7 décembre 2018 | Local, Aérospatial
by Ken Pole
As the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) gears up for the late 2019 arrival of the first of 16 new Airbus CC-295 fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft, a Senate committee said the government should consider the deployment of even more search and rescue (SAR) aircraft.
“This would be a multi-year, mega-government dollar capital procurement project,” the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans acknowledged in an exhaustive new report, When Every Minute Counts: Maritime Search and Rescue. “Repositioning current aeronautical SAR assets is not feasible . . . at this time because the fleet is fully utilized.”
The November 2018 report is based on more than two years of study and hearings, which wrapped up in October. While most witnesses were heard in Ottawa — including senior RCAF, Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Transport Canada officials, as well as representatives of several industries — the committee also travelled to bases across the country as well as visiting officials and SAR facilities in England, Ireland, Norway and Denmark.
RCAF fixed- and rotary-wing assets are a key element in covering nearly 18 million square kilometres of land and sea. In 2017, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres in Victoria, Trenton and Halifax responded to 10,003 SAR calls, 62 per cent of them maritime.
The committee predicts that the number of calls in the Arctic will increase as global warming results in a longer ice-free navigation period. Accordingly, the report recommends that the CCG establish additional primary search and rescue stations in the Canadian Arctic, where no SAR aircraft are currently based.
It also calls on the Department of National Defence (DND) to authorize a pilot project which would see private civilian helicopters provide coverage in the North as well as in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the committee says “a disproportionately high number” of SAR incidents occur.
In addition to the possible privatization of some missions (CHC Helicopter and Cougar Helicopters Inc. appeared before the committee), the committee also said the CCG should be an independent agency. “The Canadian Coast Guard . . . is hampered by its position within Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which leaves it at the mercy of the department for funding and prevents it from receiving long-term sustainable capital funding.”
SAR reaction times were also an issue for the committee. It was told that the CCG's official time is 30 minutes from when a helicopter or ship is tasked until it departs, but that it usually takes less than 15 minutes in the case of a surface vessel, because they are probably on the water already.
In comparison, the RCAF has a reaction time of 30 minutes during a typical eight-hour working day five days a week, and two hours at all other times. “Like the CCG vessels, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) crews are often airborne sooner than the targeted reaction time, around 20 minutes during working hours and one hour outside of working hours,” the committee notes.
“However, there was considerable discussion regarding what witnesses called the CAF's ‘two-tier reaction time.' It was stressed that the two-hour reaction time guaranteed outside of working hours had . . . resulted in missions becoming recovery-oriented instead of rescue-oriented. In their view, the CAF should have a reaction time of 30 minutes, 24/7/365, like the CCG.”
DND witnesses told the committee the concern had been addressed “to the extent possible” and it was the responsibility of SAR commanders in the three regions to align the 30-minute reaction time to coincide with the observed periods of greatest maritime SAR activity. “Overall, the committee was told that shifting the regular weekly schedules without increasing the total number of hours worked has improved readiness.”
It also was told it was impossible for the RCAF to maintain 30-minute readiness at all times because “pilots and SAR aircrew members have a limit on how long they can engage in flying operations.” Sustaining a 30-minute target would require crews to remain poised on flight lines. “The two-hour reaction time allows the pilots and aircrews to be ‘fresh' and able to deliver a SAR response for up to 14, 16, 18 hours, which allows them to then go longer, further distances. Moreover, the increased level of readiness would require more aircraft, add more maintenance and necessitate infrastructure upgrades.”
The committee says that despite improvements, Canada's SAR reaction time is “not at par” with other countries.
“Aeronautical SAR assets operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark respond within 15 minutes during the day and between 30 and 45 minutes at night.”
The committee says that given current shortfalls in the RCAF's pilot, flight engineer and SAR Technician cadres, it isn't possible to impose similar reaction times on RCAF crews. But it says it hopes the RCAF will reconsider its reaction time targets once personnel shortages are addressed.
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/senate-committee-outlines-recommendations-for-canadian-sar
20 avril 2021 | Local, Aérospatial
The Canadian government recognized the strategic importance of Canada's aerospace sector, which directly and indirectly supported nearly 235,000 jobs in 2019, and signalled its intention to ensure the industry can remain an important driver of Canada's economy.
7 décembre 2017 | Local, Terrestre, Sécurité
Le 6 décembre 2017 – 8e Escadre Trenton (Ontario) – Défense nationale/Forces armées canadiennes La nouvelle politique de défense du Canada, Protection, Sécurité, Engagement, réaffirme l'engagement du gouvernement à fournir aux femmes et hommes des Forces armées canadiennes l'appui et le matériel dont ils ont besoin pour effectuer leur travail. Aujourd'hui, à l'appui de cet engagement, le député Neil Ellis, au nom du ministre de la Défense Harjit Sajjan, a annoncé que la 8e Escadre Trenton est le premier emplacement à prendre possession des nouveaux véhicules d'incendie. Appelé véhicule aérien d'extinction des incendies, ce camion moderne fournit des capacités anti-incendie et est capable de procéder à des sauvetages et à l'évacuation de blessés à une hauteur de 35 mètres. Il est muni d'une plateforme de récupération des blessés, contrairement aux précédents véhicules. Ces véhicules ont été acquis dans le but de combattre les incendies sur des infrastructures modernes qui se trouvent dans les bases et les escadres, y compris des incendies dans les zones de confinement de carburant et de munitions. Ces nouveaux camions remplaceront certains des véhicules actuellement utilisés, qui sont en service depuis le milieu des années 1990, et qui ont excédé leur durée de vie utile. De plus, les véhicules s'ajouteront aux flottes de lutte contre l'incendie qui ne possèdent pas les capacités que présenteront les AFFV. Au mois de juin 2016, un contrat a été octroyé à la société Aréo-Feu, basée à Longueuil (Québec), pour fournir les véhicules. En tout, neuf nouveaux véhicules seront livrés aux bases et aux escadres partout au Canada. Le dernier AFFV devrait être livré au mois d'avril 2018, avec l'option d'en acheter trois autres. Citations « La modernisation du matériel auquel les Forces armées canadiennes se fient pour réaliser leur travail est une priorité clé pour le gouvernement du Canada. Je suis heureux de voir que les nouveaux véhicules aériens d'extinction d'incendie sont livrés aux bases et aux escadres partout au pays. » – le ministre de la Défense Harjit S. Sajjan « Ce sont d'excellentes nouvelles que la première livraison des véhicules aériens d'extinction d'incendie a lieu ici à la 8e Escadre Trenton. Surtout, ce sont d'excellentes nouvelles pour les pompiers et les travailleurs des services d'urgence qui se serviront de ce véhicule moderne au service de la communauté de la 8e Escadre Trenton. » - Neil Ellis, député de la baie de Quinte Faits en bref Ce contrat d'une valeur de 18,7 millions de dollars a été octroyé à la société Aréo-Feu, basée à Longueuil (Québec), à la suite d'un processus concurrentiel équitable, ouvert et transparent. Au total, neuf véhicules seront livrés sur les bases et dans les escadres partout au Canada, et le contrat comprend une option visant l'achat de trois véhicules de plus. La première livraison a débuté en novembre 2017 et la dernière est prévue pour avril 2018. Les bases et les escadres suivantes obtiendront chacun un nouveau véhicule aérien d'extinction d'incendie : 4e Escadre Cold Lake; 3e Escadre Bagotville; 8e Escadre Trenton; 19e Escadre Comox; 14e Escadre Greenwood; BFC Suffield; BFC Shilo; BFC Gagetown et BFC Esquimalt. Personnes-ressources Byrne Furlong Attaché de presse Cabinet du ministre de la Défense nationale 613-996-3100 Relations avec les médias Ministère de la Défense nationale Tél. : 613-996-2353 Sans-frais : 1-866-377-0811 https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2017/12/de_nouveaux_camionsdincendiepourlesforcesarmeescanadiennes.html
3 novembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Sécurité
Posted on November 3, 2020; Leonardo Press Release The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has been operating the AW101/CH-149 Cormorant since 2001 undertaking thousands of lifesaving search and rescue (SAR) missions in the most extreme and harsh environmental conditions, from coast-to-coast. The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) Project is included in Canada's Strong, Secure and Engaged (SSE) Defence Policy as a key defence procurement program, and is currently in the “Definition Phase.” The CMLU Project will: Extend the life of the Cormorant helicopter until 2040 and beyond; Return the Cormorant fleet to Canadian Forces Base Trenton as the primary SAR helicopter; Provide enhanced aircraft flight management, communication and navigation systems, complying with latest regulations; Address existing and projected obsolescence while incorporating maintainability and reliability enhancements; Introduce modern SAR mission sensors; Ensure there is no disruption to Cormorant Rotary-Wing SAR capability during the Project; Deliver Industrial Technological Benefits to Canadian companies. The CMLU solution will leverage the existing design and development work undertaken by Leonardo on the latest generation of the AW101 – the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) – which is currently being delivered to Norway. Dominic Howe, Head of International Campaigns – America and Canada at Leonardo Helicopters, said, “From the outset we have proposed a low risk upgrade solution utilizing an existing design which will provide the RCAF with much greater SAR capability and provide greater peace of mind to all Canadians across Canada.” The CMLU Project includes augmentation of the fleet with a minimum of two additional helicopters enabling the return of the Cormorant helicopter to the Trenton Main Operating Base which covers the Great Lakes region. The CMLU Project will include state-of-the-art avionics, a new glass cockpit, the addition of the latest SAR sensors including a surveillance radar, Electro Optical Infra-Red device, more powerful digitally-controlled engines, wireless in-cabin communications, LED lighting, rescue hoist upgrades, synthetic training solutions from CAE which include: a training centre, Full Mission Simulator and Rear Crew Trainer, among others. This isn't a development program – it's using Commercial Off-The-Shelf technology,” said Howe. “This is utilizing the design and development undertaken for the NAWSARH project which will provide Canada with a low risk, and value for money solution; it also provides long-term benefits with a drive towards a standardized common configuration across multiple AW101 operators.” Leonardo and its Team Cormorant partners: IMP Aerospace, CAE, GE Canada and Collins Aerospace will provide significant Industrial Technological Benefits with a strong Value Proposition and the provision of long-term Canadian employment – with Leonardo transferring knowledge and technology enabling the vast majority of the CMLU work to be performed in Canada by Canadians. Howe commented, “The significant capability the CMLU Project will deliver, through the introduction of the surveillance radar, EO/IR device, the Mobile Phone Detection and Localization System and other updated systems, will ensure less search and more rescue.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cormorant-mid-life-upgrade-project-less-search-more-rescue