Portugal is one of six European Union (EU) countries that will host part of a new fleet of amphibious aircraft and firefighting helicopters from 2026 under the terms of an agreement between Brussels and the Canadian Commercial Corporation announced on Tuesday.
Twelve aircraft and an unspecified number of helicopters will form part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, established in 2001 to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Norway, Iceland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine also participate in the emergency response system.
The first batch of Canadian-built helicopters, fully funded by the community budget, is scheduled to be delivered in 2026, with the amphibious aircraft due to arrive in late 2027. The permanent fleet of firefighting equipment will be distributed between bases and airfields in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.
Last month, the Portuguese Air Force signed a contract to acquire two DHC-515 Firefighter heavy bombers, known as Canadair, to fight rural fires. The aircraft, made by Canadian company Havilland Aircraft, are being purchased using public funds in addition to national funds, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered in 2029 and the second in 2030.
The amounts of these acquisitions to supplement national resources are not disclosed in official reports. Portugal is the third country after Greece and Croatia to acquire aircraft using the Union Mechanism, supported by the RescEU programme.
The two bombers will join two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, delivered in November 2023 and currently being converted to carry 12 firefighters and drop 3,000 liters of water.
In addition to these helicopters, based at Air Base No. 8 in Ovar, and the bomber squadron, four more UH-60 Black Hawks will be delivered to the Portuguese Air Force by 2026.
Source: CM Jornal
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