Category Archives: aircraft

Russian Navy Primer–USNI

Posted on by
5

If you are interested in being up to speed on the Russian Navy, the US Naval Institute has provided access to an Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) briefing book on the Russian Navy.

“Cdr Salamander” provides an intro to the publication on the US Naval Institute Blog. 

Unfortunately I did not see anything about the Russian Coast Guard in my initial scan of the document. It is a not insignificant force.

On page 5, where you see the 1000 mile rings that the document suggest the Russians have a special interest in, you might notice that one includes most of Alaska.

It is a nice, readable update.

 

Another Competitor for Canada’s Fixed Wing SAR Aircraft

Posted on by
7

635853520416533029-DFN-Canada-Embraer.jpg

Photo: Embraer KC-390, company photo

DefenseNews is reporting another competitor is set to enter the competition to replace Canada’s aging fixed wing SAR aircraft fleet, the Embraer KC-390.

In the photo, this aircraft looks small, but it actually has a greater max gross weight and cargo capacity than a C-130J. It has better than 90% of the J model’s range and is faster.

They claim, it was intended as a SAR aircraft from it inception.

“Geraldo Gomes, vice president of business development for Embraer Defense and Security, said … the KC-390 was designed to be a search-and-rescue aircraft and that one of its strong selling points is its low life-cycle costs.”

Laser Hazard–This is Getting Rediculous

Posted on by
11

The Coast Guard has recently experience a rash of laser attacks.

Dec.1, an H-65 from Port Angeles. “A Coast Guard helicopter crew was forced to cut a training mission short after they were targeted by someone with a laser near Port Angeles Monday night…The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was airborne when a laser was shined at them around 6:30 p.m, forcing the crew to abort the mission and return immediately to Air Station Port Angeles, where they landed safely.”

1 Dec. an H-65 from Traverse City. “On Monday at 8:30 p.m., a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter with Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, was hit with a laser while flying in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Crewmembers aboard the aircraft reported the laser came from land.”

3 Dec. “…a 45-foot motor lifeboat crew at Coast Guard Station Channel Islands that four of the members were struck twice with a laser while transiting near the Channel Islands Harbor entrance. Crewmembers reported that the laser came from shore and once they energized their blue law-enforcement light, the laser desisted.”

Fortunately there were apparently no injuries.

As noted in the one of the press releases, “Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and a felony offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 39A. If found guilty, offenders could be fined up to $250,000 and sentenced to five years in prison. ”

Don’t know what the punishment for pointing a laser at a boat crew is, but it should also be significant.

New ISR Sensor

Posted on by
4

Australia's Maritime Safety Authority will induct new search and rescue aircraft in the near future, with enhanced capabilities. Four Bombardier Challenger 604 jet aircraft will enter service from August 2016 and onwards.

Navy Recognition reports installation of a new type of sensor on four Australian medium range search aircraft. (Looks a lot like an HU-25 doesn’t it? It is a contracted SAR resource.)

This new sensor, Sentient Vision’s Kestrel Maritime ViDAR (Visual Detection and Ranging), is apparently a computer aided visual recognition system intended to detect objects as small as people in the water. A claimed advantage over human lookouts is that system performance does not degrade due to fatigue like human observers.

Apparently this technology is being tested on Scan Eagle and Firescout Unmanned Air Systems too. It is claimed that the system improves the search function on these UAS as much at 80 times that of unaided Electro-Optic systems.

It was reportedly tested by the USCG  “in 2014 and managed to detect small targets at a distance of more than 20nm.” I tried to find out a little bit more about the Coast Guard test, and apparently it was associated with the experiments with an aerostat deployed from the Healey.

Anyone know if this system has a future in the USCG?

Tiltrotor Aircraft for SAR May Be Closer Than You Think

Posted on by
27

BellV280

Photo: Bell V-280 concept

We have talked about “Future Vertical Lift” (FVL) before. It’s a program to replace several helicopters, including the H-60, with advanced aircraft with much greater speed and range.

Defense News reports that while V-280 demonstrator is expected to fly in 2017, the Army, which has the lead, doesn’t expect to fund production until in the late 2020s with the aircraft coming on line in the 2030s. But the Bell/Lockheed team that is producing the V-280 Valor, believes that there is Air Force and Navy interest that could see initial operational capability by 2025.

Meanwhile, Aero News Network reports the UAE has decided to purchase three AW609 tiltrotors, for Search and Rescue, with an option for three more. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2019. These aircraft will have twice the speed and twice the range of the helicopters they replace (275 knot maximum speed and 750 nm range).

AW609

Photo: AW609 prototype

I can’t help but think these would be awfully useful in the Arctic, and wouldn’t it be nice, if when we launch on a long range recovery mission, we could have two tilt-rotors, instead of a helicopter and a fixed wing.

Lighter Than Air Maritime Domain Awareness with Chinese Characteristics

Posted on by
3

Popular Science reports the Chinese have begun testing a largely solar powered airship capable of carrying heavy loads to high altitude (20,000 meters/65,600 feet) and remaining aloft for up to six months.

The airship is expected to have a role similar to that envisioned for the US Army’s JLENS currently being tested with apparently limited success in the Washington DC area, but it would cover a much larger area than the JLENS aerostats.

From its high altitude it can theoretically maintain radar and visual surveillance over a hundred thousand square miles.

The prototype seen in the accompanying video looks much less impressive, but remember that the gas will expand many times, filling out the envelop.

Armed Helos on Philippine 378s

Posted on by
2

a

Photo: A Philippine Navy weaponized AW109 helicopter on board the frigate BRP Ramon Alcaraz (formerly the USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716)). Source: Philippine Navy

Janes is reporting that the two former USCG 378s, that are now in the Philippine Navy, will be operating “weaponised” AW109 helicopters.

This is the same helicopter that saw service as the U.S. Coast Guard MH-68A Stingray airborne use of force helicopters. It is smaller than the MH-65, with about two thirds the gross weight and horsepower.

The weaponised versions carry two 12.7 mm machine gun pods, each with launchers for three 70 mm laser-guided rockets (on each pod–Chuck). The aircraft can also be configured to carry a sonobuoy dispenser for anti-submarine warfare operations.

The laser guided rockets will probably be “APKWS II” used by the USN and US Marines, but there are a number of similar systems that convert unguided 70 mm Hydra rockets to small passive laser-guided missiles.

It is not clear if these aircraft will also have the .50 cal. sniper rifle or door mounted 7.62 mm machine gun like those on Coast Guard airborne use of force helos. If they have at least the door mounted machine gun, I would think that seven round rocket pods would be preferable to the .50 cal. gun pods with only three missiles each. If there is no door-mounted machine gun and there is a need to fire warning shots, then perhaps use only one .50 cal gun pod and one seven round rocket pod.

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

Posted on by
26

sUAS

An AeroVironment Puma All-Environment small unmanned aircraft system is launched from Coast Guard Cutter Chock as part of the Research and Development Center’s Robotic Aircraft for Maritime Public Safety (RAMPS) project. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Luke Clayton.

The Acquisitions Directorate reports that the Coast Guard is at least looking at small UAS (UAVs for us traditionalists).

“The demonstrations are part of the RDC’s Robotic Aircraft for Maritime Public Safety project, which aims to determine the risks, benefits and limitations of operating commercial off-the-shelf sUAS technology in conjunction with Coast Guard cutters other than the national security cutter.”

Tests of seven systems were conducted on USCGC Chock (WYTL 65602), a 65 foot tug, so you know the systems had to be small. In fact, I have radio controlled airplanes bigger than these. Still, hopefully these are smarter.

An interesting aspect of the trials is that it included test specifically intended to determine if the sUAS would be useful in finding a person in the water. To do this they used a dummy with an enhanced IR signature comparable to that of a person they refer to as a “thermal Oscar.”

While UAVs of this size may have uses, ultimately, I think they will find that the system we need will be something with a radar that will fit on a Webber class, that means something similar to Scan Eagle. Smaller vessels don’t actually need their own UAS, they can be supported by UAS from ashore. Perhaps every SAR station should be able to launch their own UAS to get to scene before the boat arrives. That would require SAR stations to coordinate with Air Traffic Control. USCGC Chock’s sistership, 65 foot tug, USCGC Swivel, by Windwork50