Orders for De Havilland Canada’s new DHC-515 Firefighter amphibian aircraft have begun ramping up. In late March 2024, the Canadian Commercial Corp (CCC), Canada’s government contracting agency, signed a contract with the Greek Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for seven DHC-515s, spare parts, training, and support.
The Greek parliament had earlier approved the purchase of the seven DHC-515s for EUR361 million ($384 million). Deliveries are scheduled to occur in the 2027-2030 timeframe. Two of the DHC-515s are being financed by the European Union, and will be part of the organization’s rescEU civil protection program.
The Greek Air Force currently operates 17 of the older models on which the DHC-515 is based, including 10 piston-powered CL-215s and seven turbine-powered CL-415s.
The DHC-515 is an enhanced version of the CL-415. It features a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines, a Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite, and increased water tank capacity (7,000 liters/1,850 U.S. gallons). Besides aerial firefighting, the DHC-515 can also be used for a variety of other applications, including passenger/cargo transport, maritime patrol, and search-and-rescue.
In addition, the CCC has signed a EUR105 million ($112 million) contract with Croatia’s Ministry of the Interior for two DHC-515s, spare parts, training, and maintenance support. The two aircraft are being financed by the EU. The Croatian Air Force currently has a fleet of six CL-415s.
These contracts are the result of ongoing cooperation between the CCC, De Havilland Canada, the rescEU program, and EU member states. EU plans call for the acquisition of 12 DHC-515s to be financed by the EU itself and operated by the rescEU program. An additional 12 DHC-515s are to be acquired by six EU member nations for their own individual national fleets. The six nations are Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
Then known as Viking Air, De Havilland Canada acquired the type certificates for the CL-215 and CL-415 in 2016 from Bombardier, which had previously manufactured these aircraft. The DHC-515 was officially launched by De Havilland Canada in March 2022.
De Havilland Canada received a purchase agreement in 2019 from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense for six DHC-515s. Two of the aircraft are to be built in an aerial firefighting configuration, while the other four are to be delivered in a multimission configuration.
Meanwhile, a number of potential customers have displayed interest in acquiring the DHC-515, including various provincial and territorial agencies in Canada.
Raymond Jaworowski currently co-authors three of Forecast International's best-selling products: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, and Rotorcraft Forecast. As a contributor to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Aerospace Source Book, he has authored Aircraft Outlooks, and provided input for the publication's Aircraft Specifications tables. Raymond has represented Forecast International at numerous conferences and trade shows, often as a featured speaker. He is a member of the American Helicopter Society.
