CAF Ditches Plan for New Paint Scheme on SAR Aircraft

By: David Pugliese, The National Post 

Canada’s military has reversed its plan to abandon the familiar yellow paint scheme for the country’s new search-and-rescue planes after debate within the ranks over the aircraft’s need to be visible on such missions.

The new fleet of 16 Airbus C-295W planes will replace the main Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue fleet of Buffalo aircraft as well as the Hercules transport planes which are also used at times in a search-and-rescue role. Postmedia reported last year that RCAF leadership had requested the new planes be painted tactical grey, asking for a change to the original contract which had stipulated the familiar yellow colour scheme, because they wanted the aircraft to be available for other missions, including combat.

But the move to the grey paint scheme has now been reversed. “While there was, last year, a stated interest in painting the C-295W grey, a decision was made following further consultation to maintain the iconic yellow colour scheme of the RCAF’s current SAR fleet, such as the Buffalo, Twin Otter, Cormorant and Griffon,” the Department of National Defence said in a statement Wednesday. “This colour, which provides a higher level of visibility and recognition in the ground and the air, is also widely known by Canadians — especially those who might find themselves in a situation requiring our aid.”

Asked last year about the plan to ditch the yellow paint scheme, the Forces said in a statement to Postmedia that “the RCAF has made the decision to use a grey colour scheme for the C-295W fleet to enable surging flexibility for the very wide range of missions the RCAF is required to conduct, from humanitarian and disaster relief missions, to security missions with partners, and all the way to full spectrum operations.”

Military sources said RCAF leadership wanted to redirect some of the planes for use on international missions instead of search-and-rescue. But that unilateral decision sparked heated debate inside the military and DND and, sources said, the air force was forced to abandon its plans.


When the federal government awarded the contract to Airbus in December 2016, cabinet ministers highlighted the importance of having the right aircraft for the search-and-rescue job. “With this technology, we are giving our women and men in uniform the tools they need to continue to deliver effective and essential search and rescue operations,” defence minister Harjit Sajjan said at the time.

Construction of the first aircraft began in 2017 and the first new planes are expected to be delivered in 2019. They are outfitted with sensors that allow RCAF personnel to share real-time information with searchers on the ground. Equipment also includes sensors for searching in low-light conditions. A centre, equipped with simulators, is being built at Comox, B.C. to support training for the air crews.

The RCAF’s Buffalo and Hercules aircraft assigned to search and rescue perform more than 350 missions annually, according to the Canadian Forces. The Canadian military is responsible for providing aeronautical search and rescue operations.

The RCAF’s search-and-rescue Buffalo aircraft, above, will be replaced, but the yellow colour scheme will remain with the new Airbus planes. DND

But the project to purchase the new planes has faced a rough road over the years. The competition was announced in 2004 by the then-Liberal government and re-announced by the Conservative government in 2006. But it took another decade before it could be completed and Airbus declared the winning company.

Even then, Leonardo, an Italian aerospace firm, launched a lawsuit against Canada over what it claimed was a rigged purchase that favoured Airbus.

That lawsuit was dropped earlier this year, shortly before the federal government awarded Leonardo a new sole-source deal potentially worth billions of dollars to upgrade Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters.

Officials with the Canadian Forces and Leonardo say the ending of the legal action in May had nothing to do with the company being picked for the new project the same month.

Does Visibility Matter? SAR Fleet New Paint Scheme Questioned

CHRIS MACLEAN
© 2017 FrontLine Defence (Vol 14, No 5)

It probably seemed minor by some standards, but a recent RCAF announcement may impact the credibility of the fledgling Defence Policy, damage what little integrity there is in the system of defence procurement, and jeopardize SAR mission effectiveness. The SAR community is asking questions, who will answer?

Canada’s new Defence Policy, entitled “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, was released with great fanfare in June 2017. This, of course, was of great consequence since the Canadian Armed Forces had not received an updated defence policy since the Canada First Defence Strategy was unveiled by the Harper government in 2008.

The new policy describes itself as a “rigorous, evidence-based analysis of Canada’s defence needs and the resources required to effectively deliver upon them over a 20-year horizon.”

That 20-year timeframe is backed up by numerous references in the document. And so, it was surprising when, less than five months after its release, the RCAF selectively announced (to a few media sources) additional roles or the new Fixed Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) aircraft.

12 Feb – Members from 103 Squadron Gander, NL prepare to perform a hoisting sequence from inside the CH-149 Cormorant helicopter during a joint search and rescue exercise held in Iceland. (Photo: Master Corporal Johanie Maheu)

According to an RCAF email to FrontLine on 9 Nov 2017, the new FWSAR planes will be painted grey and readied for added duties, including combat missions.

“The RCAF has made the decision to use a grey color scheme for the C-295W fleet to enable surging flexibility for the very wide range of missions the RCAF is required to conduct, from humanitarian and disaster relief missions, to security missions with partners, and all the way to full spectrum operations,” confirmed Capt Trevor Reid, Air Force Public Affairs.

This announcement heralds a significant change in the mission and role of the new Fixed Wing Search and Rescue aircraft.

Despite the traditional employment of the SAR aircraft in Canada, the RCAF has suddenly added security missions and “full spectrum” operations to the role of a SAR asset. It remains to be seen what “surging flexibility” means, but “security missions with partners” and “full spectrum operations” are clearly defined in military doctrine manuals as combat-related.

Those are not SAR missions, and that last item in particular deserves to be dissected. “Full Spectrum Operations” means the aircraft and crew must be able to operate effectively in a full combat environment.

This is a startling change for an aircraft that was procured to be manned and operated in a domestic SAR role. Beyond the reduction of SAR service to Canadians, this change will require significantly different capabilities if the new aircraft is to be capable, and survivable, for these new types of missions.

According to sources, SAR aircraft have never been tasked with “security missions with partners” before. This speaks to an expeditionary role where the aircraft will be pulled from their domestic SAR role to contribute to a military mission, possibly in Peace enforcement (the new evolution of peacekeeping).

Does this announcement mean that SAR missions may take a back seat to military missions? Is the Air Force also short on military ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) aircraft? If so, why not add more to the contract and paint them grey instead of diverting SAR-specific aircraft. After all, the Defence Policy does highlight the strategic importance of a robust and “critical” ISR capability – and clearly states its commitment to funding the necessary requirements.

However, the Policy also states that: “The Government has no higher obligation than the safety and security of the Canadian people,” which should mean that SAR platforms cannot be plundered to provide the assets needed for the also-important ISR role.

Canada’s SAR Mission
On the sidelines, after patiently waiting for the FWSAR aircraft replacement to be awarded, the SAR community now fears that those highly capable new planes will be quietly retasked for military purposes.

To recap the background, the FWSAR project, which had pinballed around the procurement system for well over a decade, was finally awarded last year, and 16 aircraft are set to begin deliveries in 2019. The aircraft selected by the Government of Canada for the FWSAR role is the Airbus C-295W (it has been redesignated as the CC295 for Canada). Its flexibility as a platform has led to it being acquired by different nations for various roles, including Search and Rescue, Tactical Transport, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Gunship, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Electronic Warfare.

All of the roles listed above require very specific equipment and skill sets if the crews are to be safe and effective in the tasked mission – in some cases, the equipment required for each is mutually exclusive.

According to Air Force Public Affairs, these new C-295s will be “even more reliable and available more often than our current fleet” of 6 Buffalo and 12 legacy CC130 Hercules aircraft.

SAR Tech MCpl Matt Zukowski pushes a pump case off the ramp of a CC130 Hercules aircraft from 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia. (Photo: Private Melissa Spence AMSO)

So what is at issue with grey paint, and why is it important?

Just as the SAR aircraft must be visible to be effective, the Tactical aircraft must be difficult to see – survival depends on it (however, it needs a lot more than grey paint). Tactical aircraft require defensive suites including warning systems, chaff and flares, and ceramic armament to protect crew and vital aircraft components. These expensive items can have a long lead time depending on the complexity of the system and the aircraft that is to use them. They can also add significant weight to the aircraft, limiting range and endurance, both of which are important to a SAR aircraft. As well, electronic systems can cause interference on critical sensors and other equipment that impacts mission success.

Based on the information shared to date, the C295 is conceivably going to be modified to do a secondary combat role, and put its ability to do its primary role – Search and Rescue for Canadians – at risk.

The concept of combining these roles was not mentioned in the Defence Policy. The first hint that anything was different from the last 14-or-so years of FWSAR replacement discussions, was the decision to forgo the very visible SAR colouring. This colour scheme has very solid reasoning behind it, and the SAR community is convinced it is an operational advantage for SAR mission success.

So why change? A number of questions are raised by this dramatic policy shift. Is there an increased threat level for Canada that would justify preparing for full scale conflict on the North American continent, or to justify cutting SAR service to support “security missions”? Does it mean that the Cormorant and Griffon helicopters in SAR and the Jet Ranger training helicopters are also going to be painted grey, to allow “surging flexibility” for those fleets? If not, then what is the real rationale behind this significant change for FWSAR aircraft – and has the government sanctioned it?

Of the list of new missions, as provided by the Air Force, only security missions and full spectrum operations justify a low-visibility paint job. However, in response to a FrontLine follow-up request to clarify those specific mission types, Capt Reid stated the RCAF “will not speculate on future missions.” So the question remains, who’s behind the paint-police?

Have we ordered too many SAR aircraft to fulfill Canadian rescue needs? Is the rugged and varied terrain across our 10 provinces and 3 territories not vast enough or varied enough to require 16 planes to cover the SAR requirements, as originally established? Or is the RCAF attempting to shift other mission needs onto the FWSAR contract? This is where defence procurement takes another hit in terms of transparency.

Will this new mission statement impact the SAR contract award? As one source commented, “other companies would have pitched a very different product if they had known that DND was looking for a multirole platform for ISR and combat missions.”

The Statement of Operating Intent for the Fixed Wing SAR Aircraft project specified how the Canadian Armed Forces intended to use its new FWSAR replacement aircraft. It outlined who will operate the aircraft, where and in what environment the aircraft will be flown. It also specified the intended flying rate and provided the bidders with generic flight profiles for representative missions.

The roles envisioned for the new FWSAR Aircraft included: SAR in Canada; Disaster Relief in Canada; Surveillance and Control of Canadian Territory and Approaches; Aid to Civil Power; National Sovereignty Interests / Enforcement; and Defence of North America.

Visibility is a Big Deal
While the announcement of the change in aircraft livery to grey paint has raised considerable discussion in the RCAF, and specifically in the SAR community, it has been largely ignored elsewhere.

One insider is convinced “the Air Force did not talk to anyone noteworthy in SAR” before making the decision to paint the new planes grey. “Our SAR crews fly throughout Canada’s diverse terrains and climatic conditions, they almost always fly in dangerous regimes of flight.” These crews put themselves at great risk, and if a rescue plane does go down, they want it to be highly visible.

He also points out that “high vis colours lets those on the ground know someone is looking for them.” Describing the concept as “SAR 101”, he says it “gives survivors hope and psychological survival advantage.”

I spoke to a former SAR Commander on November 6th – he couldn’t believe that a change to grey paint would be in the works. “SAR aircraft should have the best visibility,” he stated emphatically.

27 Feb – SAR Techs from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron discuss their plan of action on the ground as a Cormorant helicopter comes in to land on top of a mountain near Hope, British Columbia during an annual SAR Exercise. (Photo: Bdr Albert Law, 39 Canadian Brigade Group)

The Current SAR Fleet

How has the RCAF been handling its Fixed Wing SAR requirements while waiting for the replacement aircraft? The RCAF uses Buffalos and Hercules for Primary SAR, but they also use all domestic fleets for Secondary SAR. Of these aircraft, any that are not deployed from Canada in a tactical or combat role are painted in high visibility paint. The reason is that within Canada, there are benefits to having an aircraft with high visibility. The first is safety – it is easier for other aircraft to see and avoid an aircraft that has high visibility paint. For that reason, the Twin Otter aircraft in Northern operations, the training aircraft at Portage and Moose Jaw, and the Combat Support Griffon helicopters are painted in high visibility colors. The second reason is survival – if an aircraft has an incident and makes a forced landing, it is much easier to find if it has bright colors. The Combat Support Griffons were painted yellow after an extended search for a missing Griffon in Labrador, where the aircraft was very hard to find as its camouflage paint blended into the terrain.

The third and most important reason is mission effectiveness in SAR. It does not appear to be well understood that SAR aircraft are painted yellow and red for operational reasons, and that high visibility is an integral part of the primary role.

SAR aircraft often operate in marginal weather while searching for survivors of air, marine, and ground emergencies. The aircraft operate low-level, at a relatively low airspeed, searching visually as well as electronically for those in peril. Twin engine aircraft like the Buffalo and CC295 are fairly quiet by nature, especially in the low power settings required for visual search and, in the past, survivors have stated that due to high winds and environmental conditions, they were unable to hear the search aircraft until it was too late to start a signal fire or launch a flare. A grey plane can visually fade into swirling snows and driving rain.

SAR aircraft are painted in high visibility colors to allow them to be seen by survivors and other aircraft and, as a survival aid, to be found themselves if they have a mishap.

A review of historical SAR aircraft such as the Canso, Albatross, Twin Otter, and Caribou, as well as Labrador and Piasecki helicopters, show that all were painted in bright colors. Back in the day, red, white and blue were considered optimum, but with experience and increased technology, it was determined that yellow and red were more visible colours – and so the helicopters, Twin Otters, and Buffalos later adopted that color scheme.

At first, the Buffalo fleet (originally bought by the Canadian Army) was painted in camouflage colors, but when they became a SAR asset in 1970, were painted white and red (patterned after their predecessor, the Albatross) and some were painted in UN white paint for the Sinai mission. However, after a number of observations were raised by Canadian survivors about the low contrast of white aircraft in winter, the decision was made to paint the aircraft in the same highly observable yellow and red colors as the SAR helicopters.

The Hercules, by contrast, is very noisy, so the high vis-paint was deemed less important. For those who would scoff at the notion of a yellow Herc, it is important to note that the fleet of Griffon helicopters also has two paint schemes – camouflage for the Tactical Helicopter Squadrons and yellow and red for the Combat Support and SAR Squadrons.

The current fleet of SAR Buffalo aircraft (painted yellow and red) are limited to the roles of SAR, Humanitarian, and Domestic operations.

On the other hand, the fleet of legacy Hercules (painted grey) are multi-role aircraft that have different squadrons performing different roles – including SAR, tactical transport, and air-to-air refuelling.

10 Feb – SAR Tech, Sgt Kevin O'Donnell from 103 Squadron Gander, NL is hoisted down from a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter for a mountain rescue scenario during a joint search and rescue exercise held in Iceland. (Photo: Master Corporal Johanie Maheu, 14 Wing Imaging Greenwood)

A key point here, is that the RCAF does not allow Hercules aircrew in any of those three roles to maintain a concurrent capability in the other roles – as it was found that the demands of maintaining multiple currencies were contributing factors to accidents that resulted in the loss of aircraft and the lives of crews.

Translating the Hercules experience to the new CC295, would logically suggest that this added combat mission would also require additional, dedicated crews. Considering that the number of CC295 aircraft acquired by the RCAF was specifically tailored to the SAR requirements, it follows that greater numbers would be required to take on these additional missions.

Historically, Canadian SAR aircraft have responded to international humanitarian events, such as the 2010 Haitian earthquake. For that mission, the RCAF deployed the yellow and red Griffon helicopters, despite the fact that camouflage Griffons were available.

The only “expeditionary” deployments of Buffalo aircraft have been in traditional UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Sinai, but those operations were Peace Support, not Security Operations. Even so, the loss of Buffalo 461 on 9 August 1974, to three Syrian Surface to Air Missiles ended the practice of sending aircraft only protected with a special paint job into combat zones – at least until today.

The simplistic statement that the aircraft will be painted grey instead of yellow and red disregards the reality that any such increased role would require, at minimum, more aircraft, more crews, and upgrades to make them survivable in a combat role.

Without clarification or detail on the additional equipment to be procured, it leaves tremendous room for speculation.

Referring back to the statement in the Strong, Secure, Engaged Defence Policy, it was made clear that all costs for capability had been mapped out for the next 20 years, but there is no mention of costly modifications for survivability in combat operations, additional aircraft, or additional personnel. The contradiction is obvious.

Learning from History?
History provides another context under which to examine the paint question. Let’s look back to the turn of the century, when a previous Liberal government was acquiring the Cormorant helicopter for Rotary Wing SAR.

At that time, like today, the Air Force announced that the new SAR aircraft would be grey in colour. The explanation back then was more direct (and probably more to the point than today’s convoluted reasoning of a “surging flexibility” of grey paint.

9 May – A CH-146 Griffon helicopter from 417 Search and Rescue Squadron based in Cold Lake, Alberta conducts operations over northern Alberta while providing assistance to the province during wildfires near Fort McMurray. (Photo: MCpl Brandon O'Connell)

The military had just gone through a decade of low funding and low morale, brought on in part by the Somalia affair and its aftermath. The only bright spot in the late 1990s was the military response to a number of national disasters, including the Saguenay flood, the Winnipeg flood, and the Quebec ice storm. In each case, the media shone the spotlight on the yellow and red SAR aircraft (at times referring to them incorrectly as Coast Guard). Based on a perception that they were not getting “their share” of good press, the Air Force insisted that the new SAR helicopter had to “look military” (hence the grey).

However, the government eventually decided that, rather than pander to a misguided desire for glory, it was more important to consider the situations of Canadians in distress – desperate for rescue in bad weather – and make sure there was an aircraft they could see and signal to. Will the current government follow their lead? Stay tuned.

===
Chris MacLean is the Editor-in-Chief at FrontLine magazines.

C295 performs refuelling support with Helicopter

Airbus Press Release 

In December 2016, Airbus Defence and Space successfully demonstrated refuelling contacts between a C295 transport aircraft and a H225M Caracal helicopter. In the trial, performed jointly with Airbus Helicopters from Marignane, France in December, contacts were executed at speeds of 105-115kt and both crews reported smooth and simple operation.

This followed a recent successful demonstration of air-to-air refuelling between two C295W medium transports, proving capability for support to both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.

The refuelling system is now being offered to existing and prospective C295 operators. Possible applications include special operations and extending the range of search and rescue aircraft.


Video of the trials can be downloaded at:
http://bcr.airbusdefenceandspace.com/bcr/BroadcastPlayer.php?id=1_hp1ksd0l

The Government of Canada has announced it is purchasing 16 C295W aircraft equipped with advanced technology systems to support Canada’s search and rescue operations. The aircraft will be based where search and rescue squadrons are currently located, in Comox, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Trenton, Ontario; and Greenwood, Nova Scotia.

These aircraft will replace Canada’s current fleet of CC-115 Buffalo and CC-130H Hercules, which have served Canada well over the last 20 to 40 years. They perform over 350 missions annually and are responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Canadians every year.

RCAF Squadrons fly to Yellowknife for SAR Exercise

RCAF Press Release

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadrons from across Canada are participating in their annual National Search and Rescue Exercise, SAREX 2016, from September 18 to 24, 2016, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Involving nearly 200 participants, the training brings together the Canadian Armed Forces with civilian search and rescue communities, including the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), and other first responders to standardize and evaluate skills. This event follows on the heels of previous successful SAREX events in Gimli, Manitoba (2013), Goose Bay, Newfoundland (2014) and Comox, British Columbia (2015). “For the first time, the National SAREX will experience and overcome the challenges of Search and Rescue in the Northwest Territories, which will provide an exciting Search and Rescue environment. Together, we hope to exercise and showcase all of the important and unique skills of our professional and volunteer organizations,” said Colonel Patrick Thauberger, Commander, 14 Wing Greenwood.

Exercise aims include aerial and ground searches, medical responses, parachute accuracy, as well as land and marine rescues.

Search and rescue response in Canada involves several provincial and government departments, including Public Safety Canada, the Department of National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Transport Canada. A number of volunteer organizations such as CASARA and non-governmental organizations such as STARS (the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) regularly assist in search and rescue operations.

14 Sep – Sergeant Chad Hildebrant surveys the land before Search and Rescue Technicians, Warrant Officer Norm Penny and Master Corporal Ashley Barker parachute out of a Twin Otter aircraft during the National Search and Rescue Exercise 2015 (SAREX15) held at Comox, British Columbia. (Photo: Sgt Halina Folfas, 19 Wing Imaging)

The primary SAR responsibility of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is the provision of aeronautical SAR and the coordination of the aeronautical and maritime SAR system.

CAF resources may also assist in ground search and rescue (GSAR) efforts, medical evacuations, and other humanitarian incidents if requested by the responsible provincial/territorial or municipal authority. The Canadian Rangers, Reserve Force members of the CAF, regularly aid in GSAR upon request in sparsely settled regions of the country.

Approximately one third of the RCAF’s 150 Search and Rescue Technicians are participating in the exercise. Others are on duty and maintaining a 24-hour standby at their respective squadrons around the country.

RCAF squadrons and organizations participating include:
103 Search and Rescue Squadron, 9 Wing Gander, Newfoundland;
413 Transport and Rescue Squadron,14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia;
417 Combat Support Squadron, 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta;
424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario;
435 Transport and Rescue Squadron,17 Wing Winnipeg, Manitoba;
439 Combat Support Squadron, 3 Wing Bagotville, Quebec;
440 Transport Squadron, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories;
442 Transport and Rescue Squadron,19 Wing Comox, British Columbia;
The Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue, Comox; and
Representatives from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers from Victoria,Trenton and Halifax.

A variety of RCAF aircraft will be utilized during the exercise, including:
The CH-149 Cormorant helicopter;
The CC-115 Buffalo;
The CH-146 Griffon helicopter;
The CC-130 Hercules; and
The CC-138 Twin Otter.

Other organizations participating formally in the exercise include the following:
Public Safety Canada;
Fisheries and Oceans Canada;
Transport Canada;
Environment and Climate Change Canada;
The Canadian Rangers;
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police;
Nav Canada;
The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA);
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS); and
The Yellowknife Airport.

Spartan FWSAR Consortium Proposes $3B SAR Training Center in Comox

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

A consortium trying to win a $3 billion contract to provide Canada with new search and rescue aircraft says it will build a new training facility in British Columbia if it is selected as the winning bidder.

The proposed three-storey, 73,000 square foot building would be located in Comox, British Columbia, Steve Lucas, a retired lieutenant general and former head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, told a news conference on Wednesday. Lucas is with Team Spartan, a consortium of companies which bid the C-27J aircraft for the Canadian contract.

Team Spartan consists of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada, DRS Technologies Canada and other firms. The company faces competition from Airbus and its team, which are offering Canada its C-295 plane as well as Embraer of Brazil, which has proposed its KC-390.

A new aircraft fleet will replace the Canadian military’s existing fleet of Buffalo and Hercules aircraft used for search and rescue. The Buffalos, first purchased in 1967, are key to search and rescue on the west coast and in parts of the Rockies.

The training center and training support system will be designed, built and managed by a team of Canadian-based companies led by DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. The new facility will be designed to house a cadre of instruction classrooms, the air maintenance training hangar, and state-of-the-art full-flight and sensor-operator simulators for the C-27J Spartan aircraft, Lucas said.

19 Wing Comox is home to the Buffalo search and rescue aircraft as well as CH-149 Cormorant helicopters, also used for SAR missions.

Lucas said Comox is an ideal training location because of its proximity to mountain areas, the ocean and other bodies of water.

The Canadian government expects to select the winning bidder by the end of the year.

During the election campaign, the Liberals promised that their government would “prioritize the acquisition of cost-effective search and rescue aircraft.”

The project originally envisioned buying 17 aircraft. But that has been changed and it will be up to aerospace firms to submit in their bids the numbers of aircraft they believe are needed for Canada to handle the needed search and rescue capability.

Liberals Are Consider Privatizing SAR in Canada

By: LEE BERTHIAUME, Ottawa Citizen 

An RCAF CH-149 Cormorant helicopter on exercising with a Canadian Coast Guard vessel.

The Liberal government is considering whether the military should continue to be involved in search-and-rescue missions, or rely instead on private companies and other alternatives to save Canadians in distress.

The idea has been raised as part of the government’s defence review, and is sure to stoke strong reactions both inside the military and across the country.

The previous Conservative government aired a similar proposal five years ago, before letting it quietly die.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said last week that everything was on the table as he launched consultations with the public, parliamentarians and defence experts on how the military should be structured for the future. Consultations will continue until the end of July, with a new defence policy to be released in early 2017.

As part of those consultations, the government released a 36-page document asking for feedback on what the military should — and should not — be doing. One section focuses specifically on the military’s role in search and rescue, and asks if there are “models for alternative service delivery that could be explored.”

The Canadian Armed Forces responds to more than 9,000 distress calls each year, the document says. But only about 1,000 actually require military search-and-rescue helicopters or airplanes. The rest involve co-ordinating other government departments, volunteers and private companies hired to help. The Conservatives raised the possibility of privatizing search-and-rescue operations in a meeting with representatives from various aerospace firms in 2011. The idea didn’t get far, however, after a public outcry.

HMCS Saskatoon near Esquimalt, British Columbia and An RCAF CH-149 Cormorant helicopter that is practicing personnel transfers.

Among those who spoke out against the proposal was Liberal MP Judy Foote, who wrote in a blog post at the time that she was “appalled by the government’s notice to companies that the government would be exploring the privatization of searchand-rescue operations.”

Foote, who hails from Newfoundland and Labrador, is now the minister of public services and procurement, which oversees military equipment purchases. Her department is currently managing a $3.1-billion project to replace the air force’s ancient search-and-rescue planes.

Paul Ives, mayor of Comox, B.C., which is home to the air force’s search-and-rescue school as well as one of its search-and-rescue squadrons, said he was surprised to learn that privatizing the service was being considered.

A Canadian Coast Guard communications centre is slated to close in the Vancouver Island community next month, and Ives said there would be an economic impact if search and rescue were privatized as well. But he was more skeptical that private companies could provide the same level of service as the military.

“Those guys who are rappelling down to rescue you are professionals to the nth degree and they’re a very proud part of the military,” he said.

An RCAF CC-146 Griffon helicopter waits to take off as CAF personnel from 424 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron conducted a search and rescue (SAR) during exercise TIGEREX

“I wouldn’t want to be out in the wilderness somewhere expecting somebody to come in on a rescue mission who’s working on a contract basis and worrying about, ‘Can we really do this? Will it cost us more than it’s worth?’ ”

York University professor Martin Shadwick, who has written extensively on military search and rescue, said the actual monetary savings of privatization or moving the service somewhere else such as the Coast Guard would likely be very small.

At the same time there would be a number of intangible costs, he said, such as damage to military morale and the Force’s links with average Canadians given that search and rescue is one of the military’s most highprofile activities.

“So there’s a whole lot of things that often don’t fit nicely on a balance sheet,” he said. “Getting rid of it completely, I don’t think it’s in the broader national interest.”

RCAF & the CH-146 Griffon: Upgrade and Replace

BY KEN POLE
 2015 FrontLine Defence © (Vol 12, No 6)

Back in 1992, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) bought the Bell CH-146 Griffon helicopter, a version of the Bell 412EP, as a replacement for three earlier Bell platforms – CH-136 Kiowa light observation, CH-118 Iroquois search and rescue (SAR) and CH-135 Twin Huey tactical and utility – as well as, for some operations, early models of the Boeing CH-147 Chinook tandem-rotor heavy lifter.



However, even before the sole-source procurement contract to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada(BHTC) was ­confirmed, there was criticism that it was politically motivated. Moreover, the one-size-fits-all approach meant that the Griffon, fundamentally designed as a light utility helicopter, was compromised from the get-go. Among other things, it was disparaged as “a civilian […] aircraft with a coat of green paint.”

But the government forged ahead, ordering 100. They were delivered between 1995 and 1997 in two configurations: the Combat Support Squadron (CSS) version for SAR work, and the Utility Tactical Transport Helicopter (UTTH). While it can be fitted with 13 seats for a crew of three with 10 passengers, weight ­constraints generally resulted in a combat load of eight troopers or even fewer, depending on the fuel and armaments.

The concern arises when you compare the anticipated delivery timelines specified in the Defence Acquisition Guide. Could the expense be better managed?

The CAF still has 85 Griffons in service and their crews have acquitted themselves well in the couple of decades they have been in service at home (SAR, surveillance and reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, drug interdiction and security) and abroad. They have been central to international humanitarian relief operations in many countries because they easily transportable, rotor blades removed, by the RCAF’s Lockheed Martin CC-130J Hercules or Boeing CC-177 Globemaster IIIs.

The highest-profile overseas deployment, other than on relief missions, was Canada’s participation in the 2001-2014 NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The first six arrived aboard a Globemaster at Kandahar Air Field just before Christmas 2008.

SAREX 14 participants work as a team to carry a mock casualty from a CH-146 Griffon helicopter at Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. (Photo: Cpl Manuela Berger, 4 Wing Imaging)

Griffon crews from tactical helicopter squadron were tested in a broad spectrum of roles duringOperation Athena, including flying in pairs as gunship escorts to Chinook troop transports, providing top cover for ground convoys, and inspecting roadways for improvised explosive devices.

They mostly were flown at altitudes below the surrounding mountains – they simply could not be flown “hot and high” if they were to carry useful loads. Even though the Griffon has a service ceiling of about 6,000 metres, that’s achievable only under ideal conditions. At higher altitudes, the pitch angle of the rotor blades has to be increased, resulting in increased drag which more than offsets any increase in lifting capacity. Its hover ceiling is only 3,109m, again under ideal conditions.

General Rick Hillier, the Chief of the Defence Staff from February 2005 to July 2008, was among those who criticized their deployment to Afghanistan because of the power-deficiency issue. However, Peter MacKay, who held the defence portfolio from 2007 to 2013, defended the Griffon as “a superior helicopter . . . that serves our interests both in Afghanistan and for purposes here in Canada.”

While arguably suited to domestic operations, its shortcomings in Afghanistan were cited at a United Kingdom coroner’s inquest into the death of a British army officer, along with two Canadian troopers, Corporals Pat Audet and Martin Joannette, in a Griffon crash in July 2009. It happened at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mescall, 1,550 metres above sea level in southern Zabul province. A dense dustball whipped up by the rotor blades on takeoff meant that the command pilot had to rely on instruments. The helicopter drifted sideways, struck the FOB perimeter wall and caught fire after falling about two metres to the ground. Both pilots and a fifth Canadian survived.

A senior officer from the UK Defence Helicopter Flying School at Royal Air Force Base Shawbury testified at the inquest that operating a loaded Griffon at that altitude and in high ambient temperatures meant that it was inappropriate for the mission. The coroner eventually concluded that the command pilot had “suffered a loss of situational awareness during the takeoff due to the rapid and numerous changes in his focus during the 10 seconds prior to impact as he attempted to stabilize the aircraft and climb away.”

In a heavily-redacted report, a CAF Board of Inquiry concluded that the condition of the landing zone and the pilot’s technique were “direct” factors in the crash and that incorrect application of aircraft performance charts and exceeded engine temperature were “indirect” factors. Even though the report also faulted pre-deployment training, the Board concluded that the mission had been “appropriately tasked and authorized”.

During and after the Afghanistan deployment, various Canadian military websites have been flooded with often negative observations about the Griffons’ suitability for the ISAF mission and, by extension, any theatre of operations where with hot and/or high conditions are unavoidable.

In January 2011, a $640-million repair and overhaul contract went to BHTC of Mirabel, Quebec, where they were built, with some work going to Bell’s Calgary facility as well as other companies in the supply chain.

Aug 2014 – Griffon pilot talks with members of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, as members of the Royal Canadian Navy disembark on Baffin Island, Nunavut, during Operation NANOOK. (Photo: MCpl Johanie Maheu, 14 AMS Wing Imaging)

Officially known as the CH-146 Optimized Weapon System Support (OWSS) contract, it combined three previous contracts for Bell to provide engineering support, repair and overhaul, and supply support. The 10-year contract was intended to keep the helicopters flying through to potential retirement in 2021 and possibly push that out to 2025. It included some management services, engineering and technical publications, aircraft maintenance services and spare and consumable parts.

Some 16 months after the Bell award, L-3 WESCAM of Burlington, Ontario, secured a 3-year contract for up to $10 million, with two optional 1-year extensions, for routine maintenance, repair and overhaul of the fleet’s electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging sensors which enable the Griffon to operate as an escort or support Army operations day or night surveillance, a key factor during Operation Athena in Afghanistan.

At the time, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper described the contract as not only “great news” for BHTC but also would help to “strengthen the aerospace industry” in Quebec and Alberta.

But back to the question of directing scarce resources towards propping up old platforms for a two-year gap rather than speeding up procurement of newer alternatives that are better suited to extreme flying conditions. The current plan will see more funding for 20-year-old helicopters that can’t keep up with the RCAF’s 16 new F-model Chinooks (which cruise at 130 knots to the Griffons’ 118, and an even wider top-speed differential of 170 knots to 139!). Why slow down a transport, when it’s essential to get troops on the ground quickly, so that the escorts can keep up?

A simple answer is that Canada’s Air Force has a long history of being forced to fly assets longer than originally intended but one has to wonder if the new Liberal government will be looking at more efficient ways of getting the job done.

The Griffons are undeniably due to be retired; they will be obsolete and unable to operate out of the country by 2021. By then, NATO interoperability issues and compliance with aviation authorities’ requirements for higher fidelity navigation in the avionics will surely be a problem.

At a cost of $500 million to $1.5 billion, DND is planning that the Griffon Limited Life Extension In-Service Support (GLLE), will, among other things “replace obsolete cockpit instrumentation and radios with components that are supportable to 2030 and possibly beyond.” The final delivery, according to the 2015 Defence Acquisition Guide, is expected to be 2024 (three years after obsolescence and facing ever-increasing operations and maintenance costs due to the age of the platform).

Special Operations personnel prepare to fast-rope onto a CFB Petawawa practice tower. 427 squadron provides ­tactical airlift of troops and equipment, casualty evacuation and logistical support, and supports SAR operations in central Canada as required. (Photo: Ken Pole)

On the other hand, the Tactical Reconnaissance Utility Helicopter (TRUH) program, which is intended to replace the aging Griffons with more capacity and capabilities, at a cost of more than $1.5 billion, has the Definition Approval date set for 2021, and specifies the first delivery in 2026.

Fleet commonality is important to reduce costs, however, there will be a 5-10 year transition period where both aircraft are in service. But there are ways to benefit. One option would be to start the TRUH program earlier, even immediately, while undertaking GLLE for part of the Griffon fleet. In this way, DND can maintain operational capability with the Griffon while moving to a more capable platform. The money saved with a partial GLLE could be applied towards the new platform.

That new helicopters would cost more than $1 billion, is undeniable. But, as a former federal finance minister put it, “short-term pain for long-term gain” is an economically sound model.

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Ken Pole is a contributing editor at FrontLine.
© FrontLine Defence 2015

Eelction 2015: NDP Promise to Maintain Spending; Increase Peacekeeping

As the NDP continues to slide in the polls - they are releasing their partial Defence policy plan.

If elected on October 19th (which seems less and less likely, daily) the NDP promise to maintain stable defence spending (but provided no details on what that number is) and plan on returning Canada to the Peacekeeping table. The NDP eye to make Canada the top troop contributor among Western nations in a few years - all according to Murray Brewster of the Canadian Press.

I won't even go into the Peacekeeping aspect of the promise - as my regular readers know - Canada's Peacekeeping image is a Myth that has stood for too long. I am not against it, or the UN, but only in the right circumstances.

Also included in the NDPs Defence policy is a very pricey ($$$$) around the clock response time for Canada's Search and Rescue Squadrons. The problem with such a proposal - the RCAF has long said that such a plan is too costly and labour intensive - let alone the fact that the RCAF does not operate enough aircraft for such an endeavor in our vast landscape - especially in the North. The NDP claim that this would move Canada into the international standards with regards to SAR.

While Mulcair said earlier in September that the party would not kill the F-35; the party admits that the F-35 does not fit into the Defence strategy it sees for Canada; and such a review would discover the same thing.

The biggest issue is the "maintain" stable defence spending. The Parliamentary Budget Office says that the $20 Billion budget for the Department of National Defence needs to be increased to maintain current troop and equipment levels. The NDP have only said they would maintain a budget for our existing commitments - not new ones or possibly future ones.

To increase transparency throughout DND, the NDP have said they would also create an Inspector Generals Office.

Fixed-Wing SAR Bids Extended

The search for a new fixed-wing SAR aircraft for the RCAF has been delayed again... this time at the request of the 'industry' who asked for more time to prepare their bids.

The RCAF has been looking to replace its fixed-wing Buffalo aircraft, which were purchased in 1967, since 2004. The bidding process has been started and postponed several since since then. Bids we originally due September 28, 2015, with a contract to be awarded at some point in 2016, and deliveries taking place by 2023.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, the RCAF have extended the bidding process to January 11, 2016 at the request of the industry. The RCAF did not say which companies have asked for the extension. Earlier this year Lockheed-Martin was concerned their C-130J Super Hercules was too large to fit the requirements of the RCAF FWSAR program, and considered not bidding - so perhaps the extension is being granted for Lockheed-Martin if they choose to bid anyway. Boeing-Bell have announced that they will not bid with the V-22 Osprey, even though they believe it is the best suited for SAR.

Several companies have been interested in the contract, and have been ready for several years, just waiting for an opportunity to bid.  To see which companies are expected to bid, please see my original post when the bidding process was re-opened earlier this year. RCAF Hopeful for New SAR

First 6 of 28 CH-148 Cyclones Delivered...sort of

Defence Minister Kenney announced the RCAF's acceptance of the first 6 CH-148 Cyclones in Halifax.
(Photo: Canadian Press)

The RCAF has officially accepted delivery of 6 of the ordered 28 CH-148 Cyclone helicopters, however they are not 100% operational. That will come with further upgrades as more aircraft are delivered. 

The next batch of helicopters will be delivered in 2018, but they too will not be 100% operational, that will not come until the final deliveries are expected in 2021. A full 10 years after the project was supposed to be complete. 

Reports released yesterday are now saying the RCAF is already worried about the amount of engine power the Cyclone is capable of producing. Stating that it produces less than the Operational Requirements called for in a replacement for the Seaking helicopters. Sikoski says the aircraft will be able to do more as upgrades become available. 

So, despite the fact that the RCAF now has 6 new helicopters in its inventory - many are left wondering, was the delivery of helicopters political? How could it not be - why accept helicopters that are not 100% operational to the requirements established in the contract? Oh right...there is an election in October. 

Fingers crossed the RCAF doesn't begin retiring the Seakings before the Cyclones are 100% operational, or SAR may take a hit in Canada. 

Lockheed Martin C-130J to too large for RCAF FWSAR?

Bids for the replacement of the RCAF's 40 year old Buffalo fixed wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft are due in September 2015, and Lockheed Martin has not yet decided whether or not to offer a bid on the project.

Alenia (offering their C-27J Spartan) and Airbus (offering their C295) are both keen to have their bids for the project. Both have been advertising their perspective aircraft for years to industry experts.

It is not because of the two competitors that Lockheed Martin might not bid, but the size of their C-130J Hercules aircraft.  Lockheed Martin is currently going over the 4,000 page request from the Canadian Government and the RCAF for operational requirements.

Many inside Lockheed Martin feel the size of the C-130J will disqualify it from the competition, and when millions of dollars go into investing in a competition, one wants their aircraft to have a legitimate change at winning the bid. Both the C-27J Spartan and C295 are considerably smaller aircraft, which would give them a higher level of manoeuvrability in the mountainous regions of Canada where the FWSAR would be expected to operate.

So, at the moment, Lockheed Martin, has not yet decided to enter a bid into the FWSAR project.

RCAF Looks to Former US. Presidential Helicopters for SAR

Rescue'es could soon be rescued by Helicopters that once carried the President of the United States, as the RCAF looks at ways of bolstering the number of Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters it has available on a regular basis.

Former U.S President George W. Bush began a replacement program for the Marine One helicopters, which fly either the VH-3D Sea King or the VH-60N Whitehawk. The VH-71 Kestrel was selected as the appropriate replacement.

The Lockheed Martin VH-71, in testing in Owego, New York. File Photo. 

By February 2009, the program cost had risen to over $13 billion for 28 helicopters, and President Barack Obama looked at cancelling the program. The US Navy came to the same conclusion, and in June 2009, cancelled the program, after investing more than $4.4 billion and accepting delivery of 9 VH-71's.

Shortly after the US Navy cancelled the program, it sold the 9 helicopters and more than 800,000 spare parts to the RCAF for $164 million. The RCAF initially intended to strip the 9 VH-71's for spare parts for its AugustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant SAR helicopters. The VH-71 was a variant of AugustaWestland's AW101, as is the CH-149 - so they use similar parts.

RCAF CH-149 Cormorant over Nova Scotia. Photo: DND

Officials at DND and the RCAF are now saying that the $4 billion dollar aircraft purchase was a steal for the RCAF and 7 of the 9 are airworthy and it does not make sense to strip them down for spare parts. With several of the CH-149's heading into a retrofit for their (mid-life) renewals, the RCAF wants to bolster the number of SAR helicopters it has available, and the 7 VH-71's can help. The remaining 2 VH-71's are/were test airframes and therefore are no longer airworthy and cannot be converted.

If the RCAF moves forward with this plan, the VH-71's will need some retrofitting. Including having side sliding doors installed, and an upgrade to the cockpit, so it is closer to the CH-149. An AugustaWestland spokesman said, the company has always supported converting the VH-71's into SAR helicopters, and would be happy to help the RCAF in its retrofit.

Canada currently has 14 SAR Cormorant helicopters, and the 7 VH-71's would increase that total to 21, which would help for increased coverage in the Arctic.

The RCAF is still studying the option, and breaking down the cost effectiveness of the plan.