![HMCS Bonaventure's downed Sea King](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/HMCS_Bonaventure%27s_downed_Sea_King.jpg)
The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
(ASW)
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 for shipboard use by Canadian naval forces, based on the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
's
SH-3
The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engi ...
. It served with the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
(RCN) and
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.
...
from 1963 to 2018.
Design and development
The advent of nuclear-powered submarines in the late 1950s let to the RCN assessing this new threat. While noisier than older submarines and thus detectable at longer ranges, nuclear submarines could also reach while submerged, faster than the RCN's new
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships.
Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...
's top speed of . There were doubts that destroyers could effectively pursue and destroy such fast vessels, even when operating in pairs. During a 25 February 1959 Naval Board meeting, it was decided to counter the threat by operating helicopters from destroyers.
[Soward 1995, pp.169–171.] The RCN examined the feasibility of operating ASW helicopters from small escorts, adding a temporary helicopter landing platform to the in mid-1956; successful trials were held in October 1956 using a
Sikorsky HO4S-3.
[Soward 1995, pp.63–65.][''Crowsnest Magazine – Vol 17, Nos 3 and 4 March–April 1965''](_blank)
A larger temporary platform was fitted on the destroyer escort ; operational trials used an
RCAF
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 environme ...
Sikorsky S-58, a much larger and heavier aircraft than the HO4S; these successful tests met with approval.
[Soward 1995, pp.92–93.]
The RCN's then current HO4S-3 utility helicopter could not operate safely in inclement weather with a heavy weapons and sensor load, which would be imperative for the ASW role; hence, a more capable aircraft was needed. Initial 1959 studies identified two helicopters that seemed suitable—the Sikorsky S-61 (HSS-2) and the
Kaman K-20 (HU2K)—but neither aircraft had flown at the time, so no choice was made. After further studies concluded that the smaller Kaman would better satisfy RCN requirements, the
Treasury Board
The Treasury Board of Canada (french: Conseil du Trésor du Canada) is the Cabinet committee of the Privy Council of Canada which oversees the spending and operation of the Government of Canada and is the principal employer of the core public se ...
approved an initial procurement of 12 HU2K helicopters for $14.5 million in December 1960.
Despite this apparent setback for Sikorsky, several factors derailed Kaman's proposal. When the Naval Board held a follow-up meeting on 27 January 1961, it was revealed that the initial 12 units' asking price had nearly doubled to $23 million, only six weeks after approval from the Treasury Board. The Naval Board still endorsed the HU2K, but there were some misgivings over the sharp price increase and reports that Kaman's performance projections may be overly optimistic. The Naval Board decided to await upcoming USN sea trials of the HU2K ahead of a final decision. These trials confirmed the calculations of RCN staff members; the HU2K was substantially heavier than promised, hampering performance and rendering it incapable of meeting RCN requirements, even using a proposed upgraded engine. The Sea King was ultimately chosen for production on 20 December 1961.
The first of 41 helicopters would be delivered in 1963 carrying the designation CHSS-2 Sea King. Airframe components were made by
Sikorsky in Connecticut but most CHSS-2s were assembled in
Longueuil, Quebec
Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly acr ...
, by United Aircraft of Canada (now
Pratt & Whitney Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC or P&WC) is a Canada-based aircraft engine manufacturer. PWC's headquarters are in Longueuil, Quebec, just outside Montreal. It is a division of the larger US-based Pratt & Whitney (P&W), itself a business unit of ...
), a subsidiary of Sikorsky's parent company,
United Aircraft
The United Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer formed by the break-up of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1934. In 1975, the company became United Technologies.
History
Pre-1930s
1930s
The Air Mail scandal ...
. On 27 November 1963, the new landing platform aboard was used for the first operational destroyer landing of a production CHSS-2. Upon the unification of Canada's military in 1968, the CHSS-2 was re-designated CH-124.
In the 1960s,
[Gordon, Lisa]
The King at Sea
''Vertical Magazine'', 9 December 2013. Accessed: 11 December 2013. the RCN developed a technique for landing large helicopters on small ship decks, using a 'hauldown' winch (called a "
Beartrap"), earning aircrews the nickname of "Crazy Canucks".
The Beartrap allows recovery of the Sea King in virtually any
sea state
In oceanography, sea state is the general condition of the free surface on a large body of water—with respect to wind waves and swell—at a certain location and moment. A sea state is characterized by statistics, including the wave height, ...
. In 1968, the RCN,
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 ...
(RCAF) and
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
unified to form the Canadian Forces; air units were dispersed throughout the new force structure until
Air Command (AIRCOM) was created in 1975. In August 2011, the Canadian Forces reverted to the former structure of the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
,
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
and
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 ...
.
Operational service
![Sikorsky CH-124](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Sikorsky_CH-124.JPG)
The Sea Kings were assigned to the former destroyers (2 per ship with total of 6), s (1 per ship with total of 12), and the former
replenishment ship
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
Th ...
s (3 per ship with total 6) as a means of extending the surveillance capabilities beyond the horizon. When deployed, each Sea King is accompanied by several crews. Each crew consists of two pilots, a Tactical Coordinator (
TACCO
A Tactical Coordinator (Tacco, pronounced 'TACK-oh') is the aircrew member responsible for coordinating the activities of the part of the crew responsible for the tactical operation of the aircraft and its systems. The TACCO may, depending on th ...
), and an Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator (AESOp).
In order to find submarines, the Sea King's sonar uses a transducer ball at the end of a 450-foot cable. It can also be fitted with
FLIR
Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.
The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
to find surface vessels at night.
The CH-124 has undergone numerous refits and upgrades, especially with regard to the electronics, main gearboxes and engines, surface-search radar, secure cargo and passenger carrying capabilities.
In 2013 the CH-124 fleet averaged 9–14,000 flying hours, while Sea Kings of other fleets go as high as 40,000 hours. Although the CH-124 had frequent technical issues, none are serious, and they could maintain an 87 percent serviceability rate.
[
On 1 December 2018, the CH-124 was officially retired in a ceremony at Vancouver Island, British Columbia, concluding 55 years of service. Of the surviving 28 Canadian Sea Kings, nine are destined for museums or to be displayed as monuments, 15 are to be sold, three scrapped, and one retained as a training aid.
]
Replacement
From 1983 onward attempts were made to replace the aging Sea King helicopters. Due to a series of financial and political issues, the process was hampered by repeated delays. In the end the CH-148 Cyclone
The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role shipboard helicopter developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Armed Forces. A military variant of the Sikorsky S-92, the CH-148 is designed for shipboard operation ...
, a new variant of the Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk was selected.
Variants
;CH-124 : Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
helicopter for the Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
(41 assembled by United Aircraft of Canada).
;CH-124A : The Sea King Improvement Program (SKIP) added modernized avionics as well as improved safety features.
;CH-124B : Alternate version of the CH-124A without a dipping sonar but formerly with a MAD sensor and additional storage for deployable stores. In 2006, the five aircraft of this variant were converted to support the Standing Contingency Task Force (SCTF), and were modified with additional troop seats, and frequency agile radios. Plans to add fast-rope capability, EAPSNIPS (Engine Air Particle Separator / Snow & Ice Particle Separator) did not come to fruition.
;CH-124B2 : Six CH-124Bs were upgraded to the CH-124B2 standard in 1991–1992. The revised CH-124B2 retained the sonobuoy processing gear to passively detect submarines but, the aircraft was now also fitted with a towed-array sonar to supplement the ship's sonar. Since anti-submarine warfare is no longer a major priority within the Canadian Forces, the CH-124B2 were refitted again to become improvised troop carriers for the newly formed Standing Contingency Task Force.
;CH-124C : One CH-124 operated by the Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility located at CFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater and formerly named HMCS ''Shearwater'', is a Canadian Forces facility located east southeast of Shearwater, Nova Scotia, on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Hal ...
. Used for testing new gear, and when not testing new gear, it is deployable to any Canadian Forces ship requiring a helicopter.
;CH-124U : Unofficial designation for four CH-124s that were modified for passenger/freight transport. One crashed in 1973, and the survivors were later refitted to become CH-124As.
Former operators
''NOTE: Last aircraft was retired in December 2018''[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King](_blank)
/ref>
;
* Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
* 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 ...
** 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
** 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron
** 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron
Specifications (CH-124 Sea King)
Replicas
The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia is commissioning a full-sized model of the CH-124 to be submerged with the destroyer HMCS Annapolis.
See also
* Water bird emergency landing
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
External links
Canadian Forces official CH-124 Sea King website
CBC News, July 31, 2013
{{Canadian Forces aircraft
United States military helicopters
1960s United States helicopters
H-124
Twin-turbine helicopters