Canadá quer os Buffalos desativados da FAB
Enviado: Sex Nov 16, 2007 7:42 pm
Meus prezados:
A Força Aérea Canadense pretende manter seus Buffalos voando até 2015, no mínimo. Para isso pretende adquirir os Buffalos brasileiros, para servirem de spare parts a sua frota.
Vejam a notícia:
Air force wants retiring Brazilian planes to keep aging Canadian Buffalos going
In order to keep its 40-year-old Buffalo search and rescue planes in the air, Canadian air force planners are crossing their fingers that they can get their hands on Brazil's fleet of CC-115s, which may soon be retired.
The air force intends to keep its six twin-engine Buffalos, relatively slow planes that operate primarily on the West Coast, flying until 2015.
But an internal Defence Department analysis warns that extending the life of the already antiquated aircraft will be "precarious" because of dwindling spare parts.
One alternative would be to "investigate the potential retirement of the Brazilian Buffalo fleet," said an undated options analysis obtained by the federal New Democrats under access to information laws.
"This could be a potential source of spares for some critically needed components. This option would need to be exercised in a relatively short time period in order to prevent equipment from being sold in bulk to other operators."
Brazil and Canada are the only two countries left in the world that fly that particular variant of the CC-115. The most critical shortage of spares involves the engines, but the analysis warns that many of the suppliers simply don't make parts for the vintage aircraft any longer.
Defence Department officials responsible for material were not available to say whether they have actually pursued the Brazilian option for spare parts.
The former Liberal government set aside $3 billion in 2004 to replace the country's fixed-wing search planes, including the Buffalo and the air force's older model C-130 Hercules.
But the project has languished in the Defence Department and has been knocked down the priority list by other big ticket purchases, including heavy-lift C-17s and CH-47 Chinook battlefield helicopters needed to support the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Since it remains unclear when the Buffalos, purchased in 1967, will be replaced, the air force is moving ahead with a life extension program, a spokesman said last week.
"The overall intention is to keep this plane flying until 2015; it's an important capability," said Lieut. Paul Finnemore.
Extending the life of the aircraft would cost as much as $75 million, with most of the work focused on replacing the engines, strengthening the airframes and replacing the landing gear, said the analysis that was ordered in early 2007.
New Democrat defence critic Dawn Black said the air force has been put in a ridiculous position of praying that another country retires its planes in order to keep its fleet serviceable.
"It's time we got new search and rescue aircraft; it's past time," Black said in an interview.
"We've talked about it and talked about it. The Liberals talked about it. The Conservatives have talked about, but no one has done anything about it."
In a recent interview with The Canadian Press, the new Chief of Air Staff, Lt.-Gen Angus Watt, said purchasing new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft is among his six top priorities, but couldn't say when the project will move forward.
Since the replacement program was first announced there have been allegations within the defence industry that the competition was being narrowed so that only one aircraft was seen to be able to meet the Defence Department's requirements.
The air force has denied the claims and Finnemore said a statement of requirements is still being drafted by military planners.
In the meantime, the first step in the Buffalo refurbishment program, which has been approved and funded, is to update the electronics, including emergency locator beacons and cockpit voice recorders.
Replacing the engines and propellers on each of the antiquated aircraft would be the biggest job by far, but Finnemore said that aspect of the upgrade has not been given the green light.
fonte: The Canadian Press
Um abraço e até mais...
A Força Aérea Canadense pretende manter seus Buffalos voando até 2015, no mínimo. Para isso pretende adquirir os Buffalos brasileiros, para servirem de spare parts a sua frota.
Vejam a notícia:
Air force wants retiring Brazilian planes to keep aging Canadian Buffalos going
In order to keep its 40-year-old Buffalo search and rescue planes in the air, Canadian air force planners are crossing their fingers that they can get their hands on Brazil's fleet of CC-115s, which may soon be retired.
The air force intends to keep its six twin-engine Buffalos, relatively slow planes that operate primarily on the West Coast, flying until 2015.
But an internal Defence Department analysis warns that extending the life of the already antiquated aircraft will be "precarious" because of dwindling spare parts.
One alternative would be to "investigate the potential retirement of the Brazilian Buffalo fleet," said an undated options analysis obtained by the federal New Democrats under access to information laws.
"This could be a potential source of spares for some critically needed components. This option would need to be exercised in a relatively short time period in order to prevent equipment from being sold in bulk to other operators."
Brazil and Canada are the only two countries left in the world that fly that particular variant of the CC-115. The most critical shortage of spares involves the engines, but the analysis warns that many of the suppliers simply don't make parts for the vintage aircraft any longer.
Defence Department officials responsible for material were not available to say whether they have actually pursued the Brazilian option for spare parts.
The former Liberal government set aside $3 billion in 2004 to replace the country's fixed-wing search planes, including the Buffalo and the air force's older model C-130 Hercules.
But the project has languished in the Defence Department and has been knocked down the priority list by other big ticket purchases, including heavy-lift C-17s and CH-47 Chinook battlefield helicopters needed to support the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Since it remains unclear when the Buffalos, purchased in 1967, will be replaced, the air force is moving ahead with a life extension program, a spokesman said last week.
"The overall intention is to keep this plane flying until 2015; it's an important capability," said Lieut. Paul Finnemore.
Extending the life of the aircraft would cost as much as $75 million, with most of the work focused on replacing the engines, strengthening the airframes and replacing the landing gear, said the analysis that was ordered in early 2007.
New Democrat defence critic Dawn Black said the air force has been put in a ridiculous position of praying that another country retires its planes in order to keep its fleet serviceable.
"It's time we got new search and rescue aircraft; it's past time," Black said in an interview.
"We've talked about it and talked about it. The Liberals talked about it. The Conservatives have talked about, but no one has done anything about it."
In a recent interview with The Canadian Press, the new Chief of Air Staff, Lt.-Gen Angus Watt, said purchasing new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft is among his six top priorities, but couldn't say when the project will move forward.
Since the replacement program was first announced there have been allegations within the defence industry that the competition was being narrowed so that only one aircraft was seen to be able to meet the Defence Department's requirements.
The air force has denied the claims and Finnemore said a statement of requirements is still being drafted by military planners.
In the meantime, the first step in the Buffalo refurbishment program, which has been approved and funded, is to update the electronics, including emergency locator beacons and cockpit voice recorders.
Replacing the engines and propellers on each of the antiquated aircraft would be the biggest job by far, but Finnemore said that aspect of the upgrade has not been given the green light.
fonte: The Canadian Press
Um abraço e até mais...
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