{"id":18831,"date":"2026-07-29T07:55:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=18831"},"modified":"2026-07-29T07:55:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:55:57","slug":"france-needs-more-canadair-water-bombers-but-building-them-is-painfully-slow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=18831","title":{"rendered":"France needs more Canadair water bombers but building them is painfully slow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p>As French firefighters struggle to contain the worst wildfires in living memory with just 12 aerial water bombers, production of the iconic aircraft creaks along half a world away in a Canadian factory.<\/p>\n<p>Canadairs are a prime weapon in fighting blazes in rugged, often remote landscapes. But building the specialized aircraft is a time-consuming process, made harder by a nine-year production gap that left the complex supply chain in tatters.<\/p>\n<p>Although manufacturer De Havilland restarted production in 2024, the first delivery \u2014 of just two aircraft \u2014 to France won\u2019t happen until at least 2028.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Rivet-by-rivet \u2013<\/p>\n<p>At a plant in Calgary that AFP visited, the fuselages of the aircraft \u2014 capable of scooping up almost 6,000 liters of water in 12 seconds by gliding along a lake \u2014 were being drilled and riveted by hand.<\/p>\n<p>The relative lack of automation compared to other manufacturers is part of the reason why the factory can only produce 10 planes per year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the fuselage, everything is done manually, so every hole, every rivet you see on the fuselage is being done manually,\u201d Operations Director Victor Ocadiz told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>The shortage of aircraft and long wait for more have kicked off a political ruckus in France, with opposition parties accusing the government of hindering firefighting efforts through budget cuts.<\/p>\n<p>But the problems lie at least partly back in Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Previous builder Bombardier halted production in 2015. Production was only restarted after an initial order for 22 planes in 2024 by the European Union, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Croatia, De Havilland Head of Strategy Jean-Philippe Cote said.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, the order book has grown to 40 aircraft, with France ordering two next-generation DHC-515s in 2024 as part of the European order, followed by two more in June.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have two aircraft to deliver to France in 2028-2029 \u2026 and the two aircraft announced last month for 2032-2033,\u201d Cote said.<\/p>\n<p>A De Havilland spokesperson wouldn\u2019t be drawn on the exact month of deliveries, saying only that they were \u201cin line with forecasts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in June that the 2028 deliveries would happen in April and November of that year, while stressing that the timetable needed to be \u201crespected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first DHC-515 \u2014 the modernized version of the water bomber \u2014 will go to Greece, Cote said, \u201cin early 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 50,000 parts \u2013<\/p>\n<p>The near-decade gap between Bombardier\u2019s assembly lines falling silent and De Havilland starting its own saw supply chains wilt.<\/p>\n<p>The group had to put \u201cmore than 50,000\u201d different parts back into production and \u201cselect new suppliers because the previous suppliers no longer existed,\u201d Cote said.<\/p>\n<p>And while that process meant restarting production took time, it will benefit the 160 older-generation Canadairs still in service around the world \u2014 half of which are in Europe and the other half in North America, with some more than 30 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the restart of production, \u201cif an aircraft is damaged, we can quickly take a part from the production line and send it to France. It is becoming increasingly easy for us to meet\u201d repair needs, De Havilland\u2019s strategy chief said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> France needs more Canadair water bombers but building them is painfully slow<br \/>\n<br \/>#France #Canadair #water #bombers #building #painfully #slow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As French firefighters struggle to contain the worst wildfires in living memory with just 12&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[14789,799,14788,2100,14790,8506,1496],"class_list":["post-18831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-bombers","tag-building","tag-canadair","tag-france","tag-painfully","tag-slow","tag-water"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",768,512,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",640,427,false],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",640,427,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",768,512,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11-768x500.jpg",768,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/556d305617409758c9fd64b74db2c566d9ec5e11-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18831\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}