Canadian Search & Rescue still in trouble

[buglerbilly]

Griffons in search and rescue deemed a 'risk'


A Canadian Forces CH-146 Griffon helicopter lands to help stranded drivers on Highway 402 near Sarnia, Ont., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. (Beth Campbell / MyNews.CTV.ca)

The Canadian Press

Date: Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011 4:32 PM ET

OTTAWA — A Defence Department study says it's risky for the air force to continue using Griffon helicopters for search and rescue in Central Canada.

The review by the chief of air force development cites limitations of the CH-146, pressed into service in 2005 at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont., because the military's principal search helicopter is often not available.

The air force intends to keep using the Griffon at the base until at least 2014, say briefing notes for Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

But the 2009 air force study, obtained under the Access to Information Act, said the helicopter's "capabilities are challenged" when employed as a front-line rescue aircraft and its use constitutes a "risk."

The CH-146, a military version of the Bell 412 civilian chopper, is too small and lacks the range to reach wilderness sites in Northern Ontario and Quebec without refuelling.

Having to stop for gas "increases the response time to an incident site, and the amount of time the helicopter can remain on the scene to perform rescue tasks," said the 20-page censored report.

It noted one incident where search-and-rescue technicians were lowered to a crash site "and the helicopter departed the scene to refuel before extracting the casualties."

The chopper has no GPS, no all-weather radar, limited communications, no flotation equipment and no de-icing system, which is imperative in winter rescues. Two Griffons were called out in December to rescue 60 motorists stranded by a snow storm along Highway 402 near Sarnia.

The small size of the Griffon cabin means there's room for a maximum of two stretchers.

"But patient care is nearly impossible in those circumstances," said the study. "Up to four seated evacuees could be transported, but this assumes no SAR techs (search-and-rescue technicians) would accompany them."

Air force planners are particularly nervous about using Griffons over the Great Lakes because it has no emergency flotation devices.

"In a ditching scenario, the aircraft would sink quickly and most likely roll over in the process leaving very little time for the crew to safely egress."

SAR techs are supposed to don immersion suits when conducting a water rescue, but the outfits are not designed for continuous wear --and the report noted there's little room in the cabin for the two highly trained members to change. The chopper would have to land prior to heading out over the water to give them time to change.

The Defence Department was told to consider modifications to the Griffon.

Jack Harris, the NDP's defence critic, said search-and-rescue is part of the function of government.

"The Canadian people deserve a first-rate, world-class search-and-rescue service," he said. "The government should find the resources to do it. Canada lags behind the rest of the world."

Bloc Quebecois defence critic Claude Bachand said it's been clear for a long time the CH-146 wasn't suitable for the role in Trenton, but the findings of the study are "very alarming" and the Conservative should recognize that SAR is an essential service.

"If there are search and rescue missions going today with the Griffon, I don't think that's the proper helicopter to do that," he said. "It's a temporary solution and we definitely need to see another way of rescuing people."

The House of Commons defence committee has been studying the long delays associated with buying a fixed-wing search plane, which was first promised in the 2004. Bachand said MPs have found gaping holes in the system, most notably with response times.

He said the limitations of the Griffon only make it worse.

At the centre of the problem is the lack of availability of the Cormorants, which began service almost a decade ago with much fanfare.

The study questioned whether Ottawa should have bought more than 15 of the helicopters, which have been hobbled by a lack of spare parts. It noted the high cost of buying either new -- or used -- Cormorants to buttress the existing fleet, which is restricted to operations on the East and West Coasts.

Harris said the Harper government should buy more Cormorants to cover the gap.

[buglerbilly]

Canadians to cannibalise VH-71s for Cormorant spares

June 27, 2011



The Canadian Forces (CF) has reportedly bought nine of the VH-71s purchased for the US Presidential 'Marine One' helicopter programme.

The airframes, which have been in storage since the cancellation of the programme in June 2009 will be stripped down by the Canadians and used as a spares source for its fleet of CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters.

According to the Canadian press, Ottawa paid just $164 million for the nine aircraft and other additional spares, a fraction of the $3 billion the US Government ploughed into the project before the plug was pulled. The VH-71s are reportedly not in a flyable condition and cannot be used to provide additional SAR capacity.

The Cormorant fleet has suffered from spares shortages since the type was introduced into Canadian Forces services in 2001 and 2002, and Ottawa hopes that the purchase will address what it describes as 'long-standing fleet availability issues related to the availability of spare parts.'

The first components from the nine VH-71s arrived in March, with the rest of the components expected to between now and September.

By Tony Osborne, London

[buglerbilly]

Canada Retries Fixed-Wing SAR Aircraft

Sep 28, 2011

By Graham Warwick



Canada has restarted its politically charged procurement of search-and-rescue aircraft to replace its aging fleet of de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Buffalo and Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transports.

The Fixed Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) project has been overhauled significantly since becoming mired in controversy over claims the Department of National Defense (DND) was limiting competition and the potential for Canadian industrial participation.

After essentially sole-source procurements of Boeing C-17 transports, CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters and C-130J airlifters — and a decision to proceed with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter without competition — politicians accused the DND of directing the FWSAR procurement toward Alenia’s C-27J.

Following a meeting with industry in July 2009, the government agreed to an independent assessment of the stated FWSAR requirements by Canada’s National Research Council (NRC). Released in March 2010, its report concluded the requirements were over-constrained, and recommended DND adopt a capability-based approach.

Outlined to industry in mid-August, the new competitive procurement strategy provides more flexibility to propose service-provision as well as aircraft-acquisition solutions, to offer mixed-fleet proposals and to suggest changes to where the Royal Canadian Air Force’s SAR aircraft are now based. The SAR fleet comprises six CC-115 Buffalos based at Comox, British Columbia, and six CC-130H Hercules based at Greenwood in Nova Scotia, Trenton in Ontario and Winnipeg in Manitoba.

Following the NRC’s recommendations, operational requirements for the FWSAR replacement aircraft have been strengthened to make key elements mandatory, such as a rear loading ramp to increase parachute-jump safety for SAR technicians.

In addition to the C-27J and larger C-130J already operated by Canada, potential candidates include the Airbus Military C295 and a next-generation DHC-5NG development of the Buffalo previously proposed by British Columbia-based Viking Air.

Under the DND’s new approach, industry was invited to comment by Sept. 16 on the procurement strategy and the potential for alternate ways of providing SAR service. More than 20 responses were received, according to one potential bidder.

Toward the end of the year, following completion of the options analysis now under way, the DND is expected to seek government approval to proceed with the FWSAR procurement.

The requirement calls for initial operational capability by the time the Buffalos are scheduled to be retired in 2015, and full operational capability when the CC-130Hs are planned to be withdrawn, in 2017.

Photo: Wikipedia

[buglerbilly]

Bell Explores New Missions for V-22 Tiltrotor

Aviation International News » October 2011

by Mark Huber


Bell is touting its V-22 tiltrotor for search-and-rescue operations in Canada.

October 1, 2011, 11:30 PM

Bell Helicopter is exploring new markets and missions for its Bell-Boeing Osprey V-22 military tiltrotor.

The company recently demonstrated the V-22’s search-and-rescue (SAR) capabilities to the Canadian Forces. The V-22 is ideally suited to the SAR mission in Canada, with its vast distances and harsh environments, and could do the work of several aircraft on a typical mission, according to a Bell spokesman.

The spokesman said a Canadian civil/military SAR mission to a remote location currently involves the use of fixed-wing aircraft for identification and emergency supply drop and then a helicopter or a ground unit for rescue. “With the V-22 you can get there, land, pick up the people and come home, thereby eliminating a bunch of different steps,” he said.

The Canadian SAR application for the V-22 is still in the “idea” stage and the Canadian government has not issued a formal request for proposal, said the spokesman.

Bell sees Canadian SAR as just one way the V-22 can cut overall mission cost by reducing the number of aircraft and supporting infrastructure needed to fly a given mission. The spokesman added that the U.S. Marine Corps’ fleet of MV-22s–with their increased range, unrefueled up to 1,000 nm, over a traditional helicopter–eliminate the need for forward fueling points. The MV-22 could also transfer cargo between multiple ship types in the U.S. Navy more efficiently than delivering expedited freight to aircraft carriers via fixed-wing cargo aircraft and then transferring it to helicopters for forwarding to smaller ships. The Marine Corps has already used an MV-22 for this purpose. On August 22 an MV-22 was used to airlift via sling load a 6,500-pound AV-8B Harrier replacement jet engine and container from the supply ship USNS Wally Schirra to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan.

Bell is developing or has developed a variety of new applications for the V-22, including aerial refueling of other aircraft, cargo delivery, search-and-rescue, combat search-and-rescue, medevac and C2ISR. The V-22 already regularly performs cargo, SAR and evacuation missions. According to Bell, the CV-22 variant already has an approved medevac configuration using off-the-shelf parts, and Bell is working with the U.S. Army to further define a medevac interior. Bell is working on a “giver” V-22 aerial refueling package for fixed- and rotary-wing platforms and is collaborating with Thales to incorporate its Searchwater radar into the back of the aircraft. The aircraft is already equipped with an external hoist over the aft ramp. All of the various mission configurations can be palletized/modularized for quick-change, multi-mission capabilities.

The in-service fleet of 142 V-22s has accumulated 115,000 flight hours.

[JKM Mk2]

Despite all the negatives that were thrown at this aircraft along the development trail it does seem to be doing a pretty effective job IMHO. It would also seem to have a lot of future options with a variety of operators.

Cheers
JKM

[JimWH]

The big problem with the V-22 now is that it is still (IIRC) at least twice as maintenance intensive as an equivalent helicopter. Which is fine if you have the depth of fleet for this not to be an issue, but poses really serious problems if you've only got a small fleet of them.

[JKM Mk2]

Yeh, that and the initial cost. But as the aircraft matures these problems will (probably) reduce or at least be ofset by its versatility.

JKM

[buglerbilly]

To give you an idea on Costs we have this...............


The tiltrotor's safety record has been of no serious concern for several years, but its operational costs have been criticised by lawmakers.

The MV-22's cost per flight hour had hovered as high as $12,000 until about eight months ago, Robling said. However, the cost has since dropped to about $9,000 per hour, with a monthly, fleet-wide average low of $7,500, he added.

Reference source: http://www.w54.biz/showthread.php?1189-Marine-Air : post no 3

Using the CH-53K as an upper bracket comparison.............


CH-53K will decrease recurring operating costs over the current CH-53E (the CH-53K aims at a more reasonable $10,000 dollars per flight hour while the CH-53E costs twice that).

Read more: http://defensetech.org/2010/04/29/whats-strangling-the-ch-53k/#ixzz1ZjILFp6B
Defense.org

The Merlin costs, taken from a UK source, show how difficult cost assessment is when you don't understand or know the basis of that cost..............


However, according to the Defence Aircraft Capitation Rates the operating cost for just the machine is £3,162 per funded flying hour. A Sea King, for comparison, is reported at £3,183 per flying hour.

The same document, however, then adds on the ancillary costs to each aircraft, eg aircrew, Unit admin, admortization, Westland storage costs for spare parts for a minimum of six months after servicing requests, the cost of RAF Benson and the cost of the still recent restructuring of the Depth Mainteinance process and facility, the cast of thousands in the MoD and the 1000 men at Westland, and with amazing accuracy comes up with £41,588 for the Merlin HM1, around 34.000 for Merlin HC3 and £16,723 for the Sea King 4 and 7.

As with the C130J, which has a full cost for airframe of 11587 pounds against the C130K’s 9924, the C130J IS cheaper to fly per hour than the predecessor, but it is weighted down by all sorts of other voices of expense that come on top of the proper airframe running expense. Absurdly, the more Full Cost figure would appear lower if there were more flown hours to spread the costs upon. As with the Typhoon, (in service from 2005) the Merlin is, absurdly, still a “young” type. Deliveries of the HM1 were completed only in 2002, and the logistics of the fleet have for long time been, quite honestly, a mess. It is only in 2006 that the situation was rectified, and now it is expected that the costs will steadily decrease.

The Merlin is not a cheap machine, but it is not the money-swallowing pit that it is often depicted as, either. It offers world-beating performances under many points of view, and continues to provide precious service all over the world. Could the Merlin fleet be ran in a cheaper way? Probably, and surely there must be an accurate look into the possible improvements. Once navalized and re-based on Yeonvilton, it is probable that the cost of the Merlin utility will drop significantly as the many voices of expense relative to Benson base are taken off its shoulders. Of course, depending on the cost and depth of the navalization process, the Full Cost voice will have to deal with the cost of the upgrade/refit in the admortization voice. It has been suggested that the Royal Navy might have to content itself with Merlins that will have foldable rotors but not foldable tails. The problem would be considerable on HMS Ocean or HMS Illustrious, but will be less damaging in the immense hangar of the CVFs.
Overall, the Merlin is and remains the best sub-hunter helicopter out there, and it is the best Medium utility helicopter too, if we consider the Chinook a member of the Heavy league, which is the case, particularly in the RAF where there are not bigger and more powerful machines than it.

Read more: http://ukarmedforcescommentary.blogspot.com/2011/05/merlin-family-in-uk-service.html (bottom of page)

[buglerbilly]

Purchase of search-and-rescue planes delayed again

The Canadian Press

Posted: Mar 9, 2012 3:44 AM ET

Last Updated: Mar 9, 2012 7:12 AM ET


Canadian Forces search and rescue technicians board a C-115 Buffalo before participating in a search and rescue exercise in Whitehorse in September 2010. (Canadian Forces Combat Camera)

Cabinet quietly approves search plane purchase plan

The Harper government's plan to buy new fixed-wing search-and-rescue planes has been pushed off until next year, The Canadian Press has learned.

Despite years of study and preparation, National Defence has postponed until the spring of 2013 issuing a tender call to replace nearly 50-year-old C-115 Buffalos and C-130 Hercules transports, many of which are in their third decade of service.

The procurement branch of the military has notified companies interested in bidding that it will carry out "consultations" over the next 12 months, and there will be workshops to outline expectations.

The $3.1-billion program has been delayed almost a decade.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino have, at different times, named the fixed-wing search plane replacement as a priority, and a tender call has been expected for months.

Paul Martin's Liberal government first proposed buying new planes because the existing ones reach the end of their useful lives between 2015 and 2017.

A 2010 internal air force assessment underscored the dire consequences of the repeated delays by warning that search-and-rescue capability could be imperilled if a contract wasn't in the pipeline immediately.

"Although efforts to procure a new ... platform continue, we will need to consider our alternatives during [fiscal year] 10/11 in order to undertake the necessary steps to sustain [search and rescue] beyond 2015," said a strategic assessment.

The report noted the Buffalo fleet "is facing significant problems obtaining replacement parts and the current system of machining these parts is both expensive and time-intensive."

National Defence, like all federal departments, is facing cuts in the March 29 budget. Preliminary estimates forecast a $569-million decrease in capital acquisitions, but specifics have yet to be announced.

The project was initially delayed by accusations from the defence industry that the air force had rigged the specifications to favour the Italian-built, turbo-prop C-27J Spartan.

Broaden requirements, government told

MacKay ordered the National Research Council to examine how the proposal was structured and it came back in March 2010 with a report that said the Defence Department needed to broaden its requirements.

A senior defence official, who asked not to be identified, said the specifications are now wide. Companies will be asked to submit proposals that demonstrate their aircraft will be able to cover the country's three search-and-rescue geographic sectors; carry survival and life-saving gear; possess a rear-loading ramp; and be able to conduct operations within a 15-hour crew day.

The specifications would require the winning bidder to provide a single aircraft to be on standby in each sector 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The parameters are so broad they even leave it up to the companies to suggest where the planes should be based.

Taken together the requirements have led to speculation the federal government is prepared to farm out fixed-wing search-and-rescue, possibly as an alternative service delivery contract.

Other countries, notably Australia, have moved in that direction.

The Royal Australian Air Force has taken a step back from search duties allowing the country's customs authority to carry out the role with aircraft that are owned and maintained by a private contractor.

Several companies interested in bidding

Several aircraft-makers are interested in bidding.

The maker of the controversial F-35 stealth fighter, Lockheed Martin Corp., is in line to offer more C-130J Hercules transports.

The company argues that since the air force just finished buying 17 of those planes there are cost savings to be had in training and spares by adding to the fleet.

Boeing Aircraft has apparently demonstrated its V-22 Osprey tilt-wing plane.

Alenia, makers of the C-27-J Spartan, are also in the running.

The U.S. Air Force recently announced that it would scrap its fleet of Spartans as cost-saving measure. Canadian officials quietly expressed interest, according to defence sources, but the company's president warned the Pentagon that if the fleet was sold off to another country, it would refuse to service them.

Canadian companies Viking Air Ltd. and Bombardier Inc. are also said to be jockeying for position.

[buglerbilly]

Via Defense Industry Daily..............Clarification of what happened to the VH-71's........

Sept 12/11: Off to Canada. HW Farren Company announces that it has finished transporting the USA’s 9 VH-71 helicopters to Canada’s Department of National Defence, for use as spare parts to Canada’s CH-149 Cormorant fleet. The CH-149s have had readiness issues, and have been consuming spares at a rapid clip. Hence the mention that the 9 helicopters were “in care of” maintenance contract holder IMP Aerospace in Enfield, NS.

The first 4 VH-71s were broken down for transport, but the last 5 could not be disassembled, and HW Farren had to designed and fabricate special wheel cradles for them. They were loaded on a barge, transported to Baltimore, off-loaded, placed on an Atlantic Container Line Roll-On Roll-Off Vessel for transport to Halifax, then re-loaded onto barges, for transport to Canadian Forces Depot Bedford. CFAD Bedford is technically part of CFB Halifax, but the “Bedford Magazine” is its own major property occupying the entire northern shore of Bedford Basin. It houses all of the weaponry and ammunition for MARLANT vessels, and has a loading jetty and several nearby anchorages. HW Farren | CASR.

[buglerbilly]

Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) Project

(Source: Public Works and Government Services Canada; undated)

The Canada First Defence Strategy commits Canada to replace its Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue fleet. The provision of a new capability directly contributes to saving Canadian lives and is a vital component of the search and rescue (SAR) system. The new capability will replace the aging CC-115 Buffalo and CC-130 legacy Hercules aircraft.

The FWSAR project team will proactively disclose information and progress associated with the FWSAR project. The integrity of the FWSAR solicitation process is a priority of the Government of Canada and this solicitation shall be, and perceived to be, fair, open and transparent.

The industry engagement will be performed under the authority of the FWSAR Secretariat and industry participation will be conditional to the adherence to FWSAR Industry Engagement Rules.

What’s New?

On August 16, 2011, the Government of Canada sought the Canadian and Aerospace industry's feedback on the best approach to deliver the FWSAR capability. Industry positively responded by attending a plenary session, a number of one-on-one meetings with Government representatives, and by submitting discussion papers. All of this information has been considered and some key decisions have been made on the way forward.

The Government of Canada is now ready to continue industry engagement on FWSAR and will start by holding an Industry Workshop on April 11, 2012.

Invitation to the event has been published at the link below:

•Letter of Interest: Consultations on the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Project

Industry Feedback
E-Mail: ARSVF.FWSAR@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Contact Person for the FWSAR Project
Bruno Potvin
E-Mail: Bruno.Potvin@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone: 819-997-9026

-ends-