Future Helicopters

[Good2Golf]

So should we be buying more Chinooks then? Is the present 14 enough?

No. (More Chinooks)

Yes (14 is enough, since the Cormorant is being upgraded…although the Hook would have made a great SAR platform, but yellow does yellow, so upgraded 149 it will be)

The biggest factor is, as @dapaterson notes, the personnel factor.

There is enough infrastructure to let a 450 Det operate out west as required. People are what’s needed, and 1 Wing is no exception. Work the newer capabilities (fast long range UH and UAS) rather than lopsiding to a CH over-bias.

 

[dapaterson]

No. (More Chinooks)

Yes (14 is enough, since the Cormorant is being upgraded…although the Hook would have made a great SAR platform, but yellow does yellow, so upgraded 149 it will be)

The biggest factor is, as @dapaterson notes, the personnel factor.

There is enough infrastructure to let a 450 Det operate out west as required. People are what’s needed, and 1 Wing is no exception. Work the newer capabilities (fast long range UH and UAS) rather than lopsiding to a CH over-bias.

Some of us want CH to outnumber multi-engine.

 

[Good2Golf]

Some of us want CH to outnumber multi-engine.

Well, aside from being a great platform, it is multi-engine as well…

Balance is required, capability and personnel-wise. I’d add C-17s if I could…

 

[dapaterson]

Well, aside from being a great platform, it is multi-engine as well…

Balance is required, capability and personnel-wise. I’d add C-17s if I could…

See, I'm lobbying for Boeing airframes that are still in production

 

[Good2Golf]

Your preferred shares are in the mail!

 

[Kirkhill]

Current fleet

CH-148 Cyclone - 25 active of 28 ordered (???) - All tasked to RCN Fleet
CH-149 Cormorant - 13 active of 16 ordered - All tasked to SAR Fleet

CH-147 Chinook - 14 - All tasked to 1 Wing for Army Support
CH-146 Griffon - 82 - Operating out of 11 Locations (Edmonton, Cold Lake, Borden, Trenton, Petawawa, St-Hubert, Valcartier, Bagotville, Gagetown, Goose Bay)

What if? (wrt the Griffons and Chinooks only)

Half of the Griffons were swapped out for the V-280s (41 frames as of 2031)
And the remainder of the Griffons were all turned over to the Air Reserve (Squadrons 400 and 438) and the Combat Support Squadrons?

 

[DBNSG]

Well, aside from being a great platform, it is multi-engine as well…

Balance is required, capability and personnel-wise. I’d add C-17s if I could…

So we just bought some older ex Kuwaiti Airbuses, so perhaps we can convince the Kuwaiti Air force to give up their two exoctic Car flying garages?

 

[dapaterson]

So we just bought some older ex Kuwaiti Airbuses, so perhaps we can convince the Kuwaiti Air force to give up their two exoctic Car flying garages?

The A330s were on the market; the C17s are not.

 

[Good2Golf]

So we just bought some older ex Kuwaiti Airbuses, so perhaps we can convince the Kuwaiti Air force to give up their two exoctic Car flying garages?

The A330s were on the market; the C17s are not.

Qatari birds more likely than Kuwait….but still a pipe dream.

 

[DBNSG]

Qatari birds more likely than Kuwait….but still a pipe dream.

Do the Qatari's have the tech competence and people to keep their fleet? 8 birds probably needs about 500 people.

 

[dapaterson]

Do the Qatari's have the tech competence and people to keep their fleet? 8 birds probably needs about 500 people.

When you offer stupid money lots of retired military techs are suddenly available.

 

[DBNSG]

When you offer stupid money lots of retired military techs are suddenly available.

Probably Tax free stupid money. In American Dollars

 

[Good2Golf]

Probably Tax free stupid money. In American Dollars

Yup

 

[Czech_pivo]

So we just bought some older ex Kuwaiti Airbuses, so perhaps we can convince the Kuwaiti Air force to give up their two exoctic Car flying garages?

Why not petition the Syrian’s for some of their old airframes?
We are such cheap buggers.
Buy 21 CP140’s back in the day, 40yrs later we replace them with 14, maybe if God smiles on us, 16.
Have 4 destroyers and 12 frigates, replace them with 15 ‘destroyers’.
Have over 130 CF18’s, replace them with only 88 F35’s.
The examples are endless.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Why not petition the Syrian’s for some of their old airframes?
We are such cheap buggers.

I think the IAF got there first and took them off the market.