Latest news with #KenedSadiku
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Why Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters were grounded for 27 days in May
The Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters weren't flying for 27 days in May due to a lack of spare parts, and only one of them is now able to take to the skies. Canada has 26 of the ship-borne maritime helicopters, with a final one slated for delivery this year. The $5.8-billion fleet is normally used to provide air support for the Royal Canadian Navy. Their missions include surface and subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare. 'On May 1, the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division ordered a temporary pause to flying operations for the CH-148 Cyclone fleet, after questions emerged in late April about whether various spare parts for the aircraft were potentially in use beyond their service life. The temporary pause to flying operations was lifted as of May 27,' Kened Sadiku, who speaks for the Department of National Defence (DND), said in an email. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Certain aircraft components have a defined service life to ensure continued safety and airworthiness. Because using parts beyond their defined service life would pose risks to the safety of personnel and equipment, the decision was made to temporarily pause flight operations until certainty is regained.' DND, the military and Sikorsky, which manufactured the helicopters, 'have been working together to identify potential parts of concern. This includes components of the Cyclone's landing gear, tail rotor driveshaft flange and auxiliary power unit, as well as engine parts,' Sadiku said. As of this past Wednesday, one Cyclone, now on deployment, returned to flying operations, he said. 'The team works to do the same for the rest of the fleet.' The Cyclone 'fleet is currently facing some challenges, such as aging datalink systems as well as sensor and other capabilities that are overdue for important upgrades,' he said. 'Specific details, however, cannot be provided for reasons of operational security.' 'The Cyclone remains capable of supporting Royal Canadian Navy operations and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.' Sadiku wouldn't confirm Sikorsky has put a hefty price tag on replacing the Cyclones' ageing datalinks — used to communicate digital information such as radar images to other aircraft, warships and shore bases. 'The datalink upgrade project is still under evaluation, as such, schedule and costs are still being negotiated.' The military has flown other helicopters off the navy's warships before. 'In the past, CH-146 Griffons have landed on Royal Canadian Navy vessels in certain operational contexts (specifically, the relief efforts to Haiti in the wake of the 2010 earthquake,' Sadiku said. 'However, none of the Royal Canadian Air Force's helicopter fleets (besides the CH-148 Cyclone) are capable of fulfilling the maritime helicopter role in support of the Royal Canadian Navy.' Paul Martin's Liberal government announced in 2004 that the Cyclones would replace Canada's ageing fleet of CH-124 Sea King helicopters. 'The Cyclones are what we call an orphan fleet,' said retired colonel Larry McWha, an aviation expert who commanded 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron at 12 Wing Shearwater, when it flew Sea Kings. That means many suppliers aren't interested in producing parts for the Cyclones, McWha said. 'It's going to cost us money to keep (the fleet) viable.' McWha lives on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. 'I used to see Sea Kings flying by here all the time,' he said. 'I have extremely rarely ever seen a Cyclone flying by.' Canada lost a Cyclone on April 29, 2020 when one of the helicopters crashed into the Ionian Sea, claiming the lives of six Canadian Armed Forces members. Months later, senior military officials said there was a 'conflict' or 'competition' between the Cyclone and its pilot moments before the aircraft, known as Stalker 22, plunged into the water off the coast of Greece. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Why Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters were grounded for 27 days in May
Article content The Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters weren't flying for 27 days in May due to a lack of spare parts, and only one of them is now able to take to the skies. Article content Article content Canada has 26 of the ship-borne maritime helicopters, with a final one slated for delivery this year. The $5.8-billion fleet is normally used to provide air support for the Royal Canadian Navy. Their missions include surface and subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare. Article content Article content 'On May 1, the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division ordered a temporary pause to flying operations for the CH-148 Cyclone fleet, after questions emerged in late April about whether various spare parts for the aircraft were potentially in use beyond their service life. The temporary pause to flying operations was lifted as of May 27,' Kened Sadiku, who speaks for the Department of National Defence (DND), said in an email. Article content Article content 'Certain aircraft components have a defined service life to ensure continued safety and airworthiness. Because using parts beyond their defined service life would pose risks to the safety of personnel and equipment, the decision was made to temporarily pause flight operations until certainty is regained.' Article content Article content DND, the military and Sikorsky, which manufactured the helicopters, 'have been working together to identify potential parts of concern. This includes components of the Cyclone's landing gear, tail rotor driveshaft flange and auxiliary power unit, as well as engine parts,' Sadiku said. Article content Article content As of this past Wednesday, one Cyclone, now on deployment, returned to flying operations, he said. 'The team works to do the same for the rest of the fleet.' Article content The Cyclone 'fleet is currently facing some challenges, such as aging datalink systems as well as sensor and other capabilities that are overdue for important upgrades,' he said. 'Specific details, however, cannot be provided for reasons of operational security.' Article content Military and government officials 'are working together with industry partners to determine a way forward for the aircraft and the capabilities it supports,' Sadiku said.
National Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Why Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters were grounded for 27 days in May
The Canadian military's Cyclone helicopters weren't flying for 27 days in May due to a lack of spare parts, and only one of them is now able to take to the skies. Article content Article content Canada has 26 of the ship-borne maritime helicopters, with a final one slated for delivery this year. The $5.8-billion fleet is normally used to provide air support for the Royal Canadian Navy. Their missions include surface and subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare. Article content 'On May 1, the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division ordered a temporary pause to flying operations for the CH-148 Cyclone fleet, after questions emerged in late April about whether various spare parts for the aircraft were potentially in use beyond their service life. The temporary pause to flying operations was lifted as of May 27,' Kened Sadiku, who speaks for the Department of National Defence (DND), said in an email. Article content Article content 'Certain aircraft components have a defined service life to ensure continued safety and airworthiness. Because using parts beyond their defined service life would pose risks to the safety of personnel and equipment, the decision was made to temporarily pause flight operations until certainty is regained.' Article content DND, the military and Sikorsky, which manufactured the helicopters, 'have been working together to identify potential parts of concern. This includes components of the Cyclone's landing gear, tail rotor driveshaft flange and auxiliary power unit, as well as engine parts,' Sadiku said. Article content Article content As of this past Wednesday, one Cyclone, now on deployment, returned to flying operations, he said. 'The team works to do the same for the rest of the fleet.' Article content Article content The Cyclone 'fleet is currently facing some challenges, such as aging datalink systems as well as sensor and other capabilities that are overdue for important upgrades,' he said. 'Specific details, however, cannot be provided for reasons of operational security.' Article content Military and government officials 'are working together with industry partners to determine a way forward for the aircraft and the capabilities it supports,' Sadiku said. Article content 'The Cyclone remains capable of supporting Royal Canadian Navy operations and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.' Article content Sadiku wouldn't confirm Sikorsky has put a hefty price tag on replacing the Cyclones' ageing datalinks — used to communicate digital information such as radar images to other aircraft, warships and shore bases. 'The datalink upgrade project is still under evaluation, as such, schedule and costs are still being negotiated.'
Ottawa Citizen
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Stocks on new Canadian Ranger rifles are cracking and need to be replaced
Article content Stocks on the new rifles issued to Canadian Rangers for use in the far north are cracking and have to be replaced because they can't withstand excessive moisture. Article content Article content In addition, the lamination on the C-19 rifle wood stocks is peeling off, the Department of National Defence acknowledged. Article content Soldiers tipped off the Ottawa Citizen about the problems with the relatively new rifles and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the weapons. Article content Article content One hundred and fifty-six of the rifles were initially deemed as unusable but the majority of the guns are still being used despite the problems, according to the DND. Article content The Canadian Forces ordered more than 6,800 of the rifles from Colt Canada in Kitchener, Ont., with deliveries beginning in March 2018. The contract was for $32.8 million. Article content The .308 C-19 replaced the Lee Enfield .303 rifle that had been used by Canadian Rangers since 1947. The Lee Enfield had a wooden stock. The C19 is lighter, shorter and more precise, according to the Canadian Forces. Article content Canadian Rangers noticed the problems with the rifles shortly after the first ones were delivered. Additional concerns were raised in 2019 about 'premature C-19 Ranger Rifle stock cracking,' DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku said in an email. Article content 'Testing concluded that the wood used for these C-19 stock lacked sufficient protective finish to properly seal and protect the wood from extreme environmental exposure, resulting in the wood being susceptible to moisture absorption and shrinkage,' said Sadiku. 'The test also indicated that the glue used in some of the C-19 stock exhibited early and unexpected laminate separation.' Article content Under the contract, the rifles were required to withstand extremely cold temperatures in the Arctic as well as moderate-to-high humidity in the coastal and forested regions of the country. Article content Article content 'Based on the initial C19 Ranger Rifle procurement, the performance requirements were met,' Sadiku stated. 'The current issue with the C19 Ranger Rifle stock became apparent after and therefore, DND intends to cover the cost for the replacement.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Russian and Chinese hypersonic missile threat prompts DND to focus on how to stop such weapons
As Russia and China make advancements on hypersonic missiles, Canada has reactivated a test facility related to such weapons that hasn't been in use for the past 20 years. The Department of National Defence's system known as a two-stage light gas gun can accelerate objects to hypersonic speeds, or five times the speed of sound. The gas gun, one of the largest in North America, was first installed in the 1990s at Defence Research and Development Canada in Valcartier, Que., for the study of high-energy anti-tank missiles. That research finished in 2003 and the facility has not been used since then. But, with Russia and China fielding new hypersonic missiles, DRDC scientists have upgraded and reactivated their test equipment. Hypersonic weapons travel at more than Mach 5, or 1.7 kilometres a second. They also retain a degree of in-flight maneuverability and follow lower-altitude, difficult-to-track trajectories, all of which make intercepting these weapons much harder than with ballistic missiles, according to Defence Research and Development Canada. The speed of hypersonic weapons also greatly reduces the time available to assess a situation and consider options on how to destroy the incoming warheads. Department of National Defence spokesperson Kened Sadiku said DRDC began using the light gas gun again in the winter of 2024. 'The specifics of each test and results cannot be released for operational security reasons,' he stated in an email to the Ottawa Citizen. 'The goal of the research is to better understand the threat of hypersonic weapons and develop countermeasures.' The test launches using the system have fired projectiles at speeds approaching 2.4 kilometres a second. Sadiku said the results of the ongoing research were shared with relevant groups within DND and Canadian Armed Forces as well as with allies and international partners. That included officials assigned to a new project involving Australian and Canadian defence scientists. That initiative is spending $474 million on research and development for ways to counter hypersonic weapons and advanced cruise missiles. The project was announced Nov. 22, 2024. Hypersonic weapon defence has been identified as a research priority and part of the ongoing effort to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence Command, Sadiku said. Sadiku said the gun, the only one of its kind in Canada, is complex with pressurized systems, hydraulics and kilograms of propellant used to accelerate projectiles to hypersonic speeds. DND spokesperson Frederica Dupuis told the Ottawa Citizen it took about six months to upgrade the gas gun facility. The system takes up the majority of the 55-metre room where it is housed, Dupuis explained in an email. The test projectile flies through the chamber into what are called impact chambers, replicating what DND calls a 'hypervelocity event,' but on a small scale. Defence scientists use high-speed cameras and sensors to observe what goes on inside the impact chamber, Dupuis said. Scientists can then study the dynamics of the flight or how counter-measures might be used. 'Future tests conditions will be determined as the research program evolves,' Dupuis added. Developing defences against such weapons is in the early stages. High-power lasers could be used to disable a hypersonic weapon through a direct hit, by heating and disrupting the high-speed airflow around the warhead as well as by blinding its sensors used to navigate, according to Defence Research and Development Canada. A targeted cyberattack could try to disrupt can exploit the software controlling a hypersonic vehicle's flight or navigation so as to confuse or shut-down those systems while a weapon is en route to its target, DRDC scientists have pointed out. Much of the focus on hypersonic systems has been on the development of new weapons. For instance, a recent report for the U.S. Congress noted that in 2023 the Pentagon spent $4.7 billion to develop hypersonic weapons, but only $225 million to study ways to defend against such systems. The U.S. Army announced Feb. 27 that it would field its first hypersonic missile by the end of the year. In December 2024, The Associated Press news service reported that Russia used its new hypersonic missile against Ukraine. The Pentagon and Ukrainian intelligence confirmed that the Oreshnik missile had been used in the Nov. 21 attack. The attack marked the first time such a weapon was used in a war, according to the AP. David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: Three Canadian air force personnel injured by laser during military flight in Alaska Opening of Arctic naval refuelling facility in limbo, DND acknowledges
