Canada needs search and
rescue aircraft. Between long distances,
aging aircraft and public displeasure measured in Media reports of SAR
failures, we are long overdue for new aircraft and an improved search and
rescue organization. Its importance is even higher considering that a new multilateral
SAR treaty, a legally binding agreement, commits Canada to meet its Arctic SAR
responsibilities.
Right now the Fixed Wing
Search and Rescue Aircraft (FWSAR) Project is wending its way through the
byzantine labyrinth of government and military approval. The favoured aircraft
is the Alenia C-27 Spartan, a twin engine military transport with a high degree
of commonality to the Hercules C-130J. In fact it has long been believed in some quarters that the RCAF
statement of operational requirements for the role was tailored with the
object of increasing the possibility that the C-27 would be acquired.
The other main contender for the role is the
EADS CASA C-295, a similar twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain. Unfortunately for Airbus the C-27J
Spartan is the favoured FWSAR aircraft because it meets requirements for high
transit speeds between southern air bases and the Arctic for SAR missions.
The current model for delivery of Search and
Rescue services to the Canadian public revolves around using RCAF aircraft.
These aircraft have a dual use. By using military grade cargo aircraft for
FWSAR the Air Force improves its military capabilities at the same time that it
provides the bulk of our national Search & Rescue assets. The same model predicates their use from
southern bases, an incredibly long distance from Canada’s North. (3500 km, more
than the distance from Victoria to Toronto)
If civilian style cargo aircraft, which are less
expensive, were procured by the Armed Forces for the FWSAR program they could
meet the requirements for Search and Rescue and save money but they would not
provide the airlift capabilities needed by the Armed Forces. If military style
cargo aircraft had to be procured by the Forces in addition to Search and
Rescue aircraft any savings would be lost. If no military cargo aircraft were
procured for the RCAF. then military
capability would be lost.
This impeccable logic leads directly to the
C-27 as the favoured aircraft for the FWSAR program. The logic only holds,
however, if one favours the model for Search & Rescue held by the
Department of National Defence. It is considered to be a high profile job for the
Armed forces and they would hate to lose it. High profile it may be with the
public, but Search and Rescue has seldom been accorded the same priority with
the Forces as it has with that public. It is difficult to even ascertain from
the Departments website who is responsible for Search & Rescue, other than the
senior officer for Canada Command (a headquarters unit soon to disappear). It might even be said that its importance to
the Armed Forces only becomes noticeable when it is suggested that some other
agency take the lead in providing the service.
In many countries much of search and rescue is
performed by private companies or government supported volunteers. There are
many possible whole of government approaches to providing Search & Rescue
services. The Canadian Armed Forces are only part of the puzzle.
One answer is to upgrade Northern Search and
Rescue by procuring more, new, Viking Twin Otters for use in the north. They
could easily, and far more cheaply, be flown by reserve squadrons. A small number (four?) C-130 Hercules
aircraft could be refurbished with at least two of them being based in rotation
in the north. In the south, Government supported volunteers based on the successful
U.S. Civil Air Patrol could be complemented by larger civilian style aircraft run by which
ever department of government is considered appropriate and using military
aircraft as necessary.
The military should get on with their real job
of providing military capability for Canada and leave Search & Rescue to
organizations that can treat it as their number one priority.
