CF Manned Strategic Surveillance Capability

AFAC POSITION PAPER 03/2006

Background 

  • Recent announcements of projected equipment acquisitions and plans for the CF are most welcomed and will enable valuable increased mobility. There are other areas, however, where looming deficiencies in our future defence capabilities must also be addressed. One of these is our decreasing ability to survey and protect our coastlines, ocean approaches and Northern regions.
  • Time and distance requirements have long dictated that this task is most efficiently carried out from the air. The CP140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft on both coasts that have conducted anti-submarine warfare, fisheries patrol, support to covert drug ops and general surveillance duties over ocean areas and sea lines of communication have become aged and outdated like much of the CF inventory. Fortunately, the entire fleet of 18 aircraft is currently undergoing a major upgrade to their internal avionics through the Aurora Incremental Modernization Program (AIMP), but it is also rapidly in need of critical airframe upgrades and maintenance work.
  • The end of the Cold War, combined with a concomitant reduction in resources to the CF as a whole, influenced decision-makers to assign lower priorities to the maritime patrol fleet. Flying rates have declined; unique skills have atrophied; and availability of aircraft has been exacerbated by the avionics upgrade program. This has resulted in overall diminished operational effectiveness, although there continues to be a high demand to employ aircraft, not just domestically but on deployed operations as well.
  • The Aurora Service Life Extension Program (ASLEP) was initiated to address the structural upgrades needed to extend the life of the airframe to as long as 2025. Given the high investment in the avionics of the aircraft, it is only logical to ensure that the aircraft itself has sufficient structural life to exploit the new systems.
  • Unfortunately, the commitment to ASLEP has wavered. Suggestions have been made that perhaps only 10 to 12 of the fleet of the 18 CP 140s may receive this major airframe overhaul. A recent decision to delay approval of the ASLEP until this autumn reinforces the lack of urgency felt for this project.

AFAC Position

  • We support the avionics update of the Aurora, which will give it significant C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) capabilities needed for a variety of future missions. The Aurora will have modern capabilities to perform surveillance over land or water, command and control, and other demanding missions, in addition to its traditional anti-submarine capability. But even more, these enhanced capabilities will be invaluable in the conduct of many varied operations – at home and abroad – within the newly-formed joint operational commands. The CP 140 will be an invaluable asset for Joint Task Force commanders.
  • Undue delay or compromise of the accompanying project for structural sustainment will have a disastrous effect on the CP140’s ability to conduct its assigned roles and tasks domestically and with our allies and partners. The ASLEP demands urgent attention and should be implemented to take advantage of the entire fleet of 18 aircraft.
  • Reducing the current fleet size would draw numbers below the critical mass needed to operate off both coasts, and even marginal economies of scale would be difficult to achieve. Abandoning the West coast, for example, to ensure a working fleet remained in the East, would be illogical and inconsistent with the need to provide security of all of our borders. Reductions of the fleet would also put at risk the Governments’ re-emphasised requirement to patrol and survey our Northern regions, or have aircraft available for deployment abroad.
  • The eventual procurement of the capabilities of UAVs or satellites, while effective force multipliers, are unlikely to be able to perform the full surveillance mission by themselves. Sovereignty is enhanced with surveillance that involves a manned presence to assert ownership, along with the ability to make on-the-spot judgements, and to collect the best information possible. Aurora aircraft enable this and represent a unique capability given the strategic distances involved.
  • There is a real risk of squandering a capability that will be difficult and most expensive to recover if the Aurora fleet is limited in numbers or by structural life remaining.

Messages

· The Aurora maritime patrol aircraft represents a critical strategic capability which will continue to be needed on deployed operations, for domestic coastal surveillance, and for Northern operations. While other unmanned surveillance platforms may continue to evolve as important capabilities, they cannot offer the flexibility and on-scene presence that a manned aircraft can. Moreover the updated Aurora can provide important command and control capabilities not available otherwise.

· A significant investment is being made to modernize the Aurora avionics systems. It is logical and economically sound to ensure that the airframe is appropriately upgraded and maintained so as to fully exploit the resources invested in this important capability. It also makes sense to upgrade the avionics and structure of the entire fleet of 18 aircraft.

· It is strongly recommended, therefore, that the Aurora Service Life Extension Program (ASLEP) be fully funded, that it proceed as soon as possible, and that it be implemented on all aircraft.



 



Developed by: Aviation Affairs Committee, with initiation and cooperation from the Pacific Group

Contacts: Terry Chester, tchester@shaw.ca, (250) 339-2413

SEE THE MINISTER’S RESPONSE