Page 104 - North Atlantic and Nordic Defense

North European and North Atlantic Defense: The Challenges Return

What the helicopter will connect to in terms of information flow is a work in progress, but the platform is
coming to the force PRECISELY when the entire maritime domain awareness and strike enterprise in the North
Atlantic is being reworked, and this helicopter has the information tools to both contribute too and leverage
the new approaches being shaped.

Along with the introduction of the new helicopter, the CP-140 is evolving its capabilities, or to put into the
words of the RCAF Chief of Staff, the “brains” of the aircraft.

The various block upgrades have introduced new technologies for sensing, analyzing and communicating
information for operations onboard the aircraft.

But as these new technologies are introduced, training needs to be provided to shape appropriate skill sets
both to handle the information and to work in the evolving decision making environment.
And this is being done as the transition is being made from the land war role of the Aurora as an overland
manned ISR asset to a back to sea multi-mission ISR/Strike asset.

At the heart of working that transition is the training squadron in the 14th Wing of the RCAF.

And within the 404 Squadron, the RCAF has an impressive simulation capability to shape the way ahead.

During our visit on September 19, 2017, we had a chance to meet with and discuss the challenges with the
key members of the 404 Squadron responsible for the simulation training within the Wing.

We met with Lt. Col Ray Townsend, Commanding Officer 404 Sqn, Rodney Ward, Chief Simulation Officer,
Bill Brown, Senior Operational Mission Simulator Officer, Rolf Hippman, Operational Mission Simulator
Exercise Director, Michel Carriere, Senior Full Flight Simulator Officer and Scott Hale, Full Flight Simulator
Instructor Operator.

The team has years of operational experience and serve as Department of National Defence (DND)
employees, rather than being contractors.

Under the umbrella of 404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron, the Thorney Island Simulation Centre is
located adjacent to the Hornell Centre at 14 Wing Greenwood.
Classroom instruction and administration for CP140 aircrew and maintenance personnel take place in the
Hornell Centre, while aircrew simulation takes place at Thorney Island.

The Simulation centre is uniquely located within walking distance to all three CP140 Squadrons at 14 Wing
Greenwood.

The Canadian government owns the source code for the simulation activity, so that the team can work the
simulation environment directly to adapt to evolving developments facing the ASW force.

They work closely with industry in shaping new scenarios for training as well as training on a regular basis to
ensure that ASW skill sets are enhanced, even as the overland operations became a key element of what the
Aurora force has been doing over the past few years.
It was clear from our discussions, that the team is leaning forward to thinking through how to deal with the new
threats and context of the threats in terms of training crews for the decision making and information
environment in which they are operating and will operate in the period ahead.

Second Line of Defense

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