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Those who know me know that I will not be shy about providing my opinion  ;D  The mandatory requirements for the FWSAR should be based on four simple criterion.  The aircraft must be able to safely and effectively search, it must be able to safely and effectively rescue, it must be reliable, and...

The issue of the Italian press release also probably could use an explanation.  When a fleet of aircraft is purchased, you do not pick them up and start delivering freight.  The crews need to be trained on the aircraft - since the Spartan is about 1500 KG heavier than the G-222, all the...

That is possible, although the only aircraft mentioned so far in this thread that are getting "alternate use" (Special Ops) is the CN-235 - there are a dozen of them with small USAF markings floating around....

There are a few misleading statements that should be addressed.  First, one advantage the Spartan has when making performance claims is that none are actually operational - it is a developmental aircraft (one of those "paper aircraft" that MND keeps talking about).  For that reason, it is...

There are a few reasons why the Rotary Wing cannot replace the Fixed Wing in SAR - besides the issue of transit speed where something over 200 Knots is required, the fact is that helicopters cannot handle the same amount of ice accretion that fixed wing can.  They do not have the range of a...

If the MSM has their way, it will become the public perception that it was a bad political move; if people actually educate themselves on the issue and discover that the other parts of the package make it far better for seniors, then it could be a long term positive move.  The decision to allow...

The most powerful weapon that the CF has in this fight for the support of the Canadian public is not Public Affairs, it is the men and women of the CF.  Not the leaders, not the bureaucrats, but the ones who are at the coalface.  The only problem is, you have to have the courage to let them...

There is a factor that is valid in the CTV story - certification is a problem for the C-130J and will be a problem for Canada if they purchase the aircraft.  According to the story in the following link, it was primarily a certification issue that was the reason the aircraft was rejected by the...

If I read all this correctly, there is no apparent technical or doctrinal reason why the Griffon is not deployed at this time.  It appears that we need helo support, and it is at least as capable as some machines currently serving in the region.  The conclusion that I am drawing is that the CF...

One of the things that you can always rely on is the media mixing up the stories.  The following quote is a good example: Meanwhile, AgustaWestland, the helicopter group, is worried that Ottawa is set to give Boeing’s Chinook heavy-lift helicopters a head-start over Agusta’s Cormorant Mark II...

Greek newspapers have recently been commenting on the introduction of the Spartan (C-27J) in the Hellenic Air Force (HAF).  They are of interest to any one following the FWSAR discussion.  I tried to attach them to this post, but suspect they are too large for the system.  If someone wants to...

Agreed that the government needs to walk the talk.  The only problem is that with the new rental contract for Antonovs, added to the costs of procurement of new trucks for the Army, FWSAR, Chinooks, Airlift (Tactical and Strat), and Supply Ships, there has to be a prioritization because they...

The contract is three years plus three year follow-on.  That gives government a six year delay in any requirement to make a decision about Strat lift, and in a minority situation, if you do not have to make a decision, you won't. 

The significant point is that in the past, Canada has leased Antonovs when (a) we needed Strat airlift, and (b) they were available.  There were often times that we needed it, and they were not available.  As of Feb 06, that changed, and for the next three years, we have basically hired Antonovs...

This new program has a number of elements that may appeal to some, such as health care entitlement for those who are medically released with less than 9 years of service. Similarly, if you are going to be medically released under any circumstance, you should closely review the benefits under...

Retaining him after he has used DND computors to view any type of porn is hard to justify, but with all the caveats they are using I suppose that it could be justified if the punishment meted out were adequate, and if administrative action were also taken.  That said, the only grounds for...

I do not agree that you can equate the Herc fleet in its many evolutions to the G-222.  As an ex-Herc driver, I would fully agree that each of subsequent models improved on the basic design, but would also contend that the C-130 aircraft popularity was largely due to the fact that the basic...

What you may wish to consider is that if this is the mindset of the Liberal brain trust, what chance does the CF have of actually getting the toys that have been promised to Ranger Rick?  The fact that no real money has yet been forthcoming from the current government places our defense...

WTFO?  All hell broke loose on Mike Duffy, CTV, after the french debate.  The Liberals launched, then pulled an ad which makes the military look rather strange - let's just say that we do not appear to be trusted.  I got the text of the ad off the CTV site, it is as follows: "Stephen Harper...

This is a bit of a tangent that is not really related to buying used Chinooks, but perhaps I can add some clarity to the command and control discussion. Operational control is exercised for SAR through the applicable Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), who reports to the Regional Commander...