New search and rescue aircraft in Canada's north likely years away
Department of National Defence released tenders for new aircraft this week
Canada's Department of National Defence put out a tender this week to buy new search and rescue aircraft with improved technology, but it's unclear how long it will take for the planes to be replaced.
There have been several calls to replace DND's existing Hercules aircraft, which are used for search and rescue missions in Canada's Arctic. Currently, the Hercules range in age from 20 to more than 40 years old.
"This attempted procurement has been dragging on for a decade and a half," says Michael Byers, the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law. "The aircraft being used are increasingly unavailable, due to mechanical issues, so it's becoming a bit of a crisis."
Currently, CASARA — Civil Air Search and Rescue — has no permanent aircraft in Nunavut, instead relying on ad hoc charters in the event of a search. The unit also receives assistance from the military, which flies planes in from the south. In January, a successful search and rescue was conducted near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, using a plane dispatched from Winnipeg and a civilian helicopter.
According to Byers, procuring a long-range search and rescue helicopter is the most pressing concern in the Arctic. Helicopters are often flown in from British Columbia or Nova Scotia, thousands of kilometres away.
"That's a very serious concern," he says. "Sometimes, these helicopters will take 48 hours to actually reach these accident victims."
Byers says people in the territories shouldn't hold their breath for new aircraft. The Department of National Defence's Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project has been calling for new aircraft since 2011, but it was pushing for new aircraft for years before that.
If past tenders are any indication, he says, new search and rescue planes are likely years away.