Should Maritime Patrol go civie ?

[Silver]

Should aerial fisheries protection operations be handed over to the Department of Marine ?

I watched an old 'Prime Time' programme on Saturday (which I taped c.1999) about the Naval Service and Air Corps.
It included a piece about the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency which is a civilian operation paid for by the Scottish Parliament.

Now while the Scottish operation has both aircraft and boats to carry out patrols and boardings, is there a good case for the AC to end maritime patrols and use the CASA's for troop transport, humanitarian ops, etc. ?
....or sell the CASA's and purchase a couple of CN 295's?


While most of us didn't like to see the end of AC SAR ops, it has allowed the helis fleet to concentrate on more purely military tasks.

The same could happen with the CASA's (or replacements) if maritime ops were 'civilianized'?!

[pym]

I personally think maritime patrol has a huge military aspect to it, especially so because we are an island nation. It'd be quite ironic to move out of the maritime role and straight to a humanitarian one.

I remember reading an interview with an ARW member and when speaking of ship boarding/sabotage training, he said it was done because "any enemy will likely come by sea". You see it's all well and good for the Scots to have a fisheries patrol agency with a few vessels and two cessna caravans because they have the royal navy and nimrods to back them up.

We are an independent nation and these are our waters.

Rather than contracting maritime patrol out, I'd like it to be expanded. Another two CASA's being bought, this time with weapons capability. UAV's are also definitely going to move into the maritime role over the next 20 years.

Actually the Irish Ferries dispute at the moment had me thinking how we could deal with a hijacking attempt on a ferry in our waters - even when the 4 A-139's come into service.

Troop transport needs to be looked at first and foremost. I'd like 2 CN-295's and a whole lot more A-139's.

[Fouga]

It should stay with the AC as they use them alot for Surveillance of drugs smugglers etc and are heavily involved with the Navy.

[The Blue Max]

Very Good points altogether about what the future lies for Maritime Survailance in the Air Corps, My personal Opinion on the matter is that i think it should be enlarged with the purchase of at least an additional two EADS CASA CN235s to help augment the original two and to help Ireland Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) through co-ordinated ops with the Naval Service etc... This could be done with most probably with financial aid from the European Union, Oh and in regards to additional duties undertaken by 101sqn Casa's inculde Limited MATS service (Dont Mention The Harney Incident!!!) aswell as operations such as border reconnaisance,ARW Co-operation etc.. Aswell They provide vital service to Coast Guard/RNLI in SAR operation providing top cover to the SAR heli's. So for the stering service that the Two have given it would make alot of sense to expand the current fleet of CN235s

[Fouga]

Quote (The Blue Max @ 27 Nov. 2005,08:27)

operations such as border reconnaisance,They provide vital service to Coast Guard/RNLI in SAR operation providing top cover to the SAR heli's.

Welcome to the Board mate but i think you will Find Border Operations have Ceased AFAIK and that it is in actual fact the RAF Nimrods that provide Top Cover for the RAF,RN, UK and Irish Coast Guard Services ( EG S61n's, Sea Kings, Merlins and of course our guys when we were doing it. )

[The Blue Max]

Thats True Fouga i simple displaying some of the capabilties the Casa Cn235s provide or have the capabilty to provide to form or another. And thanks for the welcome aswell!

[Pink Panther]

Quote (Fouga @ 27 Nov. 2005,09:46)

Quote (The Blue Max @ 27 Nov. 2005,08:27) operations such as border reconnaisance,They provide vital service to Coast Guard/RNLI in SAR operation providing top cover to the SAR heli's. Welcome to the Board mate but i think you will Find Border Operations have Ceased AFAIK and that it is in actual fact the RAF Nimrods that provide Top Cover for the RAF,RN, UK and Irish Coast Guard Services ( EG S61n's, Sea Kings, Merlins and of course our guys when we were doing it. )

Irish air corp casa's do indeed provide top cover for SAR heli's when available, and have done so quite recently for the IRCG.

[Hess]

Welcome abord, The blue max !

[The Blue Max]

Cheers Lads, Wats is the generally do you few it likely that the 101sqn may possible recive more CN235s??? As laid down in the Price Waterhouse Cooper White Paper on the Air Corps.

[sledger]

December 2005 issue of Flying Ireland states that

"a cockpit upgrade is being carried out on the two CASA aircraft at present in the interests of flight safety and as reported in our July issue a complete radar upgrade is also being considered for both aircraft to increase their operational capability"

[Tech Crew]

Pink panther is correct .Air Corps casas do provide topcover for Sar ops even though Sar itself is not carried out anymore.


As for a new agency being created to provide fisheries protection instead of the Air Corps, its not going to happen. Why? As with all government decisions it boils down to money. The existing service will be kept as it will be the least expensive option.

[Fouga]

Very true but it has been a long time since we have heard of AC Casa's providing top cover it had nearly always been the Nimrods

[Pink Panther]

Fouga,
This is starting to get slightly off topic,but for clarification,just because its not in the press don't go thinking its not happening.One of the casas provided top cover for the two 135's enroute from europe to Casement recently.It was then retasked to give top cover to R-117.

[Flyboy]

R 117 ?

[pym]

Google turned up a civilian ship registered as R117



Dont ask me if that has the slightest thing to do with the R-117 mentioned above