CASR
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Canada in Afghanistan – NATO –
Medium-Lift Helicopter Assets – March 2008 Afghan Medium-Lift – Searching for Available NATO Mil Helicopters Stephen Priestley, Researcher, Canadian American Strategic Review (CASR) [ Update 22 March 2008 – According to a Jane's Defence Weekly report, Canada has agreed to buy six used CH-46D Chinooks selected by the US Army. Even these used helicopters will not be available until Jan 2009 at the earliest. So, the medium-lift helicopter shortage remains.] As was widely reported, Poland has promised Canada access to two of its four Mi-17 Hip H medium-lift transport helicopters which are soon to deploy to Kandahar. This is a generous offer by Poland and Canada is fortunate to have access to these two refurbished helicopters (along with the non-exclusive use of the helicopters of other allies in southern Afghanistan – Chinooks from Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, and the US, plus Dutch Cougars and US Black Hawks). However, the planned Canadian Chinooks will probably not arrive until 2012. In the meantime, Canada will need still more help from its friends in that medium-lift category. [ Update 31 March 2008 – CP reports that four additional Polish Mi-17s may be available for Canadian Forces at Kandahar Airfield on “...a contribution basis”. This report has yet to be confirmed but a Canadian delegation is scheduled to visit Warsaw directly after Bucharest.] Attempts by DND and the Minister of National Defence to secure access to the Chinooks of our Western European NATO allies have failed. Germany offered to lease surplus CH-53 Sea Stallions but this was declined – these older helicopters would need upgrades to operate in Afghanistan. That leaves Canada to contemplate the availablity of Mil Mi-8/17 helicopters in Eastern Europe. The Poles have already stepped up. What of our other Eastern NATO allies? Their helicopters run the gamut from Soviet-era Mi-8 Hips approaching retirement age (some are already in storage) to the very newest production model Mi-17s. Note that the latter heli- copter was developed in direct response to the Russian combat experiences in Afghanistan. We will survey the various Mil medium-lift helicopters currently in use by our NATO allies. The Eastern European NATO Mil-using nations will be broken down by region – Poland and the Baltic; the Black Sea (Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey); Central Europe (Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic), with a separate, detailed look at the latest Czech Air Force Mi-171Š.
NATO Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 Helicopters (arranged regionally by NATO member state) • Poland and the Baltic States Covering the Polish Army Mi-17AE medevac conversions (Polish Mi-17 V-1 have already been examined) and Mils of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. • The Black Sea NATO Members Covers Mi-8s of the Romanian and Bulgarian Air Forces and the Mi-17 V-1 fleet operated by Turkey’s Gendarme – a force already in Afghanistan. • Central European NATO Members Covers Hungarian, Slovak, and Czech Mi-8 / Mi-17s. • Czech Air Force Mi-171Š the latest model of Mi-17 in Czech service has uprated engines for ‘hot-and-high’ performance, NATO-compatible avionics, and comprehensive defensive aids. Ideal for Afghanistan but will the Czechs deploy their only modern utility helicopters? [Note: there have been other NATO Mil users. Germany inherited Mi-8s (and the Mi-14 Haze amphibian) from the former DDR but all Hips were retired in 1996 and the Mi-14s civilianized. Greece also evaluated an Mi-17 V-1 in mid 2000 for possible future use by the Hellenic Army.] |
