Montenegro is entering the fire season with limited aerial capacity.
Currently, only one plane and one helicopter are operational, confirmed Miodrag Bešović, director of the Ministry of Interior's Protection and Rescue Directorate, in "Boje jutra". The rest of the aircraft are in the servicing phase, and it is expected that all will be ready in the coming months.
Despite Prime Minister Milojko Spajić's announcement that the state would purchase the Kanader, Bešović points out that this is unlikely to happen in the near future - the price of the aircraft is around 50 million euros, and delivery would take at least four to five years.
Instead, Montenegro applied for a multi-purpose helicopter through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which could carry up to four tons of water. Bešović warned that the biggest challenge is not a lack of money, but rather complicated public procurement that slows down the maintenance of the aircraft. He added that, with existing capacities and planned procurement, the country could respond to the fires without the Canadair.
"I hope that some of the decision-makers will hear, because I have already talked to the minister several times who will initiate some changes to the public procurement law, enabling us to procure parts and maintain aircraft in abbreviated procedures. What has made a difference in resolving these issues in the previous period is the delay and adoption of the budget. You know that the budget was delayed by about two months, the public procurement plan as well, so we have moved forward a little, but let me start with the aircraft we have at our disposal. So, the 212 helicopter is in operation. As for its procurement of buckets and equipment, we have procured them, but we are still in the procedure of arriving mechanics from abroad who need to train the mechanics in using the buckets," said Bešović.
When asked when this could happen, he answers:
"Well, I hope in the next week, ten days that they will come and do it. But again, there is a procedure involved. So, as far as aircraft maintenance is concerned, funds are not a problem for us. We have enough funds. But the procedure is such that we cannot solve these problems in a short period of time."
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