Lt. Col. Došen: Our crew is ready for the mission in France

A Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft with two crews and accompanying aviation and technical personnel with a total of 11 members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia took off today, July 24, 2026, at 8:05 from the "Colonel Mirko Vukušić" barracks in Zemunik to extinguish a fire in the Republic of France.

This is the first deployment of the 855th Firefighting Squadron abroad this year, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić issued an Order on the dispatch of a firefighting aircraft of the Croatian Air Force to the Republic of France based on the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia approving the crossing of the border of the Republic of Croatia by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia in order to provide humanitarian aid abroad.

“Our crew is ready for the mission in France. The situation in southwestern France is difficult and we are joining the French forces to help fight the fire,” said the commander of the 855th Firefighting Squadron, Lt. Col. Milan Došen. 

He also pointed out that the Croatian Firefighting Squadron has many years of experience in extinguishing fires both in Croatia and abroad.

In accordance with Article 56, paragraph 1 of the Defense Act, it is stipulated that the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia may cross the borders of the Republic of Croatia to provide humanitarian aid to another country based on a decision made by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, with the prior consent of the President of the Republic of Croatia.

“Croatia is one of the rare European and world countries that has Canadairs at all, and when there is a major threat, and a fire causes them, in this case in France, so far we have helped at the request of these governments and sent our planes, so we have now sent them to France in the hope that the fires, which have unfortunately already claimed human lives, will be extinguished as soon as possible. Croatia is ready to control its firefighting task, which it has with these Canadairs, and has the ability to help others, so that neither our firefighting season nor the extinguishing of a possible fire in our territory is jeopardized,” explained Defense Minister Ivan Anušić.

Source: HRT