What does the program for strengthening Civil Protection includes

More than 10 tenders with a cumulative budget of 380 million euros are expected to be announced within the next four months by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund S.A. (HRADF) to strengthen Civil Protection. Support that includes the purchase of equipment from firefighting aircraft, helicopters and drones to control and management systems for aerial surveillance and collapsible portable bridges.
This is “Aegis”, the largest program ever designed to strengthen Civil Protection in Greece. The total budget of the project amounts to 1.7 billion, of which 380 million comes from the Recovery Fund.

Thus, the conduct of tenders for market consultation and most of these projects has been undertaken to be matured and tendered by the Project Preparation Facility-PPF.

For these projects, international industry giants such as the American Thrush Aircraft, Air Tractor Inc., Lockheed Martin and Erickson Inc. have appeared, who are interested in the aircraft that will be procured by the Civil Protection of Greece, according to market sources. Also for ground vehicles, which include fire engines and other response vehicles, interest is being shown by groups such as Mercedes, Iveco-Magirus, Renault Trucks, MAN SE and others, the same sources add.

Operations of the “Aegis Project” included in the Recovery Fund:
• Air surveillance control and management center: 14M
• Mobile command and control centers in the 13 regions: 7M
• Fire detection and extinguishing system: 10M
• Purchase of two medium-sized helicopters for medical use and one helicopter to transport the GSCP incident management team: 39.5M
• UAV (drones) for air surveillance: 2.5M
• Upgrade – modernization of seven aircraft Canadair CL415: 29M
• Purchase of two heavy helicopters Sikorsky / Erickson S-64 Skycrane: 46M
• Purchase of 11 amphibious firefighting aircrafts for the island complexes: 35M
• Upgrade – modernization of two Super Puma: 3M
• Purchase of fire brigade vehicles and other response vehicles: 65.3M
• Purchase of GSCP vehicles for regional/local civil protection centers and voluntary organizations: 37.4M
• Supply of Baily type folding portable bridges: 12.5M
Total sum: 301.25M

*Recovery Fund Budget (all amounts in million euros, VAT not included)

Within the next four months, HRADF will “run” 10 competitions.

The HRADF unit has control over the funds coming from the Recovery Fund, the amount of which together with VAT amounts to 380 million. However, the program is also financed by NSRF funds, as well as loans from the European Investment Bank. Thus, the procurement tenders will be carried out by the HRADF unit.

Among the largest procurements stands out that of 33 amphibious firefighting aircraft, 11 of which have been included in the budget of the Recovery Fund and the rest in other sources of funding as mentioned above. Also very large, over 100 million, is the procurement of a large fleet of fire and response vehicles. Other assets to be procured by Civil Protection are two Sikorsky/Erickson S-64 Skycrane heavy duty helicopters, two more medium-sized helicopters for medical use and one more to transport the incident management team of the general secretariat of Civil Protection.

In addition, tenders will be held for the supply of UAVs (drones) for aerial surveillance and for the acquisition of collapsible portable Bailey bridges, which are required when natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods cut off the road connectivity of entire settlements.
The Super Puma helicopter upgrade and modernization also belongs to the same competition group. Regarding the upgrade for the designation of the seven Canadair CL415 aircraft owned by the Civil Protection Service, after consultation with the Single Public Procurement Authority, it was decided to negotiate directly with their manufacturer on a project with a budget of €29 million excluding VAT. The speed with which these tenders will be aired in the next period is credited by the market, on the one hand, to the expertise and preparation made by the Strategic Contracts Maturation Unit, headed by HRADF appointed advisor Panagiotis Stamboulidis, and on the other hand to the speed with which the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, on the initiative of Minister Christos Stylianides, proceeded with the necessary interventions (specifications, etc.) for the final formation of the “Aegis” program.

Ilias Bellos
Source: www.kathimerini.gr/