Recent content by Baz

Seen… I think 12 Wings last chance at the game was Lise, and she was useful elsewhere. Sid has been in all the right places to positively influence how the MH platform evolves, but I have no idea what the plan is. After that, who knows? MH has been kept with robust positions in CFMWC, but that...

That’s… worrisome. If the crews aren’t able to deliver the capability, then does it point to we don’t really need it anyway? I’m not surprised though. I was embarked somewhere around 2012 doing trials, and another aircraft (not the trials aircraft) asked for close positive (radar control) to...

I was at the Fleet Air Arm museum in July and saw “Humphrey,” the Wessex from Antrim that pulled the SAS off South Georgia after the other two crashed, with ASW gear still in. According to the guy that gave the talk, the aircraft FE, it was bit of a tight fit…

12401 at the museum is stripped out in the back (we’re working on mocking up the original config as it was the first one delivered in ‘63 and is in the original paint scheme)… you could fit a lot of daftandbarmies in there if the option of not getting in wasn’t that attractive.

Again, absolutely concur. But would those 5 retaskings had of been as easy if you (the TACCO) weren't there? And how much detail would the ship have to provide to retask the helicopter if the crew wasn't able to "act independantly," and needed to be given specific instructions? We (hopefully)...

That's an excellent point. Maybe Embarked Maritime Aviation, to remove the confusion with LRP? Plus EMA sounds good. As well, in my opinion that's where ComdRCN hits the nail on the head. What does the correct mix of assets to "allow the ship to go in harms way in the face of current threats...

This is a lot more of a grey area. That's the USN model, in the UK they belong to the RAF. But given the RCN currently has no capacity for ashore tasking and support, and the fact that the RCAF considers these ISR aircraft (as an aside, why are they called "spy airplanes" in a lot of open...

Absolutely correct. However, the doctrinal difference I think we are talking about, in our language, is whether you are normally "Broadcast," "Loose Advisory," or "Close Positive." (For the other's Loose Control is "A form of aircraft mission control in which the aircraft commander selects his...

I don't know that remains true... it assumes that somebody has to coordinate the "dip gang" (not necessarily dipping, but I'll use the term; it even may be a single helo). Historically that meant you had a "big dipper" (refers to a radar equiped dipping helicopter, but implies the ability to...

The term independent has been discussed here before. It means the ability to control a "dip gang" or equivalent. It's enabled by a mission system that allows battle management vs aircraft positioning (ie the ability to "direct" other platforms). And a dedicated crew member (the TACCO) to do so...

It was, I participated in one of the 12 Wing reviews. It was a tweak to the intent, but a major rewrite to format (aka we wrote it down). I forgot, or never knew, how the intent was present in the EH-101 contract.

In reality, closer to 4 decades… it flows from ideas about “next gen ASW” in the mid 80s that was part of HELTAS development.

Oh, and as an aside, this is what I’ve been bringing up wrt the 60R. Canadian MH ASW doctrine is that the aircraft operates independently from the ship. This has been the case since we lost Bonnie, although the Sea King never was optimized to do it. By contrast the RN Mk-6 was, it it informed...

Ok, not disagreeing, although I would argue that is still tactics and employment, but given this has always been an issue, whatever. By doctrine I’ referring to why you have an MH in the first place. What do you understand to be the threat, what resources do you have (meaning national...

By the way, all that airworthiness stuff is why Comd RCN can’t do whatever he wants with UAVs, notwithstanding his seeming indications that he thinks he can. Countries don’t like you flying around in their airspace if you haven’t proven you know what you’re doing, and logistic UAVs are kind of...