Funding Redirection Raises Concerns Over Firefighting Capabilities
The Spanish government, led by Pedro Sánchez, allocated approximately 340 million euros for the construction of a massive desalination plant in Casablanca, Morocco, which is set to be the largest in Africa. This decision has sparked significant debate, particularly because Spain's state fleet of amphibious firefighting aircraft faces severe operational limitations. Experts suggest that this substantial financial outlay could have been utilized to acquire up to seven advanced firefighting aircraft, namely the FOCA or DHC-515, which are crucial for combating large-scale forest fires.
Utilizing public financing mechanisms such as the Fund for Internationalization of the Company (FIEM), along with insurance from CESCE and a loan from COFIDES, this project is spearheaded by a consortium that includes the Spanish company Acciona. While these funds will ultimately need to be repaid by Morocco, they mobilize Spanish public resources at a time when the country is grappling with significant drought and has enacted cuts to vital water transfer projects like the Tajo-Segura system.
Each of these elite amphibious aircraft can carry between 5,500 and 7,000 liters of water directly from rivers, reservoirs, or the sea, and their unit cost ranges between 50 to 55 million euros based on recent contracts signed by Spain, Greece, and Croatia for the new DHC-515 model. Consequently, this indicates that the total funding of 340 million euros could have facilitated the purchase of six to seven new aircraft, enhancing Spain's firefighting capabilities significantly.
Currently, Spain operates a fleet of 14 Canadair CL-215T and CL-415 aircraft, managed by the 43rd Group of the Air Force. However, during the high-risk fire season of 2026, only about six to seven of these aircraft remain operational due to their age—some exceeding 40 years—and frequent mechanical failures, compounded by the ineffectiveness of a modernization program. Eight years ago, the fleet had 18 units, with up to 13 able to operate simultaneously.
This situation is particularly striking given that the government had pledged to provide regional authorities with 14 aircraft of this type, or at least maintain 10 in stable operational condition during the fire season. The current reality has fallen short of this promise, forcing Spain to seek international assistance via the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
Critics from southeastern Spain, particularly those affected by the cuts to the Tajo-Segura water transfer, have pointed out the inconsistency of prioritizing water infrastructure projects in Morocco while domestic firefighting resources remain critically limited. The Ministry for Ecological Transition has acknowledged the strain on the firefighting fleet due to increased flight hours and interventions.
While the 340 million euros are not a grant without strings, the mobilization of such public resources could have significantly bolstered Spain's operational capacity to fight forest fires, which pose one of the nation's primary climate challenges. The new DHC-515 aircraft will not begin to arrive until 2028, thus the opportunity to enhance firefighting capabilities in 2026 has slipped away without the necessary reinforcement.
As reported by gaceta.es.
