Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/196923
Search and rescue S Advanced technology it is difficult to appreciate the other critical operational requirements, which can and do make a vital difference in conducting successful search and rescue operations and ultimately saving lives. Some such requirements include: •Cabin size: The aircraft cabin must be sufficiently large to allow for the on-board transport of essential equipment, while still allowing enough space to enable the SAR crews to effectively search and when necessary, conduct rescue operations, without endangering the safety of the men and women conducting the mission. •Cockpit visibility: Unobstructed cockpit visibility is essential to enable confined low level search patterns within the tight confines of the mountains, or during very limiting weather conditions. •Manoeuvrability: As a search platform, the aircraft must be highly manoeuvrable at slow speeds and capable of operating in mountainous terrain. Given the vastness of our country, the limitations of the resources available, and the unpredictability of where events occur, there is little doubt that arriving on scene in time to make a difference will always be the key challenge. We know that survival is directly proportional to the time it takes for the rescue team to arrive on site. In a world without resource limitations there would never be a problem because the rescue aircraft would be close enough or fast enough to reach downed survivors in time. Canada's fiscal reality, however, will not permit unlimited resources to be applied to this task, so in the end, it will come down to doing the best we can with the resources we have available. Today, almost 10 years after the initial launch of the FWSAR program, after much debate and after the release of the National Research Council's comprehensive analysis of the program (that yielded a robust set of recommendations for a revised SOR), Canada, by all accounts, is confident that they have successfully produced a capability-based SOR, upon which to conduct an open competition. If all goes well, the acquisition process should yield a capable, best-value solution that can serve Canada's FWSAR needs for years to come. In 2004, when the process to replace the Buffalo and older Hercules aircraft first started, the focus was arguably more on the rescue component of the operation, some might say to the detriment of the search component. True or not, Canada's views have definitely evolved and there is now considerable focus in the recently released draft RFP on the critical aspect of procuring state-of-theart sensor technology to aid in the rapid location of the object of the search mission. Canada is logically and appropriately looking for the new FWSAR solution to have a capable suite of sensors that will give SAR crews the very best chance of finding those in need, as quickly as possible. The capability-based requirements call for a mandatory suite of sensors that include a search radar, infrared and electro-optic camera and a mission management system that are optimally integrated with the aircraft's flight management system. While this might sound complex, when compared to other more complex military systems, the FWSAR mission system should be achievable with minimal risk for all competitors. Unlike the maritime patrol or fighter aircraft, both of which employ multiple additional sensors, including acoustic sensors, self-defence system sensors and weapon delivery sensors, the FWSAR mission suite has only to deal with finding targets and assisting crews to vector in on the site as quickly as possible. In the early days of the FWSAR project, DND and the RCAF sought rough order magnitude funding for a capability envisioned to simply replace the existing platforms, with only limited thought given to advances in mandatory airworthiness standards, and the need for a modern mission sensor suite. These and other changes have undoubtedly increased the cost of properly performing Canada's challenging SAR mission, putting pressure on an already limited budget. We should expect, however, that all competitors in the FWSAR replacement competition are working hard to provide an affordable, best-value solution for Canadians, one that will provide the RCAF and the hard working, professional SAR crews with the tools they need to perform this essential, demanding task. After all, search and rescue is critical business, one where failure is not an option. James Steven Lucas and Richard Mohns recently joined Team Spartan, a consortium led by Alenia Aermacchi that includes General Dynamics Canada, DRS Technologies, Esterline CMC Electronics and FLYHT Aerospace. The team will bid the C-27J Spartan for the FWSAR program. LGen Lucas is a former Chief of Air Staff Richard Mohns and Commander of the Air Command while Col Mohns is a former director of Training and Education Policy for the Canadian Forces. Both will play significant roles in Team Spartan's government relations operations, bidding process, and overall management of the FWSAR program. www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 27