Most RCAF Cyclone choppers undergoing servicing after cracks detected

Key takeaways: 

• DND ‘prioritizing’ order of renovations to get aircraft back in work as quickly as feasible.
• The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone, a militarized variant of the S-92 chopper, at 12 Wing Shearwater, near Halifax.

Helicopters of RCADF Cyclone undergoing restorations: 

Most of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s line of CH-148 Cyclone choppers are undergoing restorations after breaks were found in the ends of some of the aircraft.

“12 Wing Shearwater, which encompasses the entire fleet, is prioritizing the order of repair to maximize return to serviceability for each aircraft,” stated a Department of National Defence comment to the media on Saturday.

After the cracks were discovered on one of the Sikorsky-made choppers 

during regular maintenance on Nov. 26, other aircraft at the unit were examined and cracks were detected in three, according to the report.

A special investigation of the fleet was finished this week, the report stated, and Sikorsky is going with the RCAF to conduct repairs.

Also read: Trans Mountain pipeline to restart as icy breeze slaps flood-pounded southern B.C.

RCAF specialists consider that the renovations will be finished in “the next few days.”

The problem with the Cyclones has had some shock on flood-relief services in British Columbia, where the choppers were reckoned to grant support, the report said. It stated other air assets have been able to fulfil the passage.

The CH-148 Cyclone, based on the Sikorsky S-92 civilian chopper, has been the topic of investigation in the previous over the acquisition process and value, as well as construction and software problems.

In April 2020, six team members onboard a CH-148 died when their aircraft dived into the Ionian Sea off Greece as it was responding to HMCS Fredericton following a flypast.

The Media has asked for an explanation of the entire size of the CH-148 fleet.