Eye In The Sky
Army.ca Legend
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Ditch said:Maybe it's time we get out of the sub-hunting business?
Yes, let's follow our friends in the UK. I mean, that was a smart decision on their part to scrap the Nimrod, and they haven't looked back have they?
The SGOD is being used operationally quite extensivelythis past decadesince it came into service, but due to the nature of the missions it does and continues to do, outside of things like OP IMPACT, not many members of the CAF, let alone the average Canadians, really understands why Canada needs to maintain this capacity. However, the Government does, which is why is spent tax dollars upgrading the systems and airframe with plans to fly it until about 2030.
There, now that makes some sense.
No war-torps dropped - plenty of targets lased (or whatever).
By that reasoning, every cop in the world that hasn't fired their service weapon by now should turn them in; they'll never have to use them after all. :
Assuming that because no 'war shot has been fired' means the CP-140 has never done operational ASW demonstrates that most CAF mbrs don't understand ASW or LRP; RCAF pilots from other fleets included.
The CP-140 has never lased a single thing. Ever. BZ on your knowledge of the plane and community you are talking about though.
Retire the four-engine nightmare - get some sleek (fast) Global Express-type - bingo bango - excellent Surveillance machine for all threat aspects.
Nightmare. How so? How many hours do you have logged on Aurora's?
How is the GE the solution for all threat aspects? Better yet, what ARE all the threat aspects? Explain.
IMHO, if we're not going to play with the big-boys and be serious about LRP (aka P-8 subkiller platform) - don't bother. Do a threat estimate - figure out the chances of ever having to kill a sub - focus on the surface threat (from far far away).
Maybe the threat estimate was already done.
ASW is a skill that takes time to develop and maintain. The RAF was forced to throw away the Nimrod, and then what happened? In a word; 'clusterfuck'.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2867929/Navy-ask-French-help-hunt-Russian-submarine-thanks-defence-cuts.html
Maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs) from France, Canada and the US conducted patrols, in conjunction with British surface warships in the search, which began around November 26 and continued into the first week of December, operating out of RAF Lossiemouth.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that it had received assistance from NATO allies but would not say whether they had been searching for a submarine.
But a UK defence ministry spokesman told Aviation Week that Britain had ‘requested assistance from allied forces for basing of maritime patrol aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth for a limited period,’ adding: ‘The aircraft are conducting Maritime Patrol activity with the Royal Navy; we do not discuss the detail of maritime operations.’
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The last line is the reason why most people, even RCAF aircrew such as yourself, don't understand the LRP world, what it does, how it does it and why it is needed. I don't pretend to understand SAR and AWACS, just because I am versed in ASW/LRP stuff, right? Because that would be me talking outside my lane.
And now, what is the RAF doing after having to call on countries, such as Canada, to provide MPA's when they needed them? They are getting a real MPA again. Maybe we should learn from their mistake. :2c:
"We", as in the LRP community 'we', play with the big boys just fine. How much operational and/or exercise ASW have you done? Ever searched for, tracked a diesel or nuc boat before?
In comparison to your 'assessment'...
As a “command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” (C4ISR) platform, the Aurora performs domestic and international operations across a wide variety of disciplines.
This includes domestic surveillance of the Canadian Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as anti-surface warfare, maritime and overland intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination, and search and rescue (SAR) missions.
It also provides vital support to other government agencies in combating illegal immigration, fishing, polluting, or drug trafficking, as well as assisting with disaster relief. The CP-140 has also retained and modernized its ASW capability, and is able to detect and destroy the latest generation of stealth submarines.
These capabilities allow the CP-140 to detect, deter and control illegal or hostile activity anywhere in Canada’s maritime approaches or remote regions. With its air-droppable survival pods, the CP-140 can also perform SAR duties.
Outside of routine patrols or classified missions, the CP-140 fleet has often been involved in high profile operations. From 1992 to 1995, Aurora aircraft made a significant contribution to Operation Sharp Guard, which was the NATO-led blockade of the former Yugoslavia. During the Red River flood of 1997, Auroras flew SAR missions over flood-ravaged southern Manitoba (Operation Assistance).
CP-140s were also employed in Operation Apollo in the Persian Gulf from late 2001 to mid-2003, where they flew 500 air patrol sorties as part of Canada’s contribution to the international campaign against terrorism. During the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, and the G8/G10 Summits in Toronto, the Auroras provided ISR support for the RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit. In 2011, during Operation Mobile, Auroras conducted maritime ISR missions, as well as overland strike coordination and armed reconnaissance-coordinator (SCAR-C) sorties that provided critical information to coalition forces. In all, Aurora crews conducted 181 sorties over land and water during that operation.
As of 2014, the Aurora fleet is in the midst of an extensive upgrade that will extend its life expectancy to the 2030 timeframe. This upgrade includes structural upgrades and replacement of the outer wings and horizontal stabilizers through the Aurora structural life extension project (ASLEP). Parallel with this, the Aurora incremental modernization project (AIMP) Block III is upgrading mission systems and sensors that are giving the modernized Aurora a world-class capability.
These projects represent a significant achievement for Canada as the majority of the work is being completed in Canada by Canadian companies.
On top of that, I'll add 400+ missions as part of the ATF-I at OP IMPACT. Concurrent to those 400 operational missions, the LRP community continues to do all of our "routine and classified missions" as well as the other stuff, some of what was mentioned above.
The Canadians tax payers are getting their bang for their buck out of LRP Sqn's. The Aurora isn't shiny new like the P-8, but I don't have much doubt about it's ability to locate, track, and drop fish on a hostile submerged target. That is mostly because I've been on it when it has been able to locate, track and 'have the abilty' to drop fish on a submerged target. I've been onboard for operational ISR & ASW. Exercise ISR & ASW.
Opinions, informed opinions. There's a difference.
Report: Russian sub activity returns to Cold War levels
With no sub-chasing aircraft of its own, UK calls on allies to help find Russian submarine Do we want this story to say "...Canada calls on Allies to help find XYZ submarine..." next time?
Sorry for the rant; ignorance of facts and irresponsible opinions others may see as credible piss me off sometimes.