A
AIR FORCE
24 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com
A
fter a great deal of complaints, accusations, and lateness,
the Government of Canada accepted six interim CH-148
Cyclone helicopters (H-92 in the U.S) from Sikorsky on
Thursday, June 18. A bevy of three cabinet ministers were
on hand to mark the occasion before a limited audience of military
members and media.
The event was surrealistic. It seemed that the aircraft arrayed be-
hind the podium were merely props for a very deliberately orches-
trated political event. The media were allowed to ask questions after
the ministers' opening statements, but only on the grounds that the
information gained would be used as background material: no direct
citation was permitted. With that restriction imposed unexpectedly, a
large part of the media contingent packed up and left. The politicians,
however, got their sound bites for the evening news and pictures of
themselves in front of the helicopters, which is probably what they re-
ally were after anyway.
When the remaining media were finally
allowed to ask questions, their attempts
failed to produce any useful information.
Asked if the aircraft mission software had
been completed, a longstanding point of
Ken Hansen is an Adjunct Professor in
Graduate Studies (Poli Sci) with Dalhousie
University and a retired naval commander
with 33 years of service.
FROM POLITICS
TO PERFORMANCE
The CH-148 Cyclone
puts distance
behind its
troubled past
The Royal Canadian Air Force ocially
accepted its first six CH-148 Cyclone
maritime helicopters on June 19, 2015,
at 12 Wing Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
PHOTO: Corporal True-dee
McCarthy
