The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-role utility
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
designed by
Bell Helicopter Textron
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in ...
as a variant of the
Bell 412EP
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.
Design and development
Development began in the ...
for the
Canadian Armed Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance,
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
and aero-mobility tasks.
It has a crew of three, can carry up to ten troops and has a cruising speed of .
Design and development
The CH-146 is the Canadian military designation for the Bell 412CF, a modified Bell 412, ordered by Canada in 1992.
[Eden, Paul, ed. "Bell 212/412". ''Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft''. London: Amber Books, 2004. .] The CH-146 was built at
Mirabel, Quebec
Mirabel is a suburb of Montreal, located on the North Shore in southern Quebec.
Mirabel is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and census division (CD) of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Mirabel. It ...
, at the Bell Canadian plant. It was delivered between 1995 and 1997 in one of two configurations, the Combat Support Squadron (CSS) version for search and rescue missions, and the Utility Tactical Transport Helicopter (UTTH), which carries a crew of three and an eight-man
section
Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea
* Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents
** Section sign ...
.
![CH-146 Griffon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/CH-146_Griffon.jpg)
The Griffon can be equipped with various specialized bolt-on mission kits which can enhance the performance of the Griffon, from increasing range to improving protection against enemy fire, etc.
While the CH-146 can be equipped with a total of 13 seats in the cargo area in addition to the two in front for the aircrew, weight restrictions usually result in a normal combat load of eight equipped troops or fewer depending on armament and fuel carried. The aircraft can also be configured for up to six stretchers.
Minor disassembly permits transport of the Griffon by
CC-130 Hercules or
CC-177 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
aircraft for long-distance deployment.
Maintenance and upgrades
The CH-146 Griffon is forecast to be retired in 2021. Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Inc. was awarded a C$640 million contract to overhaul and repair the CH-146 fleet until retirement in 2021. The contract includes options to extend the contract up to 2025 if necessary.
In January 2019, Canada announced plans to modernize and extend the life of the existing 85 CH-146 helicopters to 2031. In May 2022, the contract was signed.
Operational history
![CH-146 Griffon and CH-118 CFB Cold Lake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/CH-146_Griffon_and_CH-118_CFB_Cold_Lake.jpg)
The Canadian Forces purchased 100 aircraft
[ and received them in 1995–1997.] In 2005, nine CH-146s were sold to the Allied Wings consortium to be used as trainers at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School.
Canada
The CH-146 Griffon have been deployed in various operations in Canada since their introduction in 1995. They have been deployed during the Operation Saguenay in 1996 and Operation Assistance in 1997. The CH-146 have also played a major role during the great ice storm of 1998
The North American Ice Storm of 1998 (also known as Great Ice Storm of 1998) was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms in January 1998 that struck a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec, N ...
. They were deployed during the 28th G8 summit
The 28th G8 Summit was held in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 26–27, 2002.
Overview
The Group of Seven ( G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, ...
and 36th G8 summit
The 36th G8 summit was held in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, on June 25–26, 2010. In this year's meeting, the G8 leaders agreed in reaffirming the group's essential and continuing role in international affairs and "assertions of new-found relevan ...
. They were also deployed to secure the 2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
during the Operation Podium. In May 2016, four Griffons were deployed as part of Operation LENTUS 16-01, to provide emergency services for victims of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their ho ...
.
Haiti and Balkans
CH-146s have been deployed in Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. They were deployed during Operation Standard and Operation Constable between 1996 and 1997. They were deployed more recently during Operation Halo
Operation Halo was the Canadian Forces contribution of 500 personnel and 6 CH-146 Griffon helicopters to Haiti in March 2004 as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti to assist in stabilizing the country following February's 200 ...
in 2004 and Operation Hestia
Operation Hestia is the name of the Canadian Forces humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake which struck Haiti on 12 January 2010. Operation Hestia is the military component of an interagency response that also involves Foreign Affairs ...
in 2010.
Griffons have been deployed in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
and Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
during Operation Kinetic between 1999 and 2000 and Operation Paladium between 1998 and 2004.
Afghanistan
In 2007, the Canadian American Strategic Review The Canadian American Strategic Review was an influential Canadian think-tank that comments on Canadian Defence and sovereignty issues.
The think-tank operated, for many years, from the campus of Simon Fraser University.
History
In 2007 the '' Can ...
suggested that the Canadian Forces consider deploying Griffons to Afghanistan, because they were comparable to the UH-1 Huey
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
s deployed by the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
.
On 26 November 2008, the Canadian Forces announced in a statement that eight Griffons would be modified to act as armed escorts for CH-147 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Ch ...
helicopters in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. Equipped with a M134D Minigun, the helicopters were employed in a defensive and support role, including the evacuation of battlefield casualties. The eight CH-146s arrived at Kandahar International Airport
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport ( ps, د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر) and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF) , is located about south-east of the city Ka ...
on 20 December 2008.
Suitability for role
The CH-146 was purchased by the CF to replace four existing helicopters, the CH-136 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single-rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A ...
in the observation role, the CH-135 Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family, the initial version was the CUH-1N Twin Huey (later CH-135 Twin ...
in the army tactical role, the CH-118 Iroquois in the base rescue role and the heavy lift CH-147 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Ch ...
. From the time of its purchase defence analysts have been critical of the aircraft pointing to its procurement as politically motivated and that the aircraft cannot adequately fill any of its intended roles. It has been termed "a civilian designed and built aircraft, with only a coat of green paint."
Writing in 2006 defence analyst Sharon Hobson said:
The CH-146 was ruled out for the Afghan mission by General Rick Hillier
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
when he was Chief of Defence Staff in 2008 due to being underpowered. It has also been criticised for being underpowered by Martin Shadwick, a defence analyst and professor at York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
. Shadwick stated in July 2009:
At the inquest into the death of Capt Ben Babington-Browne (killed on 6 July 2009 in the crash of aircraft #146434), Lt Cdr William Robley of the UK Defence Helicopter Flying School confirmed that operating the aircraft at that altitude, temperature and weight meant that it was not the correct helicopter for that mission. When asked by the coroner: "Had you been there, would it have been obvious to you of the risks attached to using the Griffon helicopter in these conditions?" Lt Cdr Robley replied: "Yes." When asked: "Would you expect a competent pilot to have understood that this was not the correct helicopter for the mission?", Lt Cdr Robley replied: "It depended on the pilot's training; unless they have been trained, they are on a voyage of discovery."
Retired Lieutenant General Lou Cuppens defended the aircraft's performance:
Defence Minister Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General (2013–2015), Minister of National Defence (2007 ...
also defended the aircraft:
Operators
;
* Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
;Tactical Helicopter role
*400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
400 "City of Toronto" Tactical Helicopter and Training Squadron is part of 1 Wing, and as such a lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base Borden. The squadron operates the CH-146 Griffon.
History
The squadron was formed as No. 10 Army Co-Operation ...
* 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron
*408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (408 THS) (french: 408e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères) is a unit of 1 Wing, Kingston. It is co-located with 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at CFB Edmonton, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton.
Equipp ...
*427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron
427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (427 SOAS) (french: link=no, 427e Escadron d'opérations spéciales d'aviation, 427 EOSA) is a tactical helicopter unit that provides aviation support to Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. The squad ...
*430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Forces under the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates Bell CH-146 Griffons from CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City in Quebec, Canada.
History
No. 430 Squadron RCAF was a unit of the Roya ...
*438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
438 "City of Montreal" Tactical Helicopter Squadron (French: ) is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operates the CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopter from the Hartland de Montarville Molson Hangar of CFB St. Hubert in Quebec, Cana ...
;Search and Rescue role
*424 Transport and Rescue Squadron
424 Transport and Rescue Squadron (French: ''424e Escadron de transport et de sauvetage''), nicknamed "Tiger Squadron", is a Royal Canadian Air Force strategic transport and search and rescue unit based at CFB Trenton, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) ...
;Combat Support Squadrons
*417 Combat Support Squadron
417 Combat Support Squadron (french: links=no, 417e Escadron de soutien au combat) is an Air Force unit with the Canadian Forces. Based at CFB Cold Lake it provides helicopter support to the base operations. Since 1994, it has also provided searc ...
*439 Combat Support Squadron
439 Combat Support Squadron (French: is a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, based in Bagotville, Quebec.
It was formed as No. 123 (Army Co-operation) Squadron in early 1942 for army training operations in eastern Canada during World War ...
*444 Combat Support Squadron
444 Combat Support Squadron is an Air Force unit with the Canadian Armed Forces. Based at CFB Goose Bay, it provides helicopter support to the base operations.
History
444 Fighter Squadron was formed in March 1953 at CFB St. Hubert, Quebec and ...
Accidents and incidents
*On 18 July 2002, #146420 operated by 444 Sqn crashed north of CFB Goose Bay
Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , commonly referred to as CFB Goose Bay, is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by ...
while returning from a search and rescue mission that had been called off. Both pilots were killed on impact and the SAR Technician and Flight Engineer were both seriously injured. The cause of the crash was the loss of the aircraft tail rotor after a tail rotor blade failed from fatigue.
*On 6 July 2009, #146434 crashed about northeast of Kandahar city killing two Canadian soldiers, along with a captain from the British Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
. Three other Canadians were hurt. The crash was reportedly an accident due to the pilot's loss of visual reference in recirculating dust and not due to enemy action, but an inquest into the death of Capt Ben Babington-Browne was told that the helicopter was unsuitable for hot and high operations in Afghanistan. In April 2016, it was revealed that a military police investigation of senior air force officers was underway for negligence for not providing adequate training for aircrew in dealing with takeoffs in dusty conditions and also for raising the operational gross weight of the aircraft above that safe for operation.
Specifications (CH-146)
See also
References
External links
RCAF CH-146 page
Bell CH-146 Griffon page rotorhead.org
{{Canadian Forces aircraft
CH-146
1990s Canadian helicopters
1990s Canadian military utility aircraft
Military helicopters
Single-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1992