August 28, 2023 – The Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft of the Croatian Air Force (HRZ), which was sent to help extinguish the Greece fires on Tuesday, August 22, returned to the “Colonel Mirko Vukušić” barracks in Zemunik Donji on Sunday, the Croatian Ministry of Defense (MORH) reported.
As 24Sata writes, the Croatian firefighting Canadair aircraft, which is part of the firefighting squadron of the Croatian Air Force (HRZ), was engaged to help extinguish the fires in the areas of Alexandropol, Kavala, Drama, and Polygyros in Greece.
The aircraft was sent to help fight the Greece fires along with two crews and aviation technical personnel, who were led by captains and majors Ivica Markač and Igor Mindoljević.
Help in fighting Greece Fires an Act of Friendship
“This experience, in addition to the humanitarian dimension of providing aid in other countries, also contributes to the promotion of the reputation and capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia in the world. The gratitude which our colleagues from the Hellenic Republic have expressed to us, the Croatian Army and the entire Croatian nation is extremely important, as true friends recognize each other when things are most difficult”, said Major Markač.
The same Croatian fire-fighting aircraft that was sent to help fight Greece fires is engaged as part of the European Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU) to help other countries. For that cause, the Republic of Croatia is making the HRZ air force available with two Canadair CL-415 fire-fighting aircraft on a constant basis from June to October 2023.
This is the second time that the HRZ firefighting forces with their Canadair CL aircraft have been sent to help the Hellenic Republic. The first time they were engaged was to fight the Greece fires in July this year, adds the Croatian Ministry of Defense.
