Featured images: Croatian Canadair sent to France, MORH
The Croatian Canadair sent to France on Friday morning will help fight wildfires in the southwest of the country. The CL-415 aircraft departed from Zemunik with two crews and accompanying aviation technical personnel.
Two crews and accompanying aviation technical personnel were deployed with the aircraft, bringing the total number of Croatian Armed Forces members involved to 11. The Canadair took off from the Colonel Mirko Vukušić Barracks on July 24 at 8:05 a.m.
This is the first international deployment of Croatia’s 855th Firefighting Squadron this year.
Croatian Canadair sent to France to join local firefighting efforts
Colonel Milan Došen, commander of the 855th Firefighting Squadron, said the Croatian crew was ready for the mission.
“The situation in southwestern France is serious, and we are joining French forces to help fight the wildfires,” Došen said.
He added that the Croatian firefighting squadron has many years of experience in battling wildfires both in Croatia and abroad.
Government approved the deployment
The order to deploy the Croatian Air Force firefighting aircraft was issued by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić.
The aircraft was sent to France following a government decision authorising members of the Croatian Armed Forces to cross the state border to provide humanitarian assistance abroad, with the prior approval of the President of the Republic.
Canadairs are indispensable during the fire season, when Croatian firefighters battle blazes almost daily, and they also played a crucial role in bringing the recent wildfire on Brač under control.
