For the 55th edition of the International Aeronautical and Space Salon Organized from June 16 to 22 at Le Bourget (Seine-Saint-Denis), the smile is put in the Chalet de Havilland, the Canadian manufacturer of the famous Canadair Water Bombers. For Jean-Philippe Côté, vice-president of the Havilland Canada program, “The new plane, the DHC 515 is launched”thanks to “22 orders received from the European Union [UE] and six member states, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Croatia ”,, After three years of tight negotiations. Two devices are planned for France.
The relief is clearly noticeable on the side of Havilland Canada. In the absence of contracts, the assembly channels of the Canadian aircraft manufacturer were stopped. “It's been almost ten years without any Canadair having been sold or delivered”explains Mr. Côté.
A bygone era. The Calgary factory, in the province of Alberta, dresses in power. “The first copy of the new water bomber is on the assembly line”enthuses the vice-president of the Havilland Canada program. After the gigantic fires which ravaged thousands of hectares in the suburbs of Athens, in August 2024, the new customers decided by mutual agreement that the first copy of Canadair which will be released from the channels, in February 2028, “Will be for Greece”he reveals. The second, expected “A few months later” The same year will strengthen the aging French fleet which has only twelve water bombers.
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Source: Lemonde