Royal Canadian Air Force headed to mission in Africa ‘very soon’: top general

[Colin Parkinson]

Apparently 2 VBCI's taken out, by a VBIED. I first assumed RPG when I saw the pics on FB.

 

[MarkOttawa]

"Op PRESENCE", name of Mali mission says it all--Trudeau gov't just wants to be seen showing a UN peacekeeping flag--CAF backgrounder:

Operation PRESENCE - Mali
...
Air Task Force

The Air Task Force will be located in Gao, in northern Mali. It will include the following components:

    two CH-147F Chinook helicopters
    four CH-146 Griffon helicopters
    up to 250 personnel

The CH-147F Chinook helicopters will conduct medical evacuations. They could also transport troops, equipment, supplies, and food, and help with the rapid deployment of UN forces in Mali.

The CH-146 Griffon helicopters will be armed escorts for the Chinooks. They could also carry out other critical missions for MINUSMA as required [will that include supporting G5 Sahel force, which UNSC has authorized MINUSMA to do? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-has-been-supporting-g5-sahel-force-for-some-time-sajjan/] .

The CAF is also sending spare helicopters to make sure that the Air Task Force is always ready to support MINUSMA...
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/operations/military-operations/current-operations/op-presence.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Jarnhamar]

Not a sleight here by any means but do we really need 250 people for 6 aircraft?

That seems like a lot of people to my uninformed mind.

 

[Good2Golf]

Not a sleight here by any means but do we really need 250 people for 6 aircraft?

That seems like a lot of people to my uninformed mind.

Re-ask the question and insert CF-188 in place of CH-147F/CH-146... 

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

He also forgot that the "main" mission is medical evacuation, so there must be attached medical personnel in there somewhere, plus the staff necessary to deal with all the UN operations management byzantine organization - that last adds a lot in my past experience.

 

[Good2Golf]

Re-ask the question and insert CF-188 in place of CH-147F/CH-146... 

...and no-duff background on deploying and supporting air operations:

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/cf-aerospace-warfare-centre/elibrary/journal/2015-vol4-iss4-09-the-rcaf-air-task-force.page

Op IMPACT, 2014–2015

Operation IMPACT is the CAF contribution to the Middle East Stabilization Force—the multinational coalition to halt and degrade the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Republic of Iraq and in Syria.

Approximately 600 CAF personnel deployed as part of Joint Task Force-Iraq, which included planning and liaison personnel to work with the United States (US) and other coalition partners, aircrew support elements, command and control, logistics and the Air Task Force (ATF). Exercising CAF joint C2 doctrine, the deployed ATF Comd, subordinate to the joint task force (JTF) Comd, is responsible for liaising with the Coalition Air Component Headquarters, while at the same time delivering tactical air effects by flying missions. Within the theatre, a positive relationship evolved between the JTF HQ and ATF HQ in order to ensure the smooth flow of information and sustainment.

Air Task Force-Iraq (ATF-I) is contributing to coalition air operations against ISIS. This mission extension and expansion has allowed the RCAF to strike ISIS targets in both Iraq and Syria. The use of air power has contributed to the destruction of ISIS infrastructure and equipment, denying them the military means to attack Iraqi security forces or coalition assets. At its largest, ATF-I includes six CF188 Hornet fighter aircraft, one CC150T Polaris aerial refueller to support coalition air operations, and two CP140M Aurora surveillance aircraft to contribute to coalition intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Originally an airlift mission, ATF-I aircraft conducted 25 CC130 and CC177 flights between 28 August and 26 September 2014, delivering more than 1,600,000 pounds [725,748 kilograms] of military supplies to Iraq. The donations from allied countries included small arms, ammunition and other military equipment. The supplies were delivered in concert with military partners, including the United Kingdom and the US, to security forces working in Baghdad and Erbil.

As of July 2015, ATF-I has flown almost 800 Hornet sorties, more than 200 Polaris sorties (delivering over 12-million pounds [5,443,108 kilograms] of fuel to coalition aircraft) and about 250 Aurora intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Op IMPACT is the first large-scale deployment of an ATF under the new RCAF ATF concept and, as such, is led by an ATF Comd at the rank of colonel.

 

[dimsum]

...and no-duff background on deploying and supporting air operations:

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/cf-aerospace-warfare-centre/elibrary/journal/2015-vol4-iss4-09-the-rcaf-air-task-force.page

Yep, it takes a lot of "tail" to make the air "teeth" work. 

There's more that I'd like to say, but I'm feeling diplomatic today  :nod:

 

[Eye In The Sky]

There's more that I'd like to say, but I'm feeling diplomatic today  :nod:

OP IMPACT was too fat on pers #s !  I can't talk about where the 18s were operating out of as I was only there for brief times, but where the LRP and AAR Dets were located...fat!!  And it got worse as time went on.

For the TH folks - stay safe, stick on the ice. 

 

[medicineman]

Yep, it takes a lot of "tail" to make the air "teeth" work. 

There's more that I'd like to say, but I'm feeling diplomatic today like not getting fired  :nod:

FTFY.

 

[Gunner98]

"Op PRESENCE", name of Mali mission says it all--Trudeau gov't just wants to be seen showing a UN peacekeeping flag--CAF backgrounder:

Mark
Ottawa

When I first heard the Op Name in May 2018 I thought it quite funny, ironic even - Op PRESENTS as in JT's gifts exchanged with Aga Khan (https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-aga-khan-gifts-secret-1.4594447).

 

[Jarnhamar]

...and no-duff background on deploying and supporting air operations:

Lieutenant-Colonel Pux Barnes starts off the article with comparing the RCAF to a 2 year old child and patting themselves on the back for out performing the kid  rly:

Totally out of my lanes here but 600 CAF members to fly 9 jets seems like a lot?

 

[PuckChaser]

Totally out of my lanes here but 600 CAF members to fly 9 jets seems like a lot?

Aurora and the Polaris are going to have bigger crews than the 1 person show in a CF-188, but Mali has approx 41 pers per A/C deployed, and IMPACT at its height had 66 per A/C.

Was no different than all the Army staff types getting tours for Op ATTENTION so they could get a GCS.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Do aircrews double up on air frames?

6x CF18s will have 6x pilots
2x CP140s have 8-15 pers ea
1xCC150T Polaris not sure how many crew, say 8?

Under 50 aircrew out of 600.


In Mali we're providing some kind of hospital set up at least right?


We should send a battalion of infantry to Mali just to, you know, stretch their legs a little.

 

[Gunner98]

There is no Canadian military hospital set-up in Mali - the UN military hospitals are French (Gao) and Chinese (Gao city Level II) at the moment.  Med Evac is only health services commitment.  The Chinook will have a damage control medical stabilization capability team. 

The EU has been supporting Malian forces with medical assets for some time: http://eutmmali.eu/en/eutm-donated-the-prototype-role-1-medical-treatment-facility-mtf-2/:

Excerpt:

By the end of summer 2018, the EUTM Mali will have provided the last 7 Role 1 MTFs deployed in support of the Groupement Tactiques Interarmes (each of which is around battalion size).

This donation is in addition to the 17 ambulances donated by a German NGO at the end of October 2017.  Germany had also offered training to the Malian Army.  At the end of November 2017, in Kati, trainers from Toyota instructed ambulance drivers from different military regions how to drive these vehicles over difficult terrain.  Training on the medical equipment held in these ambulances was also provided by the EUTM Mali.  A total of 16 of these vehicles have already been sent to the front, and will eventually become part of every Role 1.

Over the next few months, the European Union, in addition to the Luxembourg contribution, will finance the refurbishment of the Ségou, Sevaré, Nara and Kati infirmaries, including re-construction of the surgical blocks.  The European Union will also be providing massive support for psychiatric services at Kati Polyclinic.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Do aircrews double up on air frames?

By double up do you mean 1 plane with 2 crews?  I've never seen that.  I've done a Det of 3 crews/2 planes, but we usually are 1 crew/1 plane.  But, we have the ability to add extra pers if we need to;  extra flight deck or tac tube crewmembers.  It's not uncommon to have a flight deck of 5 (3 pilots, 2 Flight Engineers) and a tac tube of 9 (Tactical Navigator, 2 Comms/TACCO B and 6 AES Ops.  That still leaves room on the plane for X more people if needed.  If we are 'away' the remaining seats are usually for techs and support on the transit to/from homeplate to 'whereever'.

Not sure how fighters and smaller crew platforms like TH do things...they obviously don't have the space/seats for extra crew like an Aurora or Herc does. 

 

[Gunner98]

There is a pretty comprehensive mission brief from July 2017 found here:  https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/files/2017/07/Mali-brief.pdf

 

[MarkOttawa]

Op PRESENCE can support G5 Sahel combat counter-terrorism force--at very end of this CP story:

Canada looks to deepen involvement in Mali by sending up to 20 police officers
...
One senior official confirmed Thursday [July 5] that the Canadians, who are expected to have limited contact with locals or the Malian military, could also be called upon to provide occasional support to a five-country counter-terror force operating in the country.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-looks-to-deepen-involvement-in-mali-by-sending-up-to-20-police-officers-1.4001547

Mark
Ottawa

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bumped with the latest Africa work, via the DND info-machine ...

... The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, ... announced that the Government of Canada will provide the UN with tactical airlift support out of Entebbe, in Uganda, during the next 12 months beginning as early as August 2019.

The Tactical Airlift Detachment will consist of one CC-130J Hercules aircraft, operated and supported by up to 25 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. It will deploy for up to five days each month to assist with transporting troops, equipment and supplies to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) ...

 

[Good2Golf]

If they get lost, they could ask the Israeli Prime Minister for directions. :nod:

 

[medicineman]

If they get lost, they could ask the Israeli Prime Minister for directions. :nod:

:rofl:

MM