Ottawa, CANADA – CCC is proud to announce 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 defence ministry for the sale of two (2) De Havilland Canadair 515 aircraft manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC). Through CCC’s G2G contract, DHC will supply the water bombers to France, along with 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 water bombers will help reinforce the country’s firefighting resources as the effects of climate change continue to take hold.
The De Havilland Canadair 515 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 De Havilland Canadair 515 can continuously operate from nearby fresh or saltwater sources. This efficiency significantly enhances its effectiveness in combating wildfires.
This acquisition of Canadian water bombers 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 water bombers. 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) De Havilland Canadair 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 De Havilland Canadair 515 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
“The De Havilland Canadair 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.” – Kim Douglas, VP of Business Development and Marketing, CCC.
“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 De Havilland Canadair 515, to help protect the people and property of the country.” – Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice President, Programs and Business Improvement, De Havilland Aircraft of 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 approximately 50% of the global fleet of previous iterations of the De Havilland Canadair 515 aircraft.
- France is Canada’s fourth largest merchandise export market in the European Union. In 2023, bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries totalled $12.9 billion, with Canadian merchandise exports to France valued at $4.3 billion, and merchandise imports at $8.6 billion.
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 U.S. Department of Defense designated contracting authority for procurements from Canada. To learn more about how we have facilitated billions in trade between Canadian businesses and governments around the world, visit ccc.ca.
