RCAF increased spending, new tactical helicopters and AEW
Thread Starter
RCAF increased spending, new tactical helicopters and AEW
It appears Ottawa wants to spend more money on tactical helos to replace the CH-146 Griffons and an AEW platfrom
https://skiesmag.com/news/aew-next-g...VrBEl2ARuhrKTc
At a large shot in the dark, I wonder if Airbus Helicopters H145M could fit the role and perhaps E-7 Wedgetail. Believe NAEWF will be getting some Wedgetail in the future to replace the legacy Sentry...and RCAF does provide some aircrew to them anyhow,.
Any thoughts please?
cheers
https://skiesmag.com/news/aew-next-g...VrBEl2ARuhrKTc
At a large shot in the dark, I wonder if Airbus Helicopters H145M could fit the role and perhaps E-7 Wedgetail. Believe NAEWF will be getting some Wedgetail in the future to replace the legacy Sentry...and RCAF does provide some aircrew to them anyhow,.
Any thoughts please?
cheers
It appears Ottawa wants to spend more money on tactical helos to replace the CH-146 Griffons and an AEW platfrom
https://skiesmag.com/news/aew-next-g...VrBEl2ARuhrKTc
At a large shot in the dark, I wonder if Airbus Helicopters H145M could fit the role and perhaps E-7 Wedgetail. Believe NAEWF will be getting some Wedgetail in the future to replace the legacy Sentry...and RCAF does provide some aircrew to them anyhow,.
Any thoughts please?
cheers
https://skiesmag.com/news/aew-next-g...VrBEl2ARuhrKTc
At a large shot in the dark, I wonder if Airbus Helicopters H145M could fit the role and perhaps E-7 Wedgetail. Believe NAEWF will be getting some Wedgetail in the future to replace the legacy Sentry...and RCAF does provide some aircrew to them anyhow,.
Any thoughts please?
cheers
300 million for awacs. Only real option would be the turbo prop saab. Cant buy a global eye for that and no chance of an E-7. Maybe they throw 300 million into the nato squadron and buy 1/3 of E-7
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CH-146 upgrade... or maybe not?
The Canadian Army has been flying the CH-118 (B205), then the CH-135 (B212), then around 1995 the CH-146 aka Bell 412. In the last 3-4 years there was talk about upgrading them, and i have a couple of articles here.
FlightGlobal (make sure you havent exhausted your free views): takes about an earlier 590 mil deal, then the deal from a year ago 2023 which is a 800 mil which was going be a more thorough upgrade it seems:
from Jan 2024.. Bell secures $1.6bn contract for Canadian CH-146 sustainment | News | Flight Global
Bell counts down to upgraded CH-146 Griffon first flight in 2023 | Shephard (shephardmedia.com) from May 2022
also may 2022 Bell Textron to Modernize Canadian CH-146 Griffon Helicopters (thedefensepost.com)
So it looks like the idea since 2022 or so was to upgrade the CH-146s until into the 2030s.. or 2040s.. and the cost was 591 mil or 800 mil or 1.6 Billion, depending which article, and what year as the program progressed. So Bell and other companion firms were going to upfit the Griffon (not like the Griffone, which is the Bell 412 in Italian service) with radios and engines to maybe put it on par with the UH-60 in terms of speed and surviviabilty. Since these contracts were drawn up, FLRAA happened, and then the Ukranian war, creating new dialogue about copters on the battlefield.
With the article for this forum, I have 3 questions for you:
1) now is this 146- upgrade plan on the chopping block, so funds can be diverted to a FLRAA like program for Canada?
2) Or will the upgrade still take place as planned? Or will it be reduced in scope.
3) What are your thoughts on an upgraded CH-146? Seems cool to me, higher top speed, rockets...
FlightGlobal (make sure you havent exhausted your free views): takes about an earlier 590 mil deal, then the deal from a year ago 2023 which is a 800 mil which was going be a more thorough upgrade it seems:
from Jan 2024.. Bell secures $1.6bn contract for Canadian CH-146 sustainment | News | Flight Global
Bell counts down to upgraded CH-146 Griffon first flight in 2023 | Shephard (shephardmedia.com) from May 2022
also may 2022 Bell Textron to Modernize Canadian CH-146 Griffon Helicopters (thedefensepost.com)
So it looks like the idea since 2022 or so was to upgrade the CH-146s until into the 2030s.. or 2040s.. and the cost was 591 mil or 800 mil or 1.6 Billion, depending which article, and what year as the program progressed. So Bell and other companion firms were going to upfit the Griffon (not like the Griffone, which is the Bell 412 in Italian service) with radios and engines to maybe put it on par with the UH-60 in terms of speed and surviviabilty. Since these contracts were drawn up, FLRAA happened, and then the Ukranian war, creating new dialogue about copters on the battlefield.
With the article for this forum, I have 3 questions for you:
1) now is this 146- upgrade plan on the chopping block, so funds can be diverted to a FLRAA like program for Canada?
2) Or will the upgrade still take place as planned? Or will it be reduced in scope.
3) What are your thoughts on an upgraded CH-146? Seems cool to me, higher top speed, rockets...
Last edited by Copter Appreciator00; 18th Apr 2024 at 03:17. Reason: the text looked odd, and hyper linked
146 GLLE project still going ahead. The GLLE is to remove obsolescence that is limiting the 146 operations in domestic and international airspace. No increase major in capability (speed, payload or survivability)
Last edited by RODF3; 18th Apr 2024 at 13:32. Reason: spooling mistook
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Thread Starter
The Canadian Army has been flying the CH-118 (B205), then the CH-135 (B212), then around 1995 the CH-146 aka Bell 412. In the last 3-4 years there was talk about upgrading them, and i have a couple of articles here.
FlightGlobal (make sure you havent exhausted your free views): takes about an earlier 590 mil deal, then the deal from a year ago 2023 which is a 800 mil which was going be a more thorough upgrade it seems:
from Jan 2024.. Bell secures $1.6bn contract for Canadian CH-146 sustainment | News | Flight Global
Bell counts down to upgraded CH-146 Griffon first flight in 2023 | Shephard (shephardmedia.com) from May 2022
also may 2022 Bell Textron to Modernize Canadian CH-146 Griffon Helicopters (thedefensepost.com)
So it looks like the idea since 2022 or so was to upgrade the CH-146s until into the 2030s.. or 2040s.. and the cost was 591 mil or 800 mil or 1.6 Billion, depending which article, and what year as the program progressed. So Bell and other companion firms were going to upfit the Griffon (not like the Griffone, which is the Bell 412 in Italian service) with radios and engines to maybe put it on par with the UH-60 in terms of speed and surviviabilty. Since these contracts were drawn up, FLRAA happened, and then the Ukranian war, creating new dialogue about copters on the battlefield.
With the article for this forum, I have 3 questions for you:
1) now is this 146- upgrade plan on the chopping block, so funds can be diverted to a FLRAA like program for Canada?
2) Or will the upgrade still take place as planned? Or will it be reduced in scope.
3) What are your thoughts on an upgraded CH-146? Seems cool to me, higher top speed, rockets...
FlightGlobal (make sure you havent exhausted your free views): takes about an earlier 590 mil deal, then the deal from a year ago 2023 which is a 800 mil which was going be a more thorough upgrade it seems:
from Jan 2024.. Bell secures $1.6bn contract for Canadian CH-146 sustainment | News | Flight Global
Bell counts down to upgraded CH-146 Griffon first flight in 2023 | Shephard (shephardmedia.com) from May 2022
also may 2022 Bell Textron to Modernize Canadian CH-146 Griffon Helicopters (thedefensepost.com)
So it looks like the idea since 2022 or so was to upgrade the CH-146s until into the 2030s.. or 2040s.. and the cost was 591 mil or 800 mil or 1.6 Billion, depending which article, and what year as the program progressed. So Bell and other companion firms were going to upfit the Griffon (not like the Griffone, which is the Bell 412 in Italian service) with radios and engines to maybe put it on par with the UH-60 in terms of speed and surviviabilty. Since these contracts were drawn up, FLRAA happened, and then the Ukranian war, creating new dialogue about copters on the battlefield.
With the article for this forum, I have 3 questions for you:
1) now is this 146- upgrade plan on the chopping block, so funds can be diverted to a FLRAA like program for Canada?
2) Or will the upgrade still take place as planned? Or will it be reduced in scope.
3) What are your thoughts on an upgraded CH-146? Seems cool to me, higher top speed, rockets...
also don’t forget the CH-136 Kiowa that time plus CH-147 Chinooks were also replaced by the Griffon here’s my photo from attending my very first Farnborough Air Show 1996 ,
in a lot of peeps eyes especially those servicing thought it was a silly idea for one airframe to replace all especially getting rid of heavy lift cap. The heavy lift cap on returned with lease of US Army CH-47D in Afghanistan as well as leased MI26. Then few years later …actually brand new factory fresh CH-147F Chinook AND RCAF being the First with conformal tanks built in. Thankfully managed to see them at RIAT 2017 (my photos below)
So now back full time in the heavylift business for nearly a decade ..
The upgrade for the 146, is interesting but like you guys mentioned, limited in still range and payload… mind you how the RCAF coped with it as a work horse on its own for 2 decades and of course. Also when they had bases in then West Germany at Lahr , that 444 Sqn only equipped with the CH-136 Kiowa only as observation platform but would have expected likes of CH-118 or CH-135 based to support their troops.
cheers
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