CH-148 Cyclone

CH-148 Cyclone
CH-148 Cyclone at Paris Air Show
Role	Maritime helicopter
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	15 November 2008
Introduction	2016 (proposed)
Status	Under development
Primary user	Canadian Forces
Number built	9 (as of Aug. 2016)
Unit cost	C$64 million (2004 estimate)
Developed from	Sikorsky S-92

The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role shipboard helicopter being developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Forces. A military variant of the Sikorsky S-92, the CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. The search for a Sea King replacement originally began in the 1980s.

The Cyclone is to be operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and will conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surveillance, and search and rescue missions from Royal Canadian Navy warships. The helicopter is also to provide tactical transport for operations supporting national and international security efforts. In 2004, Canada awarded Sikorsky Aircraft a contract for 28 CH-148s with deliveries planned to start in 2009. Deliveries were repeatedly delayed due to development problems until the delivery of six initial helicopters in June 2015.

Canada began to seek a replacement for the Sea King maritime helicopter in 1986 when it issued a solicitation for the New Shipborne Aircraft (NSA) Project. A variant of the AgustaWestland EH-101 was selected and a contract was signed by the nation's governing party at the time, the Progressive Conservatives. After a change of government to the Liberal party, the EH-101 contract was cancelled. The cancellation resulted in a lengthy delay to procure a replacement aircraft. The project took on increased importance in the early 2000s and another procurement competition was initiated.

On 23 November 2004, Canada's Department of National Defence announced the award of a C$1.8 billion contract to Sikorsky to produce 28 helicopters, with deliveries scheduled to start in January 2009. In addition to Sikorsky, General Dynamics Canada and L-3 MAS, Sikorsky's subcontractors, are responsible for in-service maintenance and the Maritime Helicopter Training Centre, which includes two Operational Mission Simulators. Other elements of in-service support include the Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring System, spares and software support.

The first flight of the first production CH-148, serial number 801 (FAA registration N4901C), took place in Florida on 15 November 2008.