Aviation experts say Canada is losing expertise in the manufacturing of water bombers 害羞草研究所� just as demand for them is increasing.

The Canadair CL-415, a purpose-built water bomber, was last produced in 2015. That plane and its predecessor 害羞草研究所� the CL-215 害羞草研究所� are the only water bombers used in Quebec and play major roles in the fleets of other provinces.

On Monday (June 5), water bombers from Montana were deployed in Quebec to support the province害羞草研究所檚 firefighters and its fleet of 14 CL-415s and CL-215s. Quebec is experiencing its worst fire season on record, following a record fire season in Nova Scotia.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told a news conference earlier this week that the provinces have enough equipment to fight the fires that are raging in several parts of the country. If necessary, he said, Ottawa would try to acquire additional equipment from other countries.

害羞草研究所淏ut we have to know where (the equipment) is and how we can access it very quickly,害羞草研究所� he said.

But finding planes quickly may be complicated because other countries are also fighting fires, said John Gradek, coordinator of McGill University害羞草研究所檚 aviation management program.

害羞草研究所淭he northern hemisphere is in the fire season,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l be hard-pressed to find a country that can lend us planes.害羞草研究所�

Gradek said he believes the provinces should have bought more tanker planes. 害羞草研究所淚n Canada, we have 55 Canadair planes 害羞草研究所� a combination of CL-215s and CL-415s,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that 害羞草研究所渃onsidering the number of fires currently in the country, it害羞草研究所檚 absolutely insufficient.害羞草研究所�

Some of those planes were built 50 years ago, he said.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 build these planes in Canada anymore 害羞草研究所� we try to modify, to maintain and update the components of these planes,害羞草研究所� he said.

Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault alluded to the maintenance challenges during a news conference earlier this week, standing in front of a CL-215 that was grounded for repairs.

害羞草研究所淲hen we see a CL-215 that we can害羞草研究所檛 use because of maintenance issues, you have to ask yourself, do we need more mechanics? The answer is probably yes. Do we need to buy some additional new planes? I think that害羞草研究所檚 more the way we have to look at it,害羞草研究所� he said.

In 2016, Bombardier, which acquired Canadair in the 1980s, sold its water bomber program to British Columbia-based Viking Air.

Viking Air, which plans to build a factory in Western Canada, could begin producing new water bombers in 2027, but those planes probably won害羞草研究所檛 be used to put out forest fires in Canada, Gradek said.

害羞草研究所淭he company will have the capacity to build 10 planes a year,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that the first 25 are already intended for Indonesia, France, Spain and other European countries,

He said that if a Canadian province ordered a new CL-415, construction on it wouldn害羞草研究所檛 likely begin before 2030.

害羞草研究所淓uropeans want the new generation of the Canadair CL-415 and are ready to make major purchases,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that the first generation of the plane was recognized for its performance around the world.

If the 2023 fire season is an indicator of what害羞草研究所檚 to come, countries will increasingly need this type of plane.

He said he would like to see the federal government support Viking Air, 害羞草研究所渘ot only so that it can start producing the CL-415, but also to increase the planned production capacity.害羞草研究所�

Mehran Ebrahimi, director of the International Aeronautics and Civil Aviation Observatory at Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Montr茅al, said he worries expertise is being lost, particularly in Quebec, since Bombardier ended production of Canadair water bombers.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e seen the effects of climate change around the world, so we could have put ourselves in a position not only to produce but also to strategically maintain and preserve our ability to build these aircraft, which require special expertise,害羞草研究所� said the management professor.

Referring to the CL-215, Ebrahimi said, 害羞草研究所渢hese are planes that we produced and we can害羞草研究所檛 repair them? What happened there? Where has the expertise gone in the meantime?害羞草研究所�

St茅phane Blais, The Canadian Press

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