New EU fire fighting aircraft fleet: first aircraft in 2027
The new European air fleet, which will include 12 new aircraft, is to be allocated €600 million
After years of growing concern about increasingly frequent and intense forest fires, the European Union is taking a decisive step towards greater resilience to natural disasters. An agreement has been signed with the Canadian Commercial Corporation to produce 12 new fire-fighting aircraft, which will form the heart of Europe’s first air fleet dedicated to fire-fighting.
A considerable investment
An amount of €600 million has been allocated to the new European air fleet, which will include 12 new fire-fighting aircraft. As the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, has pointed out, “this is a historic moment for European civil protection in these times of climate crisis”.
How will the new fleet work?
Until now, each EU member state had its own fleet of firefighting equipment. In case of emergency, these resources could be made available to other Member States through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, RescEU. However, this solution had its limitations in terms of capacity and coordination.
With the new fleet, the EU will have its own resources, acquired from EU funds and deployed in six Member States (Croatia, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain). This will ensure greater flexibility and speed of response in the event of an emergency, allowing for large-scale fire response and coordinated operations at a European level.
Why is it so important?
The seasons of forest fires are becoming increasingly long, intense and unpredictable due to climate change. Fires cause significant economic and environmental damage, endanger human lives and lead to population displacement. The new European air fleet is a concrete response to this emergency, strengthening the EU’s capacity to prevent and combat fires, protect communities and ecosystems.
When will the new aircraft be operational?
The first aircraft of the new fleet will be delivered by the end of 2027. In the meantime, the EU will continue to invest in research and development of new technologies for fire prevention and control.
A strong signal for the future
The decision to create a European fire fighting fleet is a strong signal of the EU’s commitment to tackle climate change and protect its citizens. This investment will ensure greater response capacity and better coordination between member countries, representing an important step towards a safer and more sustainable future.