Spain purchases seven De Havilland Canada DHC-515 aircraft

Last week, Spain’s government announced a €375 million upgrade of its fleet of firefighting amphibious aircraft, two of which will be obtained through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

In addition to these jointly purchased aircraft, Spain will place a supplemental order for five DHC-515s.

These will join Spain’s current fleet of 14 firefighting amphibious aircraft, 11 of which belong to the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITECO) while three are owned by the Ministry of Defense. Operated by military pilots from Group 43 of the Spanish Air Force, the fleet is based at Torrejón de Ardoz air base, near Madrid.

The European Commission set up the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to foster cooperation between member states and ensure they are prepared when faced with natural disasters.

Given the growing threat of forest fires in and around the Mediterranean Basin, within this framework, the EU allocated €600 million for the joint procurement of firefighting aircraft. The aircraft will be operated by France, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Spain’s current fleet of older CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft will also be modernized with EU funds.

The DHC-515 is still under development and its certification is expected in 2025.

Spain’s new aircraft are expected to be delivered from 2027 onwards.