A third aircraft of the Canadair CL-415 type, also referred to as the Bombardier 415 by its Canadian manufacturer of the same name, is on the way to becoming part of the fleet of aircraft of this type of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR). The Canadair CL-415 is an amphibious water bomber aircraft specialized in fighting forest fires and can also perform various other missions, such as search, rescue and transport of people or goods.
The information was delivered hot by Far-Maroc, a site specializing in Defense issues. The latter indicates that in the summer of 2021, Morocco, on High Royal Instructions, had ordered three Canadair CL-415 aircraft to complete the range of aircraft already in service to deal with forest fires. Two aircraft were delivered in October 2021, while the third, as shown in the images posted online by Far-Maroc, is starting its first flight tests, before an imminent delivery to the Kingdom.
The Canadair CL-415 is a water bomber aircraft manufactured by the Canadian firm Bombardier Aerospace (formerly Canadair) in Canada. Specialized in the fight against fires, it is used by many countries, including France where it is decked out with the nickname “Pélican”. This aircraft, renowned for its reliability, has two tanks that can store just over 6,000 liters of water. Indeed, the CL-415 can collect up to 6,140 l (1,350 Imp gal; 1,620 US gal) of water from a nearby water source, mix it with chemical foam if desired, and drop it onto fire without having to return to base to refill their tanks.
With good maneuverability on water, the Canadair CL-415 is relatively easy to operate compared to several other amphibious aircraft. The CL-415 was specifically developed to provide the ability to deliver large quantities of suppressor in rapid response to fires. Designed for reliability and longevity, it makes extensive use of corrosion-resistant materials, primarily treated aluminum, which makes it easy to use in salt water. Robust, it is used in a particularly difficult environment where it is very suitable for maneuvers at low altitude and changing atmospheric conditions.
There are military variants for – as mentioned above – search, rescue and “utilitarian” transport as well as coastal or littoral surveillance. Called CL-415 MP (for multi-purposes). They can be equipped with surveillance radars, frontal infrared detectors, side antenna radars, advanced navigation systems and powerful communication equipment. They are suitable for long-range amphibious missions that allow them to land in the event of rescue, arrest of offenders or identification of oil slicks (pollution), etc. That said, it is not mentioned in the story whether this variant of this type of devices is part of the ordered batch or not.
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