Readiness a Problem for Canada’s Aircraft
(click to view full)
Figures laid before the Canadian Senate’s Security and Defence Committee are calling the readiness of Canada’s maritime airframes into serious question. This is not a surprise when fleets are composed of aircraft that are 30 years old, or older. It is a surprise when that record is shared by a new platform.
Despite a slew of upgrades that recently got 2 of its P-3/CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft sent to map key areas in Afghanistan, only 45% (9/20) are available at any one time. That fleet’s other duties include patrolling Canada’s long Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Ocean coasts. Its 1960s-era H-3/CH-124 Sea Kings, which have been described as “10,000 nuts and bolts flying in formation,” have an availability rate of just 35.7% (10/28).
These kinds of problems are not uncommon in aging aircraft. In November 2008, Canada ordered ASLEP partial wing replacement kits for its CP-140s, as part of an effort to keep its fleet serviceable. Meanwhile, several of its C-130E/H Hercules aircraft, which can also be pressed into SAR (search-and-rescue) duties if required, have exceeded a staggering 40,000 flight hours. They are due for replacement by C-130J Super Hercules planes, just as the Sea King helicopters are due for eventual replacement by Sikorsky’s delayed H-92/CH-148 Cyclone.
The most surprising figure involves Canada’s new EH101/CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters, whose maintenance is handled by IMP Group Ltd. At present, only 50% (7/14) can be called upon for duty at any given time. This is surprising for a new aircraft, but it is congruent with other countries’ experiences. Britain’s Conservative Party issued a January 2008 release that cited the “fit for service” readiness of their EH101 Merlin Mk1 (Navy) and Mk3 (Army) fleets at just 43-55%.
