Air Force news
Some information from a good authority:
Afghan commitment: By the end of the year there will likely by some 700 Air Force personnel (vice 350 now) committed to the mission, at Camp Mirage and in Afghanistan. Air Force engineers are currently overseeing some of the road building being done by Afghans as Army engineers are stretched.
Chinooks: CH-47Ds will be put into service direct from the US Army in Afstan; they'll be flying early next year. Our personnel are now training on them in the US and will continue training with the US Army in Afstan. The Ds are only an interim acquisition, not an addition the Fs we will get later. The Ds will be sold, or traded back to the US.
C-130Js: We have managed with US cooperation to arrange for early delivery, with the first aircraft scheduled to arrive in early 2010 (an improvement from very late 2010) and more in the fall. Completion of deliveries should take around two years.
Fixed-wing SAR aircraft: Specifications for bidding are being solidified. H Hercules will take over aerial SAR in most of Canada from Es as the latter are retired; there will be no gap in the capability.
Northern Utility Aircraft: The Twotters at Yellowknife will be in service until 2015; replacement for them is not linked to the fixed-wing SAR aircraft acquisition.
Snowbirds: It's planned to keep the Tutors flying until 2015.
UAV piloting: This will be done by Air Combat Systems Officers, the new designation for navigators, not pilots. ACSOs will also manage UAV missions.
Afghan commitment: By the end of the year there will likely by some 700 Air Force personnel (vice 350 now) committed to the mission, at Camp Mirage and in Afghanistan. Air Force engineers are currently overseeing some of the road building being done by Afghans as Army engineers are stretched.
Chinooks: CH-47Ds will be put into service direct from the US Army in Afstan; they'll be flying early next year. Our personnel are now training on them in the US and will continue training with the US Army in Afstan. The Ds are only an interim acquisition, not an addition the Fs we will get later. The Ds will be sold, or traded back to the US.
C-130Js: We have managed with US cooperation to arrange for early delivery, with the first aircraft scheduled to arrive in early 2010 (an improvement from very late 2010) and more in the fall. Completion of deliveries should take around two years.
Fixed-wing SAR aircraft: Specifications for bidding are being solidified. H Hercules will take over aerial SAR in most of Canada from Es as the latter are retired; there will be no gap in the capability.
Northern Utility Aircraft: The Twotters at Yellowknife will be in service until 2015; replacement for them is not linked to the fixed-wing SAR aircraft acquisition.
Snowbirds: It's planned to keep the Tutors flying until 2015.
UAV piloting: This will be done by Air Combat Systems Officers, the new designation for navigators, not pilots. ACSOs will also manage UAV missions.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 3:10 p.m.
6 Comments:
Happened to check out the UK defence blog "Defence of the Realm" (http://defenceoftherealm.
blogspot.com/) and it has this comment from the UK Secretary of State Des Browne, .... "the Canadians — I spoke to their Defence Minister recently — have bought six additional Chinooks and eight Griffin helicopters. In the interim, while fitting out those Chinooks for deployment, they are leasing eight Mi-17s."
Six additional Chinooks? And what's with the eight Griffons? Plus, leasing the Mi-17s? I knew we were getting access to Polish Hips, but leasing them?
Happened to check out the UK defence blog "Defence of the Realm" (http://defenceoftherealm.
blogspot.com/) and it has this comment from the UK Secretary of State Des Browne, .... "the Canadians — I spoke to their Defence Minister recently — have bought six additional Chinooks and eight Griffin helicopters. In the interim, while fitting out those Chinooks for deployment, they are leasing eight Mi-17s."
Six additional Chinooks? And what's with the eight Griffons? Plus, leasing the Mi-17s? I knew we were getting access to Polish Hips, but leasing them?
Too bad about the C-47D's being sold back to the States when we are done with them. Almost every command would be able to use them if they could stay in service as an addition to the C-47F's.
niccolom: I've seen nothing about leasing eight Mi-17s; no decision has been made on sending Griffons yet but it looks likely.
Mark
Ottawa
Mark,
First, sorry about the double post. Agree with you. When I first read the report I went WTF? I haven't seen anything about the leasing of Mi-17 Hips or the purchase of additional Chinooks. Will have to keep an eye for additional info.
Mark,
Further to my last; I was checking out the CASR website and they mention the purchase of six CH-47D for the CF. This is an interim purchase until the CH-47F's arrive. That probably explains Brown's comment about six additional Chinooks being purchased.
CASR link here:
http://www.sfu.ca/casr/
doc-fms-ch47d-chinook.htm.
Still looking for the Mi-17 Hip info.
Post a Comment
<< Home