Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2019 13 In February, the Government announced we'll be upgrading and extending the life of the CH-146 Griffon helicopter fleet (85 aircra) with an overall investment of about $800 million. interview Two Griffons li off on route to their next location during Exercise CHARGING BISON 06 from 30 April to 6 May, 2016. Photo: Cpl Bill Gomm, DND. the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with advice pertaining to current and future air power requirements with the aim of maintaining and develop- ing the most relevant and capable air force possible. More specifically, my area of re- sponsibility focuses on all RCAF aircraft capabilities, with the exception of fighter aircraft and their associated training fleets that are managed separately. Central to accomplishing my responsibili- ties, my team and I need to have an eye on the future to stay at the forefront of tech- nological development while maintaining awareness of evolutions to our current capa- bilities to maintain safety and effectiveness. Q Canada's current defence policy, Strong Secure Engaged (SSE), plays a vital role in ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces, which includes the RCAF, are well prepared and equipped to protect Canada both at home and abroad. How much of an impact does SSE have on your job? The direction and guidance provided by the SSE Defence policy has had a signifi- cant impact on my job. It has confirmed and informed the direction of our future work as well as identifying long-term funds for the CAF and RCAF to advance procurement of necessary capabilities to be strong at home, secure in North Amer- ica, and engaged in the world. It has al- lowed my staff to shift more of our focus towards future requirements and our next generation of air power capabilities. Q Since its release in June 2017, what are some of the new initiatives from SSE for the RCAF that have been completed to date? SSE is the Government's long-term plan for Defence, and within that, there is a tremendous amount of initiative and fo- cus on the Air Force. The RCAF has 17 large projects expected to deliver over the 20 years described within SSE, and it pro- vides us the policy guidance and road map to accomplish them. Given the magnitude and complexity of such projects, it is antic- ipated that it will take several years before they can be completed. However, SSE has enabled a tremendous amount of progress to occur in the short time since it was re- leased in June 2017. For example: Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade Project - The CMLU project will extend the life of the CH-149 fleet to at least 2042 and augment to address a capability deficiency at the Trenton Main Operating Base – which is currently using CH-146 Griffons for SAR operations – improve maintenance regimes, and solutions. Griffon Limited Life Extension - In February, the Government announced we'll be upgrading and extending the life of the CH-146 Griffon helicopter fleet (85 aircraft) with an overall invest- ment of about $800 million. This will be accomplished by replacing a number of the aircraft's avionics systems (including

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