First Aurora with Modernized Sensor - Sharpest Eyes in the Sky

kashifshahzad

Banned Member
First Aurora with Modernized Sensor - Sharpest Eyes in the Sky
Canadian Department of National Defence
Jul 14, 2005, 09:18

GREENWOOD, NS: The first CP-140 Aurora modernized with new electro-optics and infrared sensors has rejoined the fleet at 14 Wing Greenwood after successful integration of this leading edge surveillance technology.

The Air Force formally accepted the modified aircraft from contractor Lockheed Martin Canada upon completion of a rigorous joint testing program with the company and Air Force members.

“This state-of-the-art technology builds on the new defence policy's pledge for increased maritime aerial surveillance capability,” said Defence Minister Bill Graham. “The new sensors will amplify Canada's ability to continue its crucial security support roles.”

“This new system affords the Canadian Forces a remarkable improvement in reconnaissance and surveillance capability,” said General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff. “By increasing the range and accuracy at which aircrews can operate in all situations, we expand upon their ability to carry out complex missions at home and abroad.”

The original contract for the L3 Wescam electro-optics and infrared sensor systems was awarded to Lockheed Martin Canada of Ottawa in the summer of 2003 as part of the Aurora Incremental Modernization Project. The installation and testing of the sensors is a $14.5 million follow-on project within the scope of the original contract with Lockheed Martin Canada. It provides an interim solution until the sensors are fully integrated with the aircraft's modernized mission system in 2008.

The CP-140 Aurora is Canada's primary strategic airborne land and sea surveillance aircraft. It has played important roles domestically and internationally for 25 years. Most recently, in the fall of 2004, two CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft were deployed to Sigonella, Italy, on Operation SIRIUS as Canada's contribution to Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR. The complete Aurora modernization program will bring the aircraft to new capability and longevity standards for continued service until approximately 2025.


URL of this article:
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_002663.php
 
Last edited:

highsea

New Member
Kashif, sorry to disappoint you, but the CP-140 Aurora is a Canadianized version of the P-3 Orion. It's a 4 engine turboprop ASW and Sea Surveillance platform. Maximum speed ~400 kts, service ceiling ~35,000 feet. It's not quite so dramatic as a hypersonic near-space spy plane, I'm afraid. ;)

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/equip/cp-140/intro_e.asp

The Aurora specs you have collected are of a fictional aircraft that is popular with conspiracy theorists and people who like to speculate about US "black projects". It doesn't really exist, but there is a lot of "information" out there on it. The name "Aurora" was the code name for the B-2 Spirit bomber when it was in development. The name was inadvertantly included in a Congressional budget report one year, and it has since become quite famous with people who believe it is the successor to the SR-71.
 

kashifshahzad

Banned Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
highsea said:
Kashif, sorry to disappoint you, but the CP-140 Aurora is a Canadianized version of the P-3 Orion. It's a 4 engine turboprop ASW and Sea Surveillance platform. Maximum speed ~400 kts, service ceiling ~35,000 feet. It's not quite so dramatic as a hypersonic near-space spy plane, I'm afraid. ;)

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/equip/cp-140/intro_e.asp

The Aurora specs you have collected are of a fictional aircraft that is popular with conspiracy theorists and people who like to speculate about US "black projects". It doesn't really exist, but there is a lot of "information" out there on it. The name "Aurora" was the code name for the B-2 Spirit bomber when it was in development. The name was inadvertantly included in a Congressional budget report one year, and it has since become quite famous with people who believe it is the successor to the SR-71.
Sorry i didnt know that i read the Aurora's specification a month ago which have speed 5-8 Mach so now i thought that was the same plane but thankz for information.I have heard that the F-117 was revealed 10 years after it had the first flight and i think same is the case with the B-2 and there can be chances for other projects going on.

The B-70 is a high-flying Mach 3 bomber, intended to replace the B-52's but some people know about this.

The X-15 is one of the fastest and highest flying aircraft in the world, reaching a top speed of over mach 6.7 and an altitude of more than 350,000 ft.So there must be developments going on this project (Aurora which i mentioned)

X-15 Background

On March 10, 1959, North American pilot Scott Crossfield completed the first captive-carry flight under the B-52 mothership. Again on June 8, 1959, Crossfield made the X-15's first glide flight -- reaching a speed of 522mph (mach 0.79) from the release altitude of 37,550ft.

The X-15 was created under the USAF project MX-1226. Since the expected XLR99 rocket motor (rated at 57,850lb.) wasn't available at first, the X-15 was powered by two XLR11 rocket motors rated at 8,000lb. thrust each for a short time. It reached a top speed of mach 2.11 (1,455mph) and a ceiling of 52,341ft during the first powered flights with the XLR11's.

On November 9, 1962, an engine failure made pilot Jack McKay make an emergency landing at Mud Lake, Nevada. Upon landing, the landing gear collapsed and the X-15 flipped over. The pilot survived, but was forced to retire due to injuries. The X-15A #2 was sent back to Noth American, where it went through extensive repairs and modifications. When X-15A-2 returned to Edwards in February 1964, it was equipped with a longer fuselage and external fuel tanks.

On the last X-15 flight (flight number 199) on October 3, 1967, Captain William Knight took the X-15A-2 to 102,100ft. and mach 6.70 (4,520mph). X-15A-2 was the fastest of the 3 built, and X-15A #3 was the highest flying (354,200ft.). X-15A-2 is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. X-15A #1 is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. X-15A #3 disintegrated after the aircraft entered a spin during re-entry at mach 5. At around 18,600ft the aircraft started to dive with high frequency pitch oscillations. When X-15A #3 reached 15Gs, the plane broke up -- killing its pilot Michael J. Adams.

The X-15 was the first aircraft to exceed mach 4, 5, and 6 -- and it was the first aircraft to exceed 100,000ft, 200,000ft, and 300,000ft altitude.
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
kashifshahzad said:
Sorry i didnt know that i read the Aurora's specification a month ago which have speed 5-8 Mach so now i thought that was the same plane but thankz for information.I have heard that the F-117 was revealed 10 years after it had the first flight and i think same is the case with the B-2 and there can be chances for other projects going on.

The B-70 is a high-flying Mach 3 bomber, intended to replace the B-52's but some people know about this.

The X-15 is one of the fastest and highest flying aircraft in the world, reaching a top speed of over mach 6.7 and an altitude of more than 350,000 ft.So there must be developments going on this project (Aurora which i mentioned)

X-15 Background

On March 10, 1959, North American pilot Scott Crossfield completed the first captive-carry flight under the B-52 mothership. Again on June 8, 1959, Crossfield made the X-15's first glide flight -- reaching a speed of 522mph (mach 0.79) from the release altitude of 37,550ft.

The X-15 was created under the USAF project MX-1226. Since the expected XLR99 rocket motor (rated at 57,850lb.) wasn't available at first, the X-15 was powered by two XLR11 rocket motors rated at 8,000lb. thrust each for a short time. It reached a top speed of mach 2.11 (1,455mph) and a ceiling of 52,341ft during the first powered flights with the XLR11's.

On November 9, 1962, an engine failure made pilot Jack McKay make an emergency landing at Mud Lake, Nevada. Upon landing, the landing gear collapsed and the X-15 flipped over. The pilot survived, but was forced to retire due to injuries. The X-15A #2 was sent back to Noth American, where it went through extensive repairs and modifications. When X-15A-2 returned to Edwards in February 1964, it was equipped with a longer fuselage and external fuel tanks.

On the last X-15 flight (flight number 199) on October 3, 1967, Captain William Knight took the X-15A-2 to 102,100ft. and mach 6.70 (4,520mph). X-15A-2 was the fastest of the 3 built, and X-15A #3 was the highest flying (354,200ft.). X-15A-2 is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. X-15A #1 is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. X-15A #3 disintegrated after the aircraft entered a spin during re-entry at mach 5. At around 18,600ft the aircraft started to dive with high frequency pitch oscillations. When X-15A #3 reached 15Gs, the plane broke up -- killing its pilot Michael J. Adams.

The X-15 was the first aircraft to exceed mach 4, 5, and 6 -- and it was the first aircraft to exceed 100,000ft, 200,000ft, and 300,000ft altitude.
matey, what has 95% of your response got to do with the Aurora maritime surveillance platform?
 

kashifshahzad

Banned Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
gf0012-aust said:
matey, what has 95% of your response got to do with the Aurora maritime surveillance platform?
Sorry gf0012 :(

I was just just!! trying to give an extra information to the members i wasnt necesory to open a new thread the names were similar so i thought to post spec here.I will not post something irrelevent again in this thread do i have permission to open a new thread relating to X-15 when i will feel that i have enough material to post in this aspect.
 

Brit

New Member
lol. I was way confused reading the original post... One second I was in P-3 territory, the next I was seeing Mach5 being quoted and pretty pictures of hypotheical scramjets. lol.
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
kashifshahzad said:
Sorry gf0012 :(

I was just just!! trying to give an extra information to the members i wasnt necesory to open a new thread the names were similar so i thought to post spec here.I will not post something irrelevent again in this thread do i have permission to open a new thread relating to X-15 when i will feel that i have enough material to post in this aspect.
we don't mind people posting new threads - but please don't insert irrelevant material into existing threads.

cheers..
 

EnigmaNZ

New Member
Man, I only looked in this thread because I thought the hypersonic "Aurora" had finally been revealed, lol. What a let down.
The Canadian Aurora was a Orion P-3 airframe with the carrier borne S-3 Viking sensors and electronics systems basically. I don't know why Canada went down this route.

"The CP-140 Aurora is a distinctly Canadian variant of the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. In essence, the Aurora combined the P-3 airframe with the avionics from a different Lockheed design, the carrier-based S-3 Viking anti- submarine aircraft. Thus, when 18 Auroras entered service in 1980, the CF gained a long- range patrol aircraft equipped with the most advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment available in the West at that time"

http://www.sfu.ca/casr/101-cp140.htm
http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/mspa_fleet/aro_moreinfo_e.asp
http://www.naval.ca/article/cable/aurora_byernestsccable.html
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/orion/
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
Damn, I was hoping to learn about Canada's brand new Mach 8 Maritime Patrol aircraft!!! Screw the P-8 and Global Hawk, Australia should go for THIS... Just imagine, it'd could probably surveille the whole WORLD in about 3-4 hours. It wouldn't be too flash in the Littoral environment though I'd imagine. I can almost hear the complaints the RAAF would get from the "civvies" when a Mach 8 sonic boom shattered every window for a thousand odd kays, right now...

Blue Water wouldn't be too bad though I suppose, mind you by the time the operators on board realised they'd identified a contact off the coast of Australia, they'd probably physically be over England... They'd then need some mighty "stand off" weapons to actually prosecute said contact... :D

Anyway that's enough rubbish from me...
 
Top