Province of Manitoba confirms intent to purchase 3 DHC-515 waterbombers

De Havilland Canada (DHC) announced that the province of Manitoba has confirmed its intent to purchase three DHC-515 waterbombers.

The confirmation was made on June 16, 2025, during the opening day of the Paris Air Show.

De Havilland said that the commitment marks another milestone in the DHC 515 program, demonstrating domestic support for Canadian aerospace innovation in the fight against increasingly severe wildfires across North America. 

Designed, built, and assembled in Canada, the DHC-515 is built on the legacy of the CL-215 and CL-415 considered the next-generation aerial firefighting solution.

The DHC-515 features modern avionics, enhanced performance, and increased efficiency. With climate change contributing to longer and more intense wildfire seasons, De Havilland said that the aircraft is specifically designed to meet the daily operational challenges faced by aerial firefighters. 

“We are proud to be working with the Province of Manitoba, a long-term operator of CL-215 and CL-415 aerial firefighting aircraft, for the renewal of its fleet,” Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice President, Programs and Business Improvement at De Havilland Canada said in a statement.

“The De Havilland Canadair 515 represents the future of wildfire suppression, and we are proud of the trust Manitoba has placed in us to support their hard-working firefighting teams,” Côté added.

DHC said that it is also in discussion with other undisclosed operators for further orders of the DHC-515 aircraft and are confident it will be in position to announce more orders in the upcoming months. 

AeroTime editors and journalists are on the ground at Paris Air Show 2025 covering all the latest and biggest breaking news stories at this year’s event.  

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