CH-146 Griffon

[Kirkhill]

I'd rather not have gloves/mitts on strings flying around near rotor wash, but that's just me.

Meh! There is that!

 

[The Bread Guy]

In the midst of all the other announcing going on lately, this from the info-machine yesterday ...

... the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Minister Filomena Tassi, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced the Government of Canada has awarded a contract worth nearly $800 million to Bell Textron Canada Limited (BTCL) of Mirabel, Quebec, to extend the life of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of 85 CH-146 Griffon helicopters until at least the mid-2030s. As the original manufacturer of the CH-146 Griffon helicopters, BTCL owns the intellectual property rights for the aircraft and is therefore the only company certified to assess and define necessary design changes and associated repairs to the aircraft. Under the contract, the company will perform modifications on the first 9 helicopters, and will then manage a competitive process to sub-contract suppliers to install modifications on the remaining 76 helicopters ... The first upgraded helicopter is expected to be delivered in 2024 and the remaining will be upgraded by 2028 ...

 

[OldSolduer]

In the midst of all the other announcing going on lately, this from the info-machine yesterday ...

The pandering to the spoilt child continues.

 

[FSTO]

extend the life of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of 85 CH-146 Griffon helicopters until at least the mid-2030s

At least mid 2030’s means 2045.

 

[dapaterson]

The pandering to the spoilt child continues.

As the IP holder, no real other options to do the lifecycle extension.

 

[dimsum]

As the IP holder, no real other options to do the lifecycle extension.

Beat me to it.

@OldSolduer - since we're not replacing the Griffon (yet) and we "own" it since we modified it, we're kind of stuck as to who can do any further mods/life extensions.

It'd be the same with the Cyclone or Aurora.

 

[KevinB]

Beat me to it.

@OldSolduer - since we're not replacing the Griffon (yet) and we "own" it since we modified it, we're kind of stuck as to who can do any further mods/life extensions.

It'd be the same with the Cyclone or Aurora.

Most Militaries require TDP transfer after X years of ownership, 5 is currently the baseline for most US systems, but not for “significant” items.
Admittedly who else would care to work on an obsolete platform?

 

[GK .Dundas]

At least mid 2030’s means 2045.

With a conditional extension to 2050 *

* Conditional on whether or not they start falling out of the sky....on a slow news day and Parliament is in session.

 

[OldSolduer]

Beat me to it.

@OldSolduer - since we're not replacing the Griffon (yet) and we "own" it since we modified it, we're kind of stuck as to who can do any further mods/life extensions.

It'd be the same with the Cyclone or Aurora.

Tell me we shot ourselves in the foot….

 

[Spencer100]

Tell me we shot ourselves in the foot….

Its all about keeping that plant in Quebec open. There is really no other reason. Everything else is secondary....like way down the list secondary.

 

[YZT580]

Its all about keeping that plant in Quebec open. There is really no other reason. Everything else is secondary....like way down the list secondary.

Is Canada their only customer and the Griffon their only product? Surely there must be other airframes on the assembly line

 

[Good2Golf]

No, they make components for 407s, 412s, 429s 505s and 525s in Mirabel for commercial and government/military customers, they assemble all 505s in Mirabel, and they final assemble 407s, 412s and 429s in Mirabel for all Canadian commercial and government operators.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

In the midst of all the other announcing going on lately, this from the info-machine yesterday ...

According to Wikipedia it costs almost approximately $7.6 million CAD (6 million USD) for the UH-60L Blackhawk. 800 million CAD which would have gotten Canada about 105 Blackhawks. In other words for the same price to upgrade the fleet, we could have replaced the whole fleet with newer, more capable helicopters!

 

[GR66]

According to Wikipedia it costs almost approximately $7.6 million CAD (6 million USD) for the UH-60L Blackhawk. 800 million CAD which would have gotten Canada about 105 Blackhawks. In other words for the same price to upgrade the fleet, we could have replaced the whole fleet with newer, more capable helicopters!

"Sticker" price and and actual procurement price are never the same. There are always related costs beyond the actual physical item as well. Not saying that new Blackhawks might not have been an option...or even a better option, just that someone with a lot more info than a Wikipedia unit price would have to figure out what the actual cost difference would be.

 

[OldSolduer]

"Sticker" price and and actual procurement price are never the same. There are always related costs beyond the actual physical item as well. Not saying that new Blackhawks might not have been an option...or even a better option, just that someone with a lot more info than a Wikipedia unit price would have to figure out what the actual cost difference would be.

HARRRUMMPPHHH But its not.....Canadian

 

[Good2Golf]

Honestly, I’d rather Coast a few
Years with an upgrade then move straight to this bad boy!!!

 

[OldSolduer]

Honestly, I’d rather Coast a few
Years with an upgrade then move straight to this bad boy!!!

View attachment 71126

OK I am not current on AFV and AC recognition......

 

[Good2Golf]

US Army’s Future Vertical Lift candidate, the Boeing-Sikorsky Defiant X.

Like a scaled up Black Hawk on steroids with an awesome counter-rotating blender.

 

[CBH99]

"Sticker" price and and actual procurement price are never the same. There are always related costs beyond the actual physical item as well. Not saying that new Blackhawks might not have been an option...or even a better option, just that someone with a lot more info than a Wikipedia unit price would have to figure out what the actual cost difference would be.

Absolutely true. The devil is always in those pesky little details that the general public doesn’t think about.

Buuutttttt…RetiredAF isn’t wrong, either

 

[YZT580]

No, they make components for 407s, 412s, 429s 505s and 525s in Mirabel for commercial and government/military customers, they assemble all 505s in Mirabel, and they final assemble 407s, 412s and 429s in Mirabel for all Canadian commercial and government operators.

so they don't need the Griffon to sustain the factory.