Hellenic CL-415 Canadairs fighting big forest fire in Israel

Four HAF CL-415 Canadair water bombers reached Israel at dawn today and are already taking part in the effort to suppress the wildfire burning in the area of Haifa. The four aircraft, belonging to 383 Squadron of 113th Fighter Wing, took off from Thessaloniki last night, accompanied by a C-130 carrying support personnel and additional crews; they were refueled at Larnaca (Cyprus) and reached Israel at dawn.

An HAF CL-415 seen early today, landing at Ramat David AFB in northern Israel

The 4 Hellenic CL-415s

Apart from its obvious humanitarian character, there is also significant diplomatic value to this mission, since the Hellenic aircraft that rushed during the night were among the very first of foreign assistance to reach Israel.




Congratulations are in order for the Hellenic Air Force, which managed to organize a demanding night mission into an unknown area on a very short notice, despite the fact that winter months are considered "off-season" for firefighting units, thus projecting Greece's positive image to the world. The HAF's Canadair crews have over the years accumulated a vast experience suppressing forest fires in Greece, which is expected to be an important asset in the fight against the wildfire in Israel.