources indicate that De Havilland plans to deliver one aircraft every six months.
