On the High Instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), Morocco deployed two Canadair firefighting aircraft and a Casa support plane to Monte Real, Portugal, on September 18, 2024. This mission aims to assist Portuguese authorities in battling wildfires in the north of the country, as part of a joint effort also involving planes from Spain, France, and Italy.
Four crews and a technical team from the Anti-Fire Squadron of the 3rd Air Base of the Royal Air Forces have been mobilized for this operation, following a formal request for support from the Portuguese authorities, according to a statement from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces.
Since 2012, Morocco’s Royal Air Forces have actively participated in firefighting missions in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. In Portugal, specifically, this is the third intervention by Morocco since 2016. During the 2016 and 2017 missions, Moroccan aircraft completed approximately 70 sorties, totaling 230 flight hours, contributing significantly to combating wildfires in the region.
