Nouvelles

ROBBIN LAIRD, © 2018 FrontLine (Vol 15, No 6) It's clear that combat capabilities and operations are being recrafted across the globe and, as operational contexts change, the evolution of the role of fighters is at the center of that shift. This year's International Fighter Conference held in Berlin provided a chance to focus on the role of fighters in the strategic shift from land wars to higher intensity operations. The baseline assumption for the conference can be simply put: air superiority can no longer be assumed, and needs to be created in contested environments. Competitors like China and Russia are putting significant effort into shaping concepts of operations and modernizing force structures which will allow them to challenge the ability of liberal democracies to establish air superiority and to dominate future crises. There was a clear consensus on this point, but, of course, working the specifics of defeating such an adversary brings in broader concepts of force design and operations. While the air forces of liberal democracies all face the common threat of operating in contested airspace, the preferred solutions vary greatly from one nation to another, so the conference worked from that common assumption rather than focusing on specific solutions. The coming of the F-35 global enterprise is a clear force for change. In one presentation, a senior RAF officer outlined how the UK would both contribute to and benefit from the F-35 global enterprise. “The future is now,” he began, as he laid out how he saw interactions among F-35 partners in shaping common and distinctive approaches to air power modernization driven by the introduction of the F-35. Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/6/10980-Recrafting-the-Fighter-role

By Peter Rakobowchuk MONTREAL — President Donald Trump's push to create a U.S. space force is being welcomed by military experts in Canada, and the executive director of one defence think tank says Canada should consider following suit. "At some point we might like to think about a space force," Matthew Overton, executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, said in an interview. "Thinking about space as a separate entity in itself that deserves attention and expertise, I think is a good idea." But it is not something that needs to be done immediately, he added, suggesting Canada should first develop a centre of excellence on space knowledge. Last month, Trump took a first step toward a space force when he signed an order to create a U.S. Space Command, which pulls together space-related units from across military services into a co-ordinated, independent organization. The move comes amid growing concerns that China and Russia are working on ways to disrupt, disable or even destroy U.S. satellites. The U.S. air force has operated a space command since 1982, and its mission is "to provide resilient, defendable and affordable space capabilities for the air force." It also operates the mysterious X-37B space plane, known simply as its orbital test vehicle. The unmanned plane has already completed four clandestine missions, carrying classified payloads on long-duration flights. Overton, who served in the Canadian Forces for 39 years, noted that Canada's Air Force already has a space component. It is led by Brigadier General Kevin Whale, Director General Space. Its mission, a spokesman said by email, is "to maintain space domain awareness, and to develop, deliver and assure space-based capabilities." Overton said Trump's space force makes a lot of sense, but he expects there will be tension as the new entity gets down to work with other branches of the military. He gave the example of the GPS network, which is crucial for land, air and sea forces, but could become a space force responsibility. "What is the relationship with other forces? How do you work out that dynamic?"" Wayne Ellis, who served in the Canadian military for 20 years, agrees that a U.S. space force is a good idea. "I think there's enough activity and potential activity to concentrate resources in that domain, which probably merits a separation from the air force," Ellis, a past president of the Canadian Space Society, said in an interview. "Perhaps now is a good opportunity to look at a totally separate branch — at least for the U.S." He noted that Canadian military personnel have worked side by side with the U.S. military for decades. "A lot of these positions are actually space positions at various bases so, at some point, our posted personnel are going to be interacting with the U.S. space force as it gets set up," he added. James Bezan, the Conservative defence critic, said he wants to see more details about the space capabilities Americans envision. "For Canada, my sense is that we need to watch this and see how it evolves," he said. Before Canada considers creating its own space force, Bezan added, it should focus on making Norad — the bilateral North American Aerospace Defence Command — more effective. "I would think that any co-operation that we do with the States as it relates to North American defence, as it relates to aerospace, should be part of the Norad discussions," he said. Randall Garrison, the NDP defence critic, criticized Trump's plan to launch a sixth branch of the U.S. military. "New Democrats are fundamentally opposed to the militarization of space and believe that space should only be used by all of humanity for peaceful purposes," he wrote in an email. "New Democrats urge the government of Canada to uphold the principles of peaceful space exploration and to engage with our allies on a renewed call for the drafting of an international treaty aimed at the prevention of an arms race in space." Overton pointed out that space has long been exploited for military purposes, and there's no way it can be avoided. "Communications satellites, GPS and intelligence communications, you name it — all that is there," he said. The office of the Minister of National Defence noted in a statement that "space-based capabilities have become essential to Canada's operations at home and abroad. "That is why Canada's defence policy ... commits to investing in a range of space capabilities such as satellite communications, to help achieve global coverage, including the Arctic." The statement goes on to say that "Canada will continue to promote the peaceful use of space and provide leadership in shaping international norms for responsible behaviour in space." — With files from The Associated Press. Peter Rakobowchuk, The Canadian Press https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/01/05/military-expert-suggests-canada-may-want-to-consider-its-own-space-force-2

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN One of the first things that will be done to the used Australian F-18s that Canada is purchasing is that the aircraft will be outfitted with different ejection seats and software. The first two F-18s that Canada is buying from Australia will arrive sometime in the spring and will be sent to Cold Lake, Alta, said Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at the Department of National Defence. “They land, they (the Australians) will remove their software and we'll install our software,” Finn explained in an interview. Also to be installed are ejection seats and a lighting system that is used on the CF-18s. “Ultimately the intent is the 18 aircraft are indistinguishable from our 76 aircraft,” Finn said. Canada has finalized its deal to buy the 25 used fighter jets from Australia, Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts. The Department of National Defence still has to figure out how to get the aircraft over from Australia. “We would rather fly them over,” Finn said. “Or have them (the Australians) fly them over.” The Liberal government had originally planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new aircraft can be purchased in the coming years. But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the Trump administration brought in a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets. That project would have cost more than US$5 billion. Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the extra jets are needed to deal with a “capability gap” as Canada does not have enough fighters to handle its commitments to NATO as well as protecting North America. But Conservative MPs say the capability gap didn't exist and was concocted by the government to delay a larger project to buy new jets, a competition that might end up selecting the F-35 stealth fighter the Liberals vowed never to purchase. In November 2018 Auditor General Michael Ferguson issued a report noting that the purchase of the extra aircraft would not fix the fundamental weaknesses with the CF-18 fleet which is the aircraft's declining combat capability and a shortage of pilots and maintenance personnel. “The Australian F/A-18s will need modifications and upgrades to allow them to fly until 2032,” the report noted. “These modifications will bring the F/A-18s to the same level as the CF-18s but will not improve the CF-18's combat capability.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/installing-canadian-software-on-australian-f-18s-first-order-of-business-when-aircraft-arrive-says-defence-official

LONDON, Jan. 7, 2019 /CNW/ -- Frost & Sullivan forecasts an estimated launch demand for 11,746 small satellites for new constellation installations and replacement missions by 2030. Such demand would take the small-satellite launch services market past the $69 billion mark and present significant growth opportunities throughout the industry. In order to keep up with market demand, Frost & Sullivan anticipates innovative solutions will be deployed across the value chain including launch, manufacturing, and supply chain. In such an evolving market it will be critical for market participants to develop long-term sustainable partnerships to maintain and establish robust business operations. "The small-satellite launch service market is gaining pace with 89 small satellites launched in the third quarter of 2018. We also saw seven new players joining the small-satellite launch services race," said Kamalanathan Kaspar, Senior Industry Analyst, Space. For further information on this analysis, please visit http://frost.ly/32b Our experts have tracked and identified the following areas that are creating growth opportunities in the market: The total projected launch capacity supply, including the success of multiple dedicated, planned launch services, is 11,746 small satellites A total payload mass of 2,758 potential tonnes of small satellites is expected to be launched in the high scenario from 2018–2030 Small satellites in the mass segments—0 to 15 Kg and 150 to 500 Kg—will cumulatively account for 73.8% of the small-satellite launch demand, in the high scenario, from 2018–2030 In the high scenario, 97.7% of the total payload launch mass demand will be generated by commercial operators, with the major contributors being Space X, EarthNow, and Oneweb 37 small-satellite commercial operators will generate more than 90% of the launch demand for their constellation installation and replacement missions "Quarter three 2018 witnessed the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) implementing new international technology specifications for cube satellites detailing the minimum requirements for the spacecraft throughout its lifecycle," noted Kaspar. "New entrants will need to ensure technology advancements comply with evolving standards." Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Small-satellite Launch Services Market, Quarterly Update Q3 2018, Forecast to 2030 studies the demand for small-satellite launch based on operators' maturity, mass classes, and user segments. It forecasts the number of small satellites, payload mass, and launch revenue based on defined scenarios. Small-satellite Launch Services Market, Quarterly Update Q3 2018, Forecast to 2030 is part of Frost & Sullivan's global Aerospace, Defense & Security Growth Partnership Services program. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion Small-satellite Launch Services Market, Quarterly Update Q3 2018, Forecast to 2030 ME57-22 Jacqui Holmes Corporate Communications Consultant E: jacqui.holmes@frost.com Website: https://ww2.frost.com/research/industry/aerospace-defense-security/ LinkedIn: Aerospace, Defence and Security Twitter: @FrostADS SOURCE Frost & Sullivan https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/small-satellite-launch-service-revenues-to-pass-69-billion-by-2030-855101340.html

Nicolas Berrod Après deux années de rénovation, le « Charles-de-Gaulle », à nouveau opérationnel, s'apprête à reprendre la mer. Nous avons pu passer 48 heures à bord, au côté de l'équipage, actuellement en pleine phase d'entraînement. « Wave off ! » Le cri de l'officier résonne sur le pont d'envol pour signifier à tout le monde de... « dégager ». Bienvenue à bord du « Charles-de-Gaulle », le seul porte-avions de la marine française, qui vient de subir un lifting intégral d'une durée de deux ans, pour un coût total de 1,3Mds €. Avant de repartir en mission dans quelques mois, ce mastodonte de 42 000 t pour 261 m de long poursuit ses entraînements au large de Toulon, son port d'attache. « On était orphelins, le Charles-de-Gaulle nous a manqué », sourit Christophe, capitaine de frégate et chef des pilotes. Avec ses collègues, ils ont eu beau s'être entraînés sur piste classique et sur un porte-avions américain le temps de la rénovation, rien ne vaut à leurs yeux le prestige du bateau français, en service depuis 2001. Le « Charles-de-Gaulle » aura un successeur, a assuré Emmanuel Macron, lorsqu'il sera mis hors service vers 2040. Coût estimé : minimum 3 Mds€. Et durée de la construction : 15 ans... au moins ! Chiens jaunes Alors, en attendant, la France compte sur son unique porte-avions, véritable village flottant de 2000 habitants - un équipage de 17 à 55 ans, dont 140 officiers de pont, 300 techniciens, 33 cuisiniers, 2 boulangers, 17 % de femmes au total. Après 18 mois passés à la cale, il faut le remettre en service. D'où, en cette fin d'automne, un entraînement intensif en Méditerranée, à quelques dizaines de kilomètres des côtes françaises. Entre quatre et vingt Rafales (NDLR : avions de combat) sont catapultés trois fois par jour, décollant sur une piste d'à peine quelques dizaines de mètres. Au signal des « chiens jaunes », ces officiers de pont reconnaissables à leur gilet coloré, les avions atteignent en quelques secondes les 200 km/h. Ce lundi-là, une poignée de jeunes pilotes - entre 22 et 26 ans - effectuent leur baptême de vol sur le « Charles-de-Gaulle ». Pour pouvoir manœuvrer sur un porte-avions, il leur faut avoir un minimum de 100 heures de vol sur Rafale. « On porte une attention toute particulière à ces jeunes », glisse, l'œil rivé à la piste, Jean-Philippe, chef des « chiens jaunes ». À l'issue de leur vol - ce jour-là dans un ciel dégagé -, ces pilotes doivent accrocher l'un des trois brins d'arrêt situés sur la piste pour apponter. Ces épais c'bles qui stoppent le Rafale d'un coup sont indispensables sur une piste aussi courte. « C'est comme si on pilait sur autoroute », glisse un officier, qui scrute à l'horizon les premiers avions sur le retour. Paradoxalement, au moment de toucher le pont à 250 km/h, les pilotes doivent remettre les gaz à fond. Car, s'ils ratent les brins, il faut pouvoir redécoller à temps ! « On appelle ça un bolter, c'est un peu un bizutage pour les nouveaux », sourit l'expérimenté capitaine Christophe, 2000 heures de vol sur Rafale derrière lui. Article complet: http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/le-porte-avions-charles-de-gaulle-reprend-la-mer-comme-neuf-06-01-2019-7981617.php

By: Kyle Rempfer The Air Force, like the other services, suffered a string of fatal aviation mishaps in 2018. A Military Times in-depth review of 5,500 aviation accidents that have occurred since 2013 found that accidents among the nation's manned fighters, bombers, tankers, tilt-rotor and helicopter aircraft has increased 39 percent. In the Air Force, the most serious Class A mishaps have declined, but the number of non-fatal Class C mishaps is increasing, causing some experts to warn that future problems could be on the horizon if the issue is not dealt with. To address concerns among the aviation community, Congress created an eight-person independent commission to review the mishap spike in the 2019 defense bill. For its part, the Air Force conducted a wave of one-day safety stand-downs of flying and maintenance wings over the summer. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein ordered the stand-down in May, after several high-profile mishaps, including the May 2 crash of a WC-130 Hercules and the March 15 loss of an HH-60G Pave Hawk in western Iraq, both of which killed all on board. In a September news release, the Air Force said their review of the data identified six potential risks to aviation safety: stress caused by high operations tempos; a lack of time to properly focus on flying basics, mission activities and training; pressure to accept risk; a culture that pushes airmen to always execute the mission; decreased availability of aircraft; and the potential for airmen to become complacent when carrying out routine tasks. “The review proved tremendously helpful as we continue to seek both high levels of safety with intense and realistic training," Goldfein said in the release. The full report summary, provided at Air Force Times' request, also raised concerns about the increasing requirements on maintainers, and low experience among some maintenance personnel. The service has distributed those findings to the field, according to the release. The findings will help flying and maintenance leaders guide their decisions. “We're taking necessary steps to ensure our airmen operate as safely as possible in an inherently dangerous business,” Goldfein said. “I want to train hard and I want commanders to push themselves and their airmen to achieve high levels of readiness. Sometimes the right answer is knock it off ... sometimes it is push it up. Confidence in the air, safety on the ground and in the air, it's a commander's business.” The summary also cites the aging fleet of Air Force aircraft as a problem contributing to increased maintenance requirements and decreased aircraft availability. The Air Force has already started putting plans into place to address airmen's concerns, including adding more support back to squadrons, reducing additional duties, “enhancing information processes for aircrew mission planning” and cutting staff requirements, according to the release. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/01/05/new-in-2019-heres-what-the-air-force-is-doing-about-aviation-mishaps

BY PATRICK TUCKER An advisory board is drafting guidelines that may help shape worldwide norms for military artificial intelligence — and woo Silicon Valley to defense work. U.S. defense officials have asked the Defense Innovation Board for a set of ethical principles in the use of artificial intelligence in warfare. The principles are intended to guide a military whose interest in AI is accelerating — witness the new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center — and to reassure potential partners in Silicon Valley about how their AI products will be used. Today, the primary document laying out what the military can and can't do with AI is a 2012 doctrine that says a human being must have veto power over any action an autonomous system might take in combat. It's brief, just four pages, and doesn't touch on any of the uses of AI for decision support, predictive analytics, etc. where players like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and others are making fast strides in commercial environments. “AI scientists have expressed concern about how DoD intends to use artificial intelligence. While the DoD has a policy on the role of autonomy in weapons, it currently lacks a broader policy on how it will use artificial intelligence across the broad range of military missions,” said Paul Scharre, the author of Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War. Josh Marcuse, executive director of the Defense Innovation Board, said crafting these principles will help the department “safely and responsibly” employ new technologies. “I think it's important when dealing with a field that's emergent to think through all the ramifications,” he said. The Board, a group of Silicon Valley corporate and thought leaders chaired by former Google and Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt, will make the list public at its June meeting. Defense Department leaders will take them under consideration. Marcuse believes that the Pentagon can be a leader not just in employing AI but in establishing guidelines for safe use — just as the military pioneered safety standards for aviation. “The Department of Defense should lead in this area as we have with other technologies in the past. I want to make sure the department is not just leading in developing AI for military purposes but also in developing ethics to use AI in military purposes,” he says. The effort, in part, is a response to what happened with the military's Project Maven, the Pentagon's flagship AI project with Google as its partner. The effort applied artificial intelligence to the vast store of video and and image footage that the Defense Department gathers to guide airstrikes. Defense officials emphasized repeatedly that the AI was intended only to cut down the workload of human analysts. But they also acknowledged that the ultimate goal was to help the military do what it does better, which sometimes means finding and killing humans. An employee revolt ensued at Google. Employees resigned en masse and the company said that they wouldn't renew the contract. Scharre, who leads the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said, “One of the challenges for things like Project Maven, which uses AItechnology to process drone video feeds, is that some scientists expressed concern about where the technology may be heading. A public set of AI principles will help clarify DoD's intentions regarding artificial intelligence.” Full artcile: https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/01/pentagon-seeks-list-ethical-principles-using-ai-war/153940/

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying for the Canadian Forces, while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts Canada has finalized a deal to buy 25 used fighter jets from Australia, the first of which are expected to be operating by this summer, says the top procurement official at the Department of National Defence. “The first two aircraft will be here this spring,” Pat Finn, assistant deputy minister for materiel at DND, told Postmedia in an interview. “I would say it could be by the summer the first couple are on the flight line and painted with the maple leaf.” A second group of planes would arrive later this year. Eighteen of the Australian F-18 aircraft will eventually be flying for the Canadian Forces, while another seven will be used for testing and spare parts. Canada is paying Australia $90 million for the aircraft. The federal government originally estimated the purchase of the Australian jets would cost around $500 million, but Finn said that price reflected every aspect of the associated deal, not just the cost of purchasing the jets. Canada is also acquiring extra spare parts, the Australian jets will have to be outfitted with specific Canadian equipment and software and testing will be needed. The $500-million project estimate also included $50 million in contingency funds to cover any problems and another $35 million for the salaries of all civilian and military personnel involved over the life of the project. An additional $30 million will be spent on new infrastructure needed to accommodate the aircraft. Those costs add up to $360 million, Finn said. But DND also plans to upgrade its existing fleet of CF-18s with new communications gear and equipment required to meet regulations to operate in civilian airspace, improvements which the Australian jets will also eventually receive at a cost of around $110 million, an amount that brought the original estimate to nearly $500 million. The Liberal government had planned to buy 18 new Super Hornet fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing to augment the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18s until new aircraft can be purchased in the coming years. But in 2017 Boeing complained to the U.S. Commerce Department that Canadian subsidies for Quebec-based Bombardier allowed it to sell its C-series civilian passenger aircraft in the U.S. at cut-rate prices. As a result, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump enacted a tariff of almost 300 per cent against the Bombardier aircraft sold in the U.S. In retaliation, Canada cancelled the deal to buy the 18 Super Hornets, which would have cost more than US$5 billion. Instead of buying the new Super Hornets, the Liberals decided to acquire the used Australian jets. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has said the extra jets are needed to deal with a “capability gap,” as Canada does not have enough fighters to handle its commitments to NATO as well as protecting North America. But Conservative MPs say the capability gap doesn't exist and was concocted by the government to delay a larger project to buy new jets, a competition that might end up selecting the F-35 stealth fighter that during the 2015 election campaign the Liberals vowed never to purchase. In the fall of 2016, then-Royal Canadian Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Mike Hood told senators that the Liberal government brought in a policy change which required the RCAF to be able to meet both its NATO and North American air defence commitments at the same time. That, in turn, created the capability gap, he said. Hood said he was not told about the reasons for the policy change. In November 2018 Auditor General Michael Ferguson issued a report noting that the purchase of the extra aircraft would not fix the fundamental weaknesses with the CF-18 fleet which is the aircraft's declining combat capability and a shortage of pilots and maintenance personnel. “The Australian F/A-18s will need modifications and upgrades to allow them to fly until 2032,” the report said. “These modifications will bring the F/A-18s to the same level as the CF-18s but will not improve the CF-18's combat capability.” “In our opinion, purchasing interim aircraft does not bring National Defence closer to consistently meeting the new operational requirement introduced in 2016,” Ferguson's report added. The Canadian Forces says it is bringing in new initiatives to boost the numbers of pilots and maintenance staff. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/deal-to-buy-used-australian-fighter-jets-finalized-with-canadian-forces-set-to-be-flying-them-by-summer

Kelly-Anne Riess ADJUSTCOMMENTPRINT Moving the Canadian military's Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment out of Cold Lake to Ottawa is the only way 4 Wing can grow to accommodate new fighters, says AETE commanding officer Col. Eric Grandmont, referring to feasibility studies conducted by the Air Force. He said the loss of AETE will be offset by a gain for 4 Wing. “We are planning ahead for the long-term future of Canada's fighters,” he said. “The RCAF is committed to Cold Lake and Bagotville as our fighter bases, and there will be significant investment in these areas to prepare for the arrival of the future fighters.” The new aircraft will require an expansion of 4 Wing. Facilities will need to be updated and the current AETE building, which is the newest and second largest hanger on the base, will need to be repurposed. Canada is currently in the process of purchasing 25 used fighter aircraft from Australia and buying another 88 new jets to replace the existing fleet of CF-18s. The costs for relocating AETE are included in the $470 million the Liberal government has set aside for buying the used Australian F-18 fighter jets. Grandmont said he is hoping the transition plan for AETE will be approved by this spring. The move, which would not take place before the summer of 2021, could affect one-third of AETE, which employs 166 military personnel and 22 public servants. The remainder would be reassigned elsewhere in the air force, either in Cold Lake or other military bases. “We are trying to minimize the impact on the city,” said Grandmont, adding the current plan is to stagger his staff's moves to Ottawa. He said some of the positions in question are currently vacant and, if filled, those employees would start their jobs immediately in the nation's capital instead of coming to Cold Lake in the interim. Also, some public servants currently working for AETE in Cold Lake are close to retirement and would likely choose to end their careers and stay in Alberta's north instead of moving to Ottawa. Grandmont says once the unit relocates it will augment its staff with civilian test pilots. “We are hoping to recruit retired members back to the unit once it's in Ottawa,” said Grandmont, adding that moving AETE would put the unit in a central position to service all Canadian Forces aircraft, many of which are in Eastern Canada. “Our people spend a lot of time on the road. They can be away for five or six months a year,” said Grandmont. Recently, some AETE personnel spent seven months in Petawawa, Ont. doing the work necessary to have two Chinooks available to send to Mali, where Canada has been providing emergency medical evacuation for the United Nations peacekeeping mission going on in that country. There are 19 fleets in the Canadian Air Force and only two of them are in Cold Lake—the CF-18 and the Griffon helicopters, said Grandmont. Other aircraft, like the CC-130J Hercules, CC-17 Globemaster and CC-150 Polaris are all based in Trenton, Ont. The CC-144 Challengers are in Ottawa. The CP-140 Aurora and the CH-149 Cormorants are in Greenwood, NS. The CH-148 Cyclones are in Shearwater, NS, The CH-147F Chinooks are in Petawawa, Ont. There are CC-138 Twin Otters are in Yellowknife. AETE, like all units in the Air Force, is facing a shortage of pilots. Recruiting multiengine pilots from Eastern Canada is a challenge for AETE, and a CC-130H Hercules pilot based in Winnipeg does not necessarily want to uproot his or her family to Cold Lake where his or her spouse would have limited options for employment, as well as restricted access to health care. “Although once people get to Cold Lake, they usually enjoy their time here,” said Grandmont. “It is a beautiful area.” AETE has also been losing personnel to private industry, which can offer better working conditions for experienced testers. Postmedia first revealed the proposal to move AETE in 2016. The plan first started under the Conservative government, but the Liberals continued with the relocation initiative. -With files from David Pugliese (Disclosure: The editor of the Cold Lake Sun is married to a member of AETE.) https://www.pinchercreekecho.com/news/local-news/aete-must-move-to-make-room-for-new-fighters-says-commanding-officer