France's Canadair water bombers delayed until 2028

France will not receive its first two new Canadair water bombers until at least 2028, as manufacturer De Havilland rebuilds production of the firefighting aircraft in Canada.

The company restarted production in 2024 after a nine-year gap, but says the specialized aircraft are slow to build and depend on a supply chain that had to be recreated.

At De Havilland's plant in Calgary, fuselages for the aircraft are drilled and riveted by hand. Operations Director Victor Ocadiz said every hole and rivet on the fuselage is done manually. The factory can produce about 10 planes a year.

The aircraft can scoop almost 6,000 liters of water in 12 seconds by gliding along a lake. France currently has 12 aerial water bombers as firefighters face major wildfires.

De Havilland Head of Strategy Jean-Philippe Cote said France has two aircraft due in 2028-2029 and two more, announced in June, due in 2032-2033. A company spokesperson said deliveries were in line with forecasts.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in June that the 2028 deliveries were expected in April and November and that the timetable needed to be respected.

Cote said the first modernized DHC-515 is due to go to Greece in early 2028. He said De Havilland had to put more than 50,000 different parts back into production and find new suppliers because previous suppliers no longer existed.

The restart could also help maintain older Canadairs. Cote said about 160 older-generation aircraft remain in service worldwide, about half in Europe and half in North America, and production-line parts can now be sent more easily for repairs.