PASAB, Afghanistan - Until they get their own helicopters next year, Canadian troops in Afghanistan will have access to six civilian choppers to lessen the risk of coming under insurgent attack while moving along the country's notoriously dangerous roads.
The Mi-8 helicopters are being contracted from Toronto-based Sky Link as a stopgap measure. The first flight of the aircraft took place at Kandahar Airfield on Monday.
"As a task force, it allows us to transport with the Mi-8's cargo and with the Chinook's personnel, with a view to try and get Canadians off the roads here in Afghanistan where they are exposed to all the dangers of this country -- ambushes and IEDs and the other things that all Canadians are aware of," said Col. Christopher Coates, air wing commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan.
The decision to contract the Mi-8s, which will be flown by civilian pilots, is the result of a recommendation from the Manley report last spring that Canada should have some air capabilities for its operations in Afghanistan.
The Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that is one of the world's most-produced choppers. It is used by more than 50 countries. Although there are models of the Mi-8's that can be armed, that won't be the case in this instance.
"It is a very versatile aircraft with extremely good capability for high, hot and heavy operations, which is what we are looking at doing here," said Bob Waring, project manager for Sky Link.
"Basically, Canada identified a requirement to get folks off the roads so they needed additional air capability to be able to do this."
Waring said he's not worried about sending civilian pilots into military operations.
"Well, the risks are consistent across the board, whether you are wearing a uniform or not," he said.
"The fair majority of all my management people, all my senior managers, are retired military folks, either Canadian or American, so we have the experience. Many of my aviators are retired military folks as well, so they understand."
Canada is buying six used CH-47D Chinook helicopters from the United States, but Ottawa has not officially taken delivery of the choppers, which will cost a total of $292 million.
Crews are already training but Chinooks aren't expected to be operational until sometime next year.
In the meantime, Canadian troops in Afghanistan can look to the Mi-8s to reduce the threats they face on the ground and lighten the loads they have to transport.
But the contracted choppers won't be completely at the beck and call of the Canadian Forces. Instead, they will be put into a pool under the Joint Task Force Afghanistan command.
"They're available in the pool of helicopters to support all the priority missions," said Coates.
"So on a regular basis, everyday, we evaluate the missions that need to be flown in the days to follow, and aircraft are tasked in terms of what is the most priority mission, what can the aircraft do, what are available."
Coates admits it is not a perfect solution, but he said in the end it comes down to what is best for the mission.
"Canada does still have influence -- not in terms of priority, that's not the way it all works," he said.
"If the priority for us that day perhaps is moving troops, and not cargo, then maybe what those Mi-8s can do is transport some British cargo and we'll use British Chinooks to transport our troops."
"So it really does work to our benefit. It may not seem that way, but it does."
