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A Modest Proposal
— FWSAR & Arctic Utility — An Interim Solution |
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The Air Force's only permanent presence in the North is 4 aged CC-138 Twin Otters. The plans to replace these small, STOL aircraft have been shelved.
Instead, CC-138s are to be re-winged to extend their useful lives. New wings are built by Viking near
Victoria. That is a long way from 440 Squadron's base at Yellowknife. It could be beneficial to reshuffle
current CF STOL transport assets – both 'Twotters' and Buffalos.
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The half dozen 442 Squadron CC-115 Buffalo at CFB Comox
on Vancouver Island are also getting on. These tactical transports rarely use their STOL capabilities. The result is
aircraft running out of parts before airframe life. In the summer, 442's aircraft do fly Arctic resupply missions but mostly the Buffs drone
up and down the BC coast. The CC-115 could be put to better use. We have recommended contractor-operated aerial SAR in the past. So how to get there? A
trial period would be a start. Contracted services could be tested with Air Force SAR aircraft in
reserve.
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Relieving the CC-115s of their dedicated FWSAR role would accomplish more than freeing up transport
aircraft for Arctic resupply flights. It could also ease the Air Force's spare part supply problem. Yellowknife
is also home to Arctic Sunwest, sole civilian Buffalo operator in Canada. This airline faces the same spare
parts woes as DND. The difference is that Arctic Sunwest can move quickly when supplies of Buffalo
spares do appear on the market – DND cannot. [3] Subcontracting parts sourcing
would solve the CC-115's supply problem. [4]
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Of course, Yellowknife is not that far north. The obvious move is to establish a CC-115 detachment at Nanisivik
temporarily, until that airport has the infrastructure to sustain year-round Air Force operations. A Nanisivik det
would be within easy flying distance of the Army training facility at Resolute Bay, CFS Eureka, and Iqaluit
(the
closest major international airport, acting as supply distribution point). When infrastructure and navaids at
Nanisivik reach acceptable levels the Buffalo detachment could be joined by the re-winged Twin
Otters, assuming that the contracted SAR service trials have been a success. Nanisivik could then
become a hub for all CF Arctic transport flights.
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The immediate proposal is this: transfer six Buffalo (and their 442 crews) to Yellowknife
as transports; transfer the four Twin Otters (and their 440 crews) to Comox for
short-range back-up to the contracted SAR; transfer two CC-130H Hercules to Comox for long-range SAR
back-up; leave the balance of the CC-130H fleet where they are temporarily for SAR – until their
regions' SAR can also be contracted out.
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[1] The nine original CC-138 Twin Otters were purchased to act as search and rescue aircraft, operating from
CFB Namao, near Edmonton.
[2] The thinly-populated Canadian High Arctic is one region that is unlikley to attract private contractors for
aerial SAR. The military will still be needed to fill the SAR role in this challenging environment. Of course,
Yellowknife-based CC-115s would still be available (on call) for SAR use in the Canadian Rockies as well
– just as 440 Twin Otters are now (all suitable CF aircraft being available for
back-up SAR).
[3] Unlike other Buffalo operators which can move quickly to bid on rare DHC-5 parts whenever they become
available, DND must follow government procurement policies. The Air Force
must first go through Treasury Board and then follow lengthy Public Works procedures.
[4] Since only 126 DHC-5 Buffalos were built, spares have never been common. Major components can be built by
Viking Aircraft (which now own rights to this aircraft). The difficulty is the small, work-a-day parts. On top
of all this, the CC-115 is an early DHC-5A model. But so too are the Arctic Sunwest aircraft. DND could also
share Arctic Sunwest's 'heavy check' arrangement with Contract Aero of Penticton.
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CF back-up aircraft for the contractor-operated SAR flights would be 440 Squadron's CC-138s relocated to Comox.
Twin Otters have done this work before [1] and the aircraft would then be a short hop from Pat Bay where
their new wings will be fitted. Meanwhile, 442 Squadron Buffalos would go up to
Yellowknife. From there, Buffs would help assert sovereignty in the Arctic while still
being available for SAR missions.[2]