Premier Scott Moe and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman unveiled details on four re-purposed land-based airtanker aircraft, consisting of two Dash 8-Q400AT models and two Dash 8-Q400MRE models, being purchased for an approximate cost of $187.06 million. The planes will replace the current fleet, which consists of four Convair 580 airplanes. Those planes will approach the end of their useful lifespan in 2027. “Saskatchewan relies on land-based airtankers as part of its approach to managing wildfires,” Minister Merriman said. “These aircraft are used in instances where waterbombers may not be able to access lakes to fill up their tanks.” The Dash 8-Q400AT planes are dedicated air tankers, while the Dash 8-Q400MRE models can be fitted as an airtanker and reconfigured to provide multiple roles for air operations (e.g., air evacuations, patient transport, cargo hauling, etc.). Both models have increased capacity and efficiency, and produce 30 per cent less emissions than a similar sized airtanker.