Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/103039
Air Force A the same games. It was developed by a few countries, has a much smaller fleet and doesn't have the same modernization programs and processes to keep it modern. This is an advantage we have with the F-18 and we would like to have it with the next platform. On next gen fighter capability as a more sophisticated ISR platform: Right now I rely on the F-18 pilot to tell me what's happening; I don't necessarily see what is out there. With the technology of more modern fighters, it's going to be my eyes, my ears: I can see what is happening on the ground, in the air, and I can see it from an ops centre. I'm using all the airplanes sensors to extend the reach of my ops centre. It's going to change the way I do operations, especially in the Arctic. On developing connectivity between air force platforms: We've put some emphasis on this in the last couple of years. I don't see it as a huge challenge but maybe we need to ensure we are connecting the dots. With recent operations, I think some of it has come naturally. In Libya, the CP-140 was supposed to be there for the navy but ended up doing ISR operations and eventually fire control for the fighters over land. I actually had controllers in the back on an Aurora with the ISR assets looking at the situation on the ground and being able to call in and direct fighters. This was a new concept that we had never used before, and the guys worked really well together. Now we are looking for opportunities to build on this and get them together more often. On the JUSTAS (Joint UNMANNED Surveillance and Target Acquisition System) program and the possibility of a family of UAVs or other alternatives: JUSTAS has gone through a few chapters. The first requirement was in Afghanistan but there was recognition that once Afghanistan is over, we'd like something to help in Canada. But the MALEs (medium altitude, long endurance) we were considering at that time operated at speeds that were fine for Afghanistan but not for long distances in Canada. If I have to fly to the Arctic or out over the Atlantic at 30,000 feet and I've got a 100-knot wind on the nose and I'm flying 150 knots, it's going to take a long time to reach the Arctic, do something and try to come back. A HALE can fly at 60,000 feet, faster, and with more range, but it's very, very expensive. So what about a combination of MALEs for maritime patrol and a few HALEs for the Arctic? You can operate two fleets, but it costs a lot more money than we initially figured. And I'd like to get away from the very expensive HALEs. The fact that we didn't move quickly into UAVs is probably a good thing; the technology is moving toward where we may have something in between. There are a few MALEs coming with a jet engine that gives you better speed. If you have a 250-knots MALE with close to the same endurance, you've got a compromise. Personally, this is what I would like to have: something in between that gives me reach to the Arctic but something that I can use tactically as well. Given how fast technology is evolving, there are going to be some much better airplanes that you wish you'd waited for. So I wouldn't want to go too far into a very expensive platform. We're starting to see a couple of platforms. The Europeans are developing one, the Americans are developing a new generation of a follow-on to the Predator, which could have potential. So for me it is worthwhile to wait a bit and look at what is coming out. On the capability of the recently stood up Expeditionary Wing in Bagotville: We're up to around 115 people. The plan is to get it up to 250 by next summer, and eventually to 550. At 250 we are going to start to have an operational capability. I'm actually pressuring the 115 to have an initial capability right now. I want to be able to support an operation if I have to with a nucleus of people. We are looking at this concept as the key enabler to any kind of air operation outside of Canada. It's something that is scalable, a team of people that can go with the first airplanes to set up an operational camp and support the commander. It's tactical command support and fast deployable. And at 550 people, we'll be able to support a couple of operations at the same time. We'll be able to support in austere locations like Jacmel, where we had to bring our own air traffic control, our own ways to refuel the airplane, the tents for people to sleep, everything. www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 19