OTTAWA – Canadian air force engineers and flight-certification officials are grappling with serious concerns related to the electronics aboard the CH-148 Cyclone helicopters that are supposed to replace the geriatric Sea Kings.
That’s the word from defence sources with intimate knowledge of the troubled program.
The federal government has refused to accept four test helicopters, currently parked at the Canadian Forces facility in Shearwater, N.S., on the basis they are “non-compliant” – and most of the public reasoning has related to software issues.
But more troubling technical concerns have emerged, and sources say there’s concern that delicate flight systems, including a computer that runs the engines, are not sufficiently shielded against powerful electromagnetic waves, such as those produced by military-grade radar on frigates.
The interference has the potential of blanking out the digital instruments and possibly shutting down the engines.
Both Sikorsky and National Defence were asked about the technical concerns, and the company declined to comment while a spokeswoman for Public Works said it expects the supplier to deliver a fully capable helicopter.
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