Canada finally gets replacements for Sea King helicopters. One problem … they may not be powerful enough

David Pugliese, Postmedia News | June 19, 2015 10:15 AM ET, Source

A Canadian military Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone conducts test flights with HMCS Montreal in Halifax harbour on April 1, 2010. Canadian air force evaluators warned nearly a decade ago that the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter might not measure up in terms of engine performance, acoustic noise and its ability to resist electronic interference, The Canadian Press has learned

There is a risk that Canada’s new Cyclone helicopter, to be unveiled by the Conservative government Friday, might not have powerful enough engines to do the job, according to Department of National Defence documents obtained by the Citizen.

The problem with the engines is one of a number of risks identified by the DND in May as it prepared for the arrival of the first aircraft.

Defence Minister Jason Kenney and Public Works Minister Diane Finley will be at 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S., on Friday to unveil the helicopter.

Canada has ordered 28 Cyclones from U.S. aerospace giant Sikorsky but the troubled multi-billion-dollar project is years behind schedule.

But as Canada prepared to take delivery of the helicopter, DND officials in May outlined some of the top risks affecting the project.

“There is a risk that the engines will not deliver the power required to meet all critical performance requirements,” noted the document produced by the Maritime Helicopter Project office.

It pointed out that tests would be conducted to come up with a plan to deal with that issue. The technical risk on the engines was classified as “medium.”

Another risk, rated as “high,” concerned the possibility that RCAF pilots would not begin training on the new helicopters as scheduled in January.

The RCAF has increased the number of technicians to be trained on the Cyclones but is still trying to determine how to get enough trained aircrew for the choppers.

The Cyclone is supposed to replace the military’s aging Sea King helicopters.

The original contract called for the first Cyclone to be delivered in November 2008, with deliveries of all 28 helicopters completed by early 2011.

The Conservatives have laid blame on the Liberals for the problem-plagued program because Paul Martin’s government awarded the contract to Sikorsky in 2004. Liberals have countered that the mismanagement has occurred under the Conservatives.

Government documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen show that the Conservative government could have hit Sikorsky with up to $89 million in fines earlier on in the program for missing its deadlines, but it decided, at least initially, to waive those penalties.

Instead, the Conservatives renegotiated with Sikorsky and, under a new deal, Canada will pay the company $117 million extra for improvements to be made to the Cyclone, as well as changes to the long-term in-service support and maintenance package for the aircraft. Delivery times were also renegotiated but Sikorsky failed to meet those.

The Conservatives did a whole set of changes to the requirements which then derailed the program

Defence Minister Jason Kenney recently highlighted the Cyclone project as an example of the Conservative government’s ability to properly manage a troubled purchase.

But Liberal Party defence critic Joyce Murray said the decision by the Conservatives to reopen the deal is what led to the problems in the first place.

“The Conservatives did a whole set of changes to the requirements which then derailed the program,” she said. “It’s another military procurement they bungled.”

Murray said she is concerned the helicopters can’t perform to the specifications outlined by the military in the original contract.

The Department of National Defence previously acknowledged that the first Cyclones will need to be upgraded before they reach their full capability.

“The Cyclones we will be receiving are suitable for testing and service, which could include search and rescue, utility transport, and surface surveillance flights,” added DND spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier in an email sent Thursday to the Citizen.

“In its final configuration the Cyclone helicopters will be at the forefront of modern technology and one of the most capable maritime helicopters in the world.”

Sikorsky is the prime contractor for the maritime helicopter project, while General Dynamics Canada Ltd. of Ottawa and L-3 MAS of Mirabel, Que., are principal sub-contractors.