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Canadians Give US Troops A Lift

tomahawk6

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http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...220?hub=Canada

The Canadian Press

Updated: Fri. Feb. 20 2009 12:58 PM ET KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Time was, Canadian troops were among those having to hitch rides around the Afghan battlefield on board the transport helicopters of other NATO allies.
Not any more.
A single Canadian CH-47D Chinook, flanked by two CH-146 Griffon escort helicopters, turned the tables Friday as it delivered a section of U.S. troops to a forward operating base west of Kandahar, its first such mission in support of allied countries.
Col. Christopher Coates, commander of the Canadian air wing and a trained Griffon pilot, found himself battling feelings of envy.
"The hardest thing for me being a pilot here in Afghanistan is not being able to get the cockpit of one these aircraft and contribute to the mission and help the soldiers do their job," Coates said.
"I've been up on a few flights, but I wish that was my job every day, flying these aircraft."
Friday's mission went off without a hitch, save for the trio of birds that smashed into the windshields of both Griffons, causing a slight mess but no damage.
The arrival of the helicopters marks a significant, if somewhat symbolic, change for Canadian troops, who had until very recently been forced to rely on American, British and Dutch battlefield helicopters to ferry them between widely spaced desert outposts.
That won't change -- the Canadian choppers are being added to the pool of aircraft that are used by all NATO forces in the region. But at least now, Canada's contingent won't have to feel quite as dependent as it has in the past.
Since taking possession of six used Chinook helicopters from the U.S. Army at the end of December, Canadian pilots and flight crew have been engaged in a demanding series of training exercises.
Both the transport helicopters and their armed Griffon escorts have practised what pilots call "dust-ball landings" in the desert where the aircraft touches down in a plume of churned-up sand and then takes off again.
Gunners on both types of helicopter have also conducted target practice in the desert.
Both aircraft are flying operational missions here and there, but Coates said there is still some more training to do before the wing is declared fully operational.
"We're really well advanced in terms of training, but there are still some things we want to do to make sure we can use the aircraft to the full extent of their capabilities," he said.
"We're not quite there yet."
The Canadian army began calling for Chinook helicopters in 2006 to get troops off the bomb-sown roadways of Kandahar, but they weren't forthcoming until an independent panel last year made buying the helicopters a condition of continuing the mission.
The Conservative government announced plans in June 2006 to buy 16 heavy-lift helicopters and later identified the CH-47F -- the latest model of the Chinook -- as its preferred aircraft. But the process became bogged down in a tortuous bureaucratic exercise that has yet to be resolved.
To address the recommendations of the Manley commission, the government opted to buy six used helicopters aleady in theatre from the Americans for $292 million.
 
Excellent article, good to see the development of this capability being used in theatre  :)

Forgive my bluntness, and I know its probably already been discussed in another thread...but as it pertains to this article:  what kind of beauacratic crap are they talking about?  Ordering 16 helicopters shouldn't be this complicated - especially with crews/parts/training already ongoing with the current fleet of 6 "D" models.  Whats the boondoggling about?? 

(A brief answer would suffice, just curious).
 
CBH.... considering the economic downturn,... some people in government are wondering if we really need those 16 Chinooks - cause we're supposed to be "out" of Afghanistan in 2011...
 
They will sure come in handy in a domestic crisis. You never know how bad you need something until you dont have it.
 
T6... Oh, I think the troops are convinced we need em.... we've known from the minute our old ones were solf off to the Dutch.  That having been said, we have some rather shortsighted politicians & bureaucrats who often suffer from stickershock & wonder if we really need em... as a must have VS a nice to have.
 
The best argument for getting more airframes is that the entire fleet will last much longer as hours can be spread across the fleet. They will certainly be used and they would be in high demand for "peacekeeping missions" (sigh, this will be the main selling point)


Are the Polish Mi-8's still in use as well?
 
Bout time we paid our dues in the rotary air transport dept.
 
About the Foxtrots:

CH-47F Chinook purchase to be dropped?
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/02/ch-47f-chinook-purchase-to-be-dropped.html

Big simulator contract for CAE...for Jercs but what about Chinook Fs?
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/02/big-simulator-contract-for-caefor-jercs.html

As for Mi-8s:

Hip Hip Hooray!
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/11/hip-hip-hooray.html

Still there:
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/news_e.asp?cat=114&id=7695

...
Comprising all the Canadian air assets deployed in the southwest Asia theatre of operations, the JTF-Afg Air Wing stood up at Kandahar Airfield on 6 December 2008. Along with eight Griffons, used for transport and escort tasks, the Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan includes six new [used, actually] CH-147 Chinook D medium- to heavy-lift transports, also flown by Canadian Forces crews, and six Mi-8 medium-lift transports, flown by civilian crews under charter. The Griffon and Chinook helicopters will continue training until they are ready to join the pool of aircraft available to International Security Assistance Force operations across southern Afghanistan...

Mark
Ottawa
 
Colin P said:
The best argument for getting more airframes is that the entire fleet will last much longer as hours can be spread across the fleet.

Not really. There will be more crews so more training hours will be flown, and work will be found for them to do.

Fleets are managed based upon a certain number of hours planned per month per machine, generally 40 historically for Tac Hel. Squadrons are also allotted a number of hours annually, referred to as YFR or Yearly Flying Rate.
 
Regardless of the Afghan mission, Im sure these will be put to good use. Having a real airmobile company in the light units should be a consideration.
 
CBH99 said:
Excellent article, good to see the development of this capability being used in theatre  :)

Forgive my bluntness, and I know its probably already been discussed in another thread...but as it pertains to this article:  what kind of beauacratic crap are they talking about?  Ordering 16 helicopters shouldn't be this complicated - especially with crews/parts/training already ongoing with the current fleet of 6 "D" models.  Whats the boondoggling about?? 

(A brief answer would suffice, just curious).

Bureaucratic issues:  Neogtiating a contract to buy.  Negotiating a contract for life-cycle support.  Doing all that while identifying industrial offsets for Canadian industry.  Determining where on the waiting list for delivery we will fit in.  Determining locations for basing and the related bill for infrastructure.  Doing training for pilots, crews and maintainers.  Identifying all the personnel requirements, and determining where they will come from.


Some of this is dragging on a bit, but procurement of equipment is not something you can make up as you go along - lots of moving pieces in the plan that need to be aligned or at least identified before you launch.
 
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