September 20, 2018

Canadian military ditches plan to paint new search-and-rescue planes grey, will stick with familiar yellow

RCAF leadership had requested the new planes be painted tactical grey because they wanted the aircraft to be available for other missions, including combat.

Extract from an article by Sylvain Faust on Fliegerfaust published on November 10, 2018

I'm told an intermediate solution is currently being worked on by some civil servants in Ottawa to modify the existing new contract to Airbus to swap two (2) of those sixteen (16) C-295 SAR (search and rescue) equipped aircraft for the C-295 MPA (maritime patrol aircraft). This would allow doing some of the equivalent work the CP-140 Aurora is doing. But two is not enough, as Canada operates fourteen (14) Aurora. Those two (2) C-295 MPA could be used for general maritime surface reconnaissance (detecting drug operations, smuggling of illegal immigrants, fisheries protection patrols, pollution monitoring, etc.), search-and-rescue assistance and Arctic sovereignty patrols. Thus, another solution (aircraft) will have to be contemplated because the C-295 MPA lacks the heavy and sensitive anti-submarine warfare capability as well as the anti-surface warfare fittings of the CP-140 Aurora. A faster aircraft with more range would be necessary. CP-140 (750 km/h - Range: 9,300 km) vs the C-295 MPA (480km/h – Range 5,630 km)

Airbus is hard at work in Canada (Ottawa) as you can see.

Could Ottawa then show its True Colors and go for a Canadian based Aircraft solution for the replacement of the Aurora CP-140 aircraft fleet? Let me say it "again"…"

Read more https://www.fliegerfaust.com/bombardier-airbus-cf-...

Canada's military has reversed its plan to abandon the familiar yellow paint scheme for the country's new search-and-rescue planes after debate within the ranks over the aircraft's need to be visible on such missions.

The new fleet of 16 Airbus C-295W planes will replace the main Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue fleet of Buffalo aircraft as well as the Hercules transport planes which are also used at times in a search-and-rescue role. Postmedia reported last year that RCAF leadership had requested the new planes be painted tactical grey, asking for a change to the original contract which had stipulated the familiar yellow colour scheme, because they wanted the aircraft to be available for other missions, including combat.

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But the move to the grey paint scheme has now been reversed. "While there was, last year, a stated interest in painting the C-295W grey, a decision was made following further consultation to maintain the iconic yellow colour scheme of the RCAF's current SAR fleet, such as the Buffalo, Twin Otter, Cormorant and Griffon," the Department of National Defence said in a statement Wednesday. "This colour, which provides a higher level of visibility and recognition in the ground and the air, is also widely known by Canadians — especially those who might find themselves in a situation requiring our aid."

Asked last year about the plan to ditch the yellow paint scheme, the Forces said in a statement to Postmedia that "the RCAF has made the decision to use a grey colour scheme for the C-295W fleet to enable surging flexibility for the very wide range of missions the RCAF is required to conduct, from humanitarian and disaster relief missions, to security missions with partners, and all the way to full spectrum operations."

read more https://nationalpost.com/news/canadian-military-di...