mysterious
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David Pugliese , CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
OTTAWA - The Harper government is confirming that it will purchase new surveillance aircraft while keeping most of the military's aging Aurora patrol planes flying until 2020.
The Defence Department will proceed with structural upgrades to keep 10 of the aging Aurora aircraft operating and deal with cracks in their wings as well as other sections of the planes. Canada operates 18 Auroras and it's not clear what will happen to the remaining aircraft.
The military had originally wanted to put a halt to all of the upgrades and structural work and proceed with the purchase of a new surveillance aircraft by 2016. Officers argued that made the most economic sense.
But successful lobbying by aerospace firms, including those in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's riding, derailed that proposal.
Dan Dugas, MacKay's spokesman, said new surveillance planes will be purchased but he did not provide additional details.
"Unlike the previous Liberal government's record of using aircraft well beyond their best-before-date - the Sea Kings come to mind - this government is planning now to buy state-of-the-art aircraft to replace the Aurora," Dugas said Tuesday.
Defence Department officials declined to be interviewed and instead referred CanWest News Service to the department's webpage and a press release on the Aurora.
"The Department will capitalize on these investments by upgrading the structure on the majority of the fleet," MacKay said in the press release. "The investment will keep the aircraft safe and operationally viable until 2020."
The Defence Department will move ahead with the next phase of Aurora modernization, which will involve improvements to radars, computers and other systems. The structural upgrades will also be done to ensure the "longevity and safe operation of these 10 aircraft."
So far, the Defence Department has spent $955 million to modernize the Auroras with new radios and other communications equipment and navigation gear.
The military's recommendation had been to keep the Auroras flying until 2016 without any new upgrades while proceeding with the purchase of the Poseidon surveillance aircraft, the U.S. Navy's successor to its version of the Aurora.
Several years ago Canada was invited by the U.S. to take part in the Poseidon program but declined.
While some air force officers want the Poseidon, a 737 converted into a surveillance aircraft, others are recommending the purchase of a plane similar to the ASTOR surveillance aircraft. That project is underway for Britain's military. ASTOR uses the smaller Bombardier Global Express jet and is designed for providing surveillance of ground targets.
Canadian Defence Department officials have asked aerospace firms for information on both Poseidon and ASTOR.
The Auroras operate out of Canadian Forces Base Comox, B.C., and CFB Greenwood, N.S., and are considered vital for watching over the country's maritime approaches. The aircraft were purchased in the early 1980s to conduct anti-submarine patrols and maritime surveillance.
Ottawa Citizen
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/n...=3054398f-4329-4c1c-b925-f1633fcb0512&k=99428
IMHO, I don't see much point in spending nearly $1b in repairs & 'structural' upgrades every few years on a platform in use since the '80s to the point that now the aircraft's wings have developed 'cracks'.
Why not just take the more economical decision of purchasing a new surveillance aircraft altogether since clearly it seems that the 'law of diminishing returns' has set in as far as the Aurora's are concerned.
Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
OTTAWA - The Harper government is confirming that it will purchase new surveillance aircraft while keeping most of the military's aging Aurora patrol planes flying until 2020.
The Defence Department will proceed with structural upgrades to keep 10 of the aging Aurora aircraft operating and deal with cracks in their wings as well as other sections of the planes. Canada operates 18 Auroras and it's not clear what will happen to the remaining aircraft.
The military had originally wanted to put a halt to all of the upgrades and structural work and proceed with the purchase of a new surveillance aircraft by 2016. Officers argued that made the most economic sense.
But successful lobbying by aerospace firms, including those in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's riding, derailed that proposal.
Dan Dugas, MacKay's spokesman, said new surveillance planes will be purchased but he did not provide additional details.
"Unlike the previous Liberal government's record of using aircraft well beyond their best-before-date - the Sea Kings come to mind - this government is planning now to buy state-of-the-art aircraft to replace the Aurora," Dugas said Tuesday.
Defence Department officials declined to be interviewed and instead referred CanWest News Service to the department's webpage and a press release on the Aurora.
"The Department will capitalize on these investments by upgrading the structure on the majority of the fleet," MacKay said in the press release. "The investment will keep the aircraft safe and operationally viable until 2020."
The Defence Department will move ahead with the next phase of Aurora modernization, which will involve improvements to radars, computers and other systems. The structural upgrades will also be done to ensure the "longevity and safe operation of these 10 aircraft."
So far, the Defence Department has spent $955 million to modernize the Auroras with new radios and other communications equipment and navigation gear.
The military's recommendation had been to keep the Auroras flying until 2016 without any new upgrades while proceeding with the purchase of the Poseidon surveillance aircraft, the U.S. Navy's successor to its version of the Aurora.
Several years ago Canada was invited by the U.S. to take part in the Poseidon program but declined.
While some air force officers want the Poseidon, a 737 converted into a surveillance aircraft, others are recommending the purchase of a plane similar to the ASTOR surveillance aircraft. That project is underway for Britain's military. ASTOR uses the smaller Bombardier Global Express jet and is designed for providing surveillance of ground targets.
Canadian Defence Department officials have asked aerospace firms for information on both Poseidon and ASTOR.
The Auroras operate out of Canadian Forces Base Comox, B.C., and CFB Greenwood, N.S., and are considered vital for watching over the country's maritime approaches. The aircraft were purchased in the early 1980s to conduct anti-submarine patrols and maritime surveillance.
Ottawa Citizen
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/n...=3054398f-4329-4c1c-b925-f1633fcb0512&k=99428
IMHO, I don't see much point in spending nearly $1b in repairs & 'structural' upgrades every few years on a platform in use since the '80s to the point that now the aircraft's wings have developed 'cracks'.
Why not just take the more economical decision of purchasing a new surveillance aircraft altogether since clearly it seems that the 'law of diminishing returns' has set in as far as the Aurora's are concerned.