Chinooks and Globemasters
According to David Akin of CTV, the CF is about to get four C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, and sixteen CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
Delivery of the Globemasters looks prompt, but I'm disappointed that the C-47's apparently won't come through until 2010. We have guys on the ground in Afghanistan who could really use the support much quicker than that.
No word on tactical-lift Hercules replacements, although some have noted the C-17 is touted by Boeing as having tactical-lift capabilities. I hope that's not the route the CF is going to take: let the heavy-lifters do what they do best, and buy the C-130J's for the tac-lift job.
The only other option I can figure is if the CF buys the C-17's and gets quick delivery, they can take some flying-time pressure off the C-130 fleet, and maybe delay the tac-lift procurement long enough to let Airbus field a working copy of an A-400M. That way you get some competition for the 130J's, which have apparently had problems of their own.
I don't know about that, though - until somebody else proves they can compete, the Hercules airframe is the best tac-lift in the world.
Thoughts?
Delivery of the Globemasters looks prompt, but I'm disappointed that the C-47's apparently won't come through until 2010. We have guys on the ground in Afghanistan who could really use the support much quicker than that.
No word on tactical-lift Hercules replacements, although some have noted the C-17 is touted by Boeing as having tactical-lift capabilities. I hope that's not the route the CF is going to take: let the heavy-lifters do what they do best, and buy the C-130J's for the tac-lift job.
The only other option I can figure is if the CF buys the C-17's and gets quick delivery, they can take some flying-time pressure off the C-130 fleet, and maybe delay the tac-lift procurement long enough to let Airbus field a working copy of an A-400M. That way you get some competition for the 130J's, which have apparently had problems of their own.
I don't know about that, though - until somebody else proves they can compete, the Hercules airframe is the best tac-lift in the world.
Thoughts?
posted by Babbling Brooks at 10:46 a.m.
4 Comments:
Well said, RLP.
Here's my problem: one of the big pluses for the supposed frontrunner for the FWSAR replacement, the C-27J, is the similarities and economies of scale with a C-130 fleet. If we buy the C-27J and don't buy C-130's to replace C-130's, we miss out on a lot of the benefits under which the Spartans are sold. The purchases really need to be coordinated.
But how do we do that with the operational pressure on the current Herc fleet?
Is that practical, ETL? Could Transport Canada pick up those duties quickly enough to make a difference, and would they be willing to give it up once we got our FWSAR purchase straightened out? And if not, is the CF willing to give up that capability for good?
ETL: TC has no SAR mandate or experience. The other government agency with a significant SAR role is the Canadian Coast Guard which does the surface marine part.
In theory CCG could also do aerial SAR (like the USCG) but this would be something new. Learning how to do it would take a lot of time and cause huge disruption (CCG is already desperately underfunded and stretched just doing its current jobs).
Moreover the CF would be loathe to give up SAR as it is very warm and fuzzy and gets lots of good PR.
Much more sensible would be contracting aerial SAR to the private sector as I believe Australia is doing.
Mark
Ottawa
Well, that's the end of that discussion: when a loadmaster likes a plane, shut up and buy the damned thing. ;)
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