As happens every summer, wildfires are raging across France, particularly in the southern regions along the Mediterranean coast. And as every summer, the question of strengthening firefighting capabilities − especially aerial resources − has returned to the forefront. During a joint purchase organized by the European Union, six member states – France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Croatia – placed an order for 22 next-generation Canadair aircraft at the Paris Air Show (June 16-22).

The contract, signed under the aegis of the European Union as part of the RescEU project, stipulates that only two water bombers will be added to the aging fleet of 12 Canadair aircraft operated by French authorities. All of them are "an average of 30 years old," explained Jean-Philippe Côté, vice president of the De Havilland Canada program; their heavy use, especially in marine environments, has accelerated their aging. According to a parliamentary report published on July 2, this has reached the point where none of the 12 Canadair planes "were able to fly on certain days during the summer of 2024."

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