Morocco completes the purchase of three new Canadair CL-415. These water bomber planes manufactured in Canada by Bombardier Aéronautique, will be delivered in early 2022. They will bring to 8 planes, the Moroccan fleet of Canadair, for a better fight against forest fires, exacerbated by climate change.
The Moroccan Canadair fleet will increase from 5 to 8 planes in the first quarter of 2022. It is during this period, which comes before the critical one of the summer drought, that the three new Canadair form the sherifian kingdom. The price of just one of these planes varies between 20 and 25 million euros. Their purchase was finalized after several successful trials, the most recent of which took place on October 22, 2021.
The Canadair CL-415, also referred to as Superscooper and then Bombardier 415 by its manufacturer (the Canadian Bombardier Aéronautique), is an amphibious water bomber aircraft specializing in fighting forest fires.
Forest fires exacerbated by climate change
Morocco remains so far the only African country with Canadair aircraft. The strengthening of its fleet aims to improve the quality of its interventions against forest fires on its soil, as well as in friendly countries, as part of its diplomatic action.
Morocco is regularly the scene of bush fires. The latest was declared on August 14, 2021 in Chefchaouen, in the north of the kingdom. Some 725 hectares of forest had been charred by the flames in the space of three days. According to Moroccan authorities, high temperatures (up to 49 ° C) and winds are the main causes of this fire. A previous heat wave, recorded by the Moroccan Department of Water and Forests, between July 9 and 11, 2021, had already caused 20 fires in the kingdom, burning 1,200 hectares of forests.
