Greece received its first state-owned firefighting aircraft on Thursday, November 13, during a ceremony at Megara Airport attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, was described by the prime minister as both “symbolic” and “historic.”
Mitsotakis said the delivery marks the first step in “the largest investment in the resilience of our homeland,” calling it the beginning of the most ambitious upgrade of Greece’s aerial civil protection fleet.
With climate change intensifying “varied crises,” he stressed the importance of enhancing Greece’s tools.
“As the battle against the climate crisis becomes harder, we must also upgrade the tools at our disposal,” he said.
Παραλαμβάνουμε σήμερα τρία νέα αεροσκάφη τύπου Diamond 62 MPP. Θα λειτουργούν ως εναέρια κέντρα επιχειρήσεων για τον συντονισμό δυνάμεων και τη συλλογή πληροφοριών, σε αποστολές δασοπυρόσβεσης, αντιμετώπισης φυσικών καταστροφών και δράσεις επιτήρησης. https://t.co/jOt3mQ1UuD pic.twitter.com/Nu2QRtcEnz
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) November 13, 2025
The new fleet includes three Diamond DA62 MPP aircraft, which Mitsotakis praised for their advanced operational capabilities, describing them as a “qualitative leap” beyond previous resources.
He also highlighted their cost-efficiency and dual-use potential under a unified operational doctrine, noting they can support missions such as border surveillance.
Looking ahead, Mitsotakis outlined the next phase of the program: acquiring modern firefighting helicopters, with the first two expected in summer 2026, and renewing the broader firefighting aircraft fleet.
Central to that effort is the purchase of seven new Canadair CL-515 water bombers.
The first, named GreeceOne, is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will include upgraded features such as night-time firefighting, enabling 24/7 wildfire response.
