Sea King Helicopters not going Quietly

It was earlier this year when Defence Minister Jason Kenney announced that the RCAF would be receiving its first delivery of Sikorsky Cyclone maritime helicopters; and that the RCAF would move forward with the retirement of the dated Sikorsky Sea King helicopters originally purchased in the 1960s. Now it seems that they will be flying until at least 2018; perhaps as long as 2021.

A RCAF CH-124 Sea King Helicopter landing on the USS Pearl Harbor during Exercise PANAMAX 2007. 

The government announced that the Cyclone delivery would mean a 2015 retirement date for much of the Sea King fleet as promised, but that just is not the case. Only 2 of the RCAF's 26 Sea King fleet have been retired, and they were taken out of flying serving a while ago due to damage. Another 4 are set to be retired by March 2016. The remaining 20 will most likely keep flying well into 2018, and perhaps as long as 2021.

Sikorsky has missed several deadlines with the delivery of the Cyclone - and after a renegotiation in 2014, agreed to deliver all 28 helicopters by the end of 2018 - but they would not be fully combat operational until 2021.

Sikorsky is still working on the final combat software needed for the helicopters to work at the full capacity, and the engines earlier this year were considered weaker  than expected. So the Cyclones that are delivered will be limited to training flights, and ground search and rescue. The update due in 2021 will allow the Cyclones to operate at Sea in all weather conditions and partake in Anti-Submarine Warfare; something the Sea King excelled at.

In order to keep the Sea Kings 'current', DND quietly approved a $500,000 update program to the fleets infrared, optic and digital sensor systems. This program is required - especially if Sikorsky falls behind on the final 2021 fully operational deadline. According to the RCAF - more than half that budget has already been spent, and the remainder will be spent on deliveries expected in the next 12 to 18 months; which in it self puts the Sea Kings quietly active into 2017.

Russia's First Airstrikes Against ISIS in Syria

(This article was written by the Associated Press)

The airstrikes targeted ISIS positions, vehicles and warehouses that Russia believes belong to the militants, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies. Islamic State is also referred to as ISIS.

A Russian SU 25 SM Ground Attach Aircraft during a Training Exercise in March 2015. Photo: National Post/Getty Images

Russia’s upper chamber of parliament earlier on Wednesday gave the green light to President Vladimir Putin’s request to send Russian troops to Syria.

Putin said the Russian air force will be supporting the Syrian army in its offensive operations.

Russia is “not going to plunge into this conflict head-on,” Putin said, and Moscow will help Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army as long as their offensive operation lasts.

Putin also said he expects Assad to sit down and talk with the Syrian opposition about a political settlement.

Russian lawmakers voted unanimously Wednesday to allow Putin to order airstrikes in Syria, where Russia has deployed fighter jets and other weapons in recent weeks.

Putin had to request parliamentary approval for any use of Russian troops abroad, according to the constitution. The last time he did so was before Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March 2014.

The vote comes after Putin’s meeting Monday with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, where the two discussed Russia’s recent military buildup in Syria. Speaking after his meeting with Obama, Putin kept the door open for airstrikes but ruled out ground action.

Putin and other officials have said Russia was providing weapons and training to Assad’s army to help it combat IS. Russian navy transport vessels have been shuttling back and forth for weeks to ferry troops, weapons and supplies to an air base near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia. IHS Jane’s, a leading defence research group, said last week that satellite images of the base showed 28 jets, including Su-30 multirole fighters, Su-25 ground attack jets, Su-24 bombers and possibly Ka-52 helicopter gunships.

The Islamic State group has captured large parts of both Syria and Iraq.

(This article was written by the Associated Press)

Canada in Iraq: September RCAF Airstrikes Against ISIS

It was a busier start to September for the RCAF CF-18's in Iraq than August was.  The six CF-18's were deployed on twenty airstrike sorties in Iraq. Despite an increase in coalition strikes in Syria; and France and Australia expanding into Syria - the RCAF did not conduct any airstrikes in Syria.

RCAF CF-18s in Kuwait. Photo: RCAF (Archive) 

1 Sept 2015
On 1 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position in the vicinity of Sinjar using precision guided munitions.

2 Sept 2015
On 2 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position in the vicinity of Sinjar using precision guided munitions.

3 Sept 2015
On 3 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position in the vicinity of Sinjar using precision guided munitions.

4 Sept 2015
On 4 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position in the vicinity of Ramadi using precision guided munitions.

9 Sept 2015
On 9 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck two ISIS fighting positions in Sinjar using precision guided munitions.

10 Sept 2015
On 10 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position northeast of Mosul using precision guided munitions.

23 Sept 2015
On 23 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in Mosul using precision guided munitions.

26 Sept 2015
On 26 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, four CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an Improvised Explosive Device factory in Hit using precision guided munitions.

On 26 September 2015, while taking part in coalition operations in support of Iraqi security forces, two CF-18 Hornets successfully struck an ISIS fighting position in the vicinity of Mosul using precision guided munitions.

Election 2015: We Continue to Debate the Peacekeeping Myth

In light of last nights Debate on Foreign policy - I decided to re-blog about a subject I have blogged about numerous times in the past - the Peacekeeping Myth that revolves around the Canadian Armed Forces. 

The Truth is, Canada was never a Peacekeeper to just keep the peace. We have stepped into Peacekeeping roles in order to protect our own interests and the interests of out Allies (NATO). Our Peacekeeping missions were a strategic warfare strategy that developed during the Cold War, and has died down since, 1991. This is why we are no longer a "Peacekeeping" nation. Canada's participation has always been in some way to bolster the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; albeit under a United Nations flag. 

The best place to start a review of Canada's so called Peacekeeping Past is with Dr. Sean M. Maloney's “Canada and UN Peacekeeping—Cold War by Other Means, 1945-1970” This book is not an operation history of each mission, but was put together in order to clearly outline that Canada was peacekeeping in order to win the Cold War, and not peacekeeping in order to keep the peace. 

The Canadian Military Journal has also debated this subject, while the current page has been archived, because this debate is (believe it or not) that old - and supposed to be OVER!  http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo7/no4/wagner-eng.asp
The Article, entitled "The Peaceable Kingdom?" used Maloney's work as a basis, as well as one of the greatest Canadian Historians, J.L. Granatstein's work “Canada and Peacekeeping: Image and Reality.”