Background  ~  Previous Articles  ~  2007

The most recent CASR Background articles can be found listed in the BG  Index.

Background  —  Previous Articles  —  2007

Canadian Aerospace  –  Aircraft and Industry
Third in a series: Raytheon Sentinel R1 battle- field surveillance platform to meet ASTOR, an RAF requirement. The Sentinel R1 is based on the Bombardier Global Express bizjet airframe.

Global Express  as an Aurora Replacement?
Media reports have confused the Sentinel R1
or "ASTOR" with a proposed  maritime patrol variant of Bombardier's Global Express. This new page focuses exclusively on that variant.

The CP-140 Aurora Replacement Candidates
With the closing of the Aurora modernization, thought must be given to replacements. Direct replacements are limited to three types: EADS MPA320 /'A319,  Boeing P-8A, and  KHI P-X. All are future designs, closer to CF timing is BAE System's MRA4 Nimrod update. Another option  is a reconnaissance derivative of  the Bombardier Global Express. The final (and least plausible) option is one of many P-3C Orion rebuild proposals.

Fixed-Wing  Search  and  Rescue  Project
FWSAR, the on-again/off-again  project  to replace six  remaining  CC-115 Buffalos  and remove SAR from the list of primary CC-130 Hercules duties.  There are  two candidates.

Pacific Beginnings:  Origins of  the Orca
The new Orca class  Patrol Craft, Training boat sprang from Australian roots.  Like a number of patrol craft in Orca's size range, the hull design is based on Tenix's Pacific class. Orca's closest relative is the RAN's Seahorse Mercator navigation trainer.

The Armoured Heavy Support Vehicle
Canada has order 86 Actros AHSVS for Afghanistan. Cargo AHSVS will replace HLVWs, there is also a tank transporter
on order  for  the Leopard 2 A6M tanks.

Force Protection Cougar/Buffalo Route-Provers
Canada has order five each of  FPI's Cougar and  Buffalo blast-protected vehicles as part of  a new "Expedient  Route-Opening  Capability" for  EOD
( Explosive Ordnance Disposal )  in  Afghanistan. Also see: new South Africa Mine Detector Vehicle, the RSD DCD-Dorbyl Husky

Dutch Leopard 2 A4 and 2 A6Ms
The rumours are confirmed. Canada will lease 20 Leopard 2 A6Ms from Germany. The mine-protected tanks will later be replaced by 20 2 A6Ms and 80 Leopard 2 A4s bought from Holland.  These tanks will arrive in  Fall  2007.

JUSTAS – the CF HALE/MALE UAV Project
JUSTAS is a $500M project to procure UAVs
to patrol East, West, and  then Arctic coasts. High- & medium-altitude UAVs are reviewed and six candidate UAVs (one HALE and five MALE UAVs) are reviewed in detail.

 Buffalo Wings  –  New Engines  for the CC-115s?
"Extending the life of the existing Buffalo...fleet is an option under consideration", DND announced on 16 Feb. 2007. But, if engine conversions, what engines?

Leopard 2 A6M – ein neues Panzer ?
Canada has been arranging to lease 20 Leopard 2 A6M mine-protected  tanks for Afghanistan and (possibly) to also buy 80 surplus German Leopard 2 A4s.

'Triple 7': M777 155mm Towed Howitzer The M777 was one of  the  Nov. 2005  IOR orders and a conspicuous success. In late December 2006,  CP reported  that options on 6 more M777 howitzers had been filled.

Light Armoured  Reconnaissance Vehicle  Project The LARV Project, announced in January 2006, was described as a "mini-Coyote".  This planned vehicle
is meant to fill a slot between the large Coyote recce
type and  the slightly smaller G-wagon C&R variant.

Support Vehicles for the Leopards in Afghanistan To perform  their mission,  CF  tanks  need  back-up from Taurus ARV armoured recovery vehicles and the Badger AEV  armoured  engineering vehicles.

LAV  TUA  ( LAV  TOW-Under-Armour)  Project
LAV TUA is the simplest of the three DFS projects. As an expediency, the turret from the tracked M113 TUA is being upgraded and transfered to a LAV III hull. LdSH(RC) are field testing the wheeled TUAs.

Joint Support Ship Project
We have reviewed JSS and
a number of preferable alter- natives in the past. Here we compare specifications for some of those alternatives to the confused JSS project.

Remote Control Heavy Machine Gun  (RCHMG)  Project
The RCHMG Project is intended to provide Navy frigates and MCDVs with a close-in defence system which can be operated under protection ( from weather and hostile fire ) unlike the current, exposed, crew-operated  machineguns.