CP-140 Aurora

[Eye In The Sky]

Canada's representation at the Royal International Air Tattoo this year is a Block III Aurora (#105) crewed by some Swordfish folks from 14 Wing.  A few good shots of her on her way into RAF Fairford on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/airtattoo/photos_stream

 

[Sub_Guy]

“Our constituents as well as hunters and boaters have reported that the area in question is almost devoid of sea mammals and that hunting has been poor in the area for quite some time.”

The Aurora crew did observe two pods of whales and six walruses in the area of interest, Le Bouthillier added.

Everyone has heard this sound.... But no one has recorded it...  This is almost tinfoil hat territory.

 

[Ping Monkey]

[Places tin-foil cap on]

Wonder if our neighbours across the Arctic cap had been installing something in the region... http://www.hisutton.com/Analysis%20-Russia%20seeks%20submarine%20advantage%20in%20Arctic.html

 

[SeaKingTacco]

“Our constituents as well as hunters and boaters have reported that the area in question is almost devoid of sea mammals and that hunting has been poor in the area for quite some time.”

The Aurora crew did observe two pods of whales and six walruses in the area of interest, Le Bouthillier added.

Everyone has heard this sound.... But no one has recorded it...  This is almost tinfoil hat territory.

...and yet. I have actually heard active sonar coming from the water while standing on a ship and while standing on a jetty.

I would place this report in the "certainly not impossible" category.

If nothing else, it was probably a good crew trainer.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

“Our constituents as well as hunters and boaters have reported that the area in question is almost devoid of sea mammals and that hunting has been poor in the area for quite some time.”

The Aurora crew did observe two pods of whales and six walruses in the area of interest, Le Bouthillier added.

Everyone has heard this sound.... But no one has recorded it...  This is almost tinfoil hat territory.

How many hunters in the arctic have recording devices? There is no cell coverage, so no phones.

 

[Good2Golf]

How many hunters in the arctic have recording devices? There is no cell coverage, so no phones.

....Iridium...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I doubt that many have them and ours certainly don't record, plus you can barely hear the person speaking on them half the time.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Due the nature of the business, ASW-ish work isn't usually published.  Always nice to see LRPA getting some press:  [Edit to remove Link to article.  See below Link as to reasons why.*]

Guys...

http://army.ca/forums/threads/99046/post-1016031.html#msg1016031



*Edit by George Wallace

 

[Ping Monkey]

Thanks EITS.  That's fair.  I don't post much on this site anyway, and didn't realize the situation between this site and the original story's author.

Another site (albeit international press), on the same topic:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/03/canada-forces-investigate-mysterious-pinging-sound-arctic

 

[Sub_Guy]

I guess my point of the Aurora locating two pods of whales and 6 walruses in the "area" that is devoid of sea life got missed.

I know it's not impossible. 

I just think that if it was as big of an issue that it is being made out to be, that someone would try to record something.  I don't think they are ripping around with IPhones, but surely someone has a recording device.

The guys that are up there have better things to do..

 

[Eye In The Sky]

The guys that are up there have better things to do..

BALDERDASH!  How busy can a LRP Sqn be in peacetime??

8)

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I guess my point of the Aurora locating two pods of whales and 6 walruses in the "area" that is devoid of sea life got missed.

I know it's not impossible. 

I just think that if it was as big of an issue that it is being made out to be, that someone would try to record something.  I don't think they are ripping around with IPhones, but surely someone has a recording device.

The guys that are up there have better things to do..

Actually, I disagree.

A datum was established. A crew was sent to a part of Canada where we don't normally get to do ASW very often, to investigate that datum.

I think it is brilliant training.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I guess that might be true looking from the outside in...those inside the bubble looking out seem to have a different opinion. 

"Datum"...maybe an area, a very general area...maybe even an AOP but...well, you know about "expanding circles, time late" and such things.  :2c:

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I didn't say that is was a very fresh datum....

It just makes things more challenging...

 

[Sub_Guy]

Actually, I disagree.

A datum was established. A crew was sent to a part of Canada where we don't normally get to do ASW very often, to investigate that datum.

I think it is brilliant training.

At no time did anyone think they were being tasked to look for a sub. It was explained as something else. 

We usually drop passive buoys on most flights anyway (as you know).  It would have been just another routine patrol, except this time the ASOs stayed awake for at least 1.5 hours.

The article made it seem like the Aurora was sent up for this reason.  It wasn't, it just happened to be in the area. 


The LRP community is definitely getting its fill of ASW training...

 

[Ping Monkey]

The LRP community is definitely getting its fill of ASW training...

Glad to hear!  Happy hunting!

 

[Eye In The Sky]

ASW, overland. Always something to do in HappyLand.  8)

 

[Colin Parkinson]

When the CCG Captain went aboard the Russian Icebreaker that came to help when the Polar Sea broke a blade. He noted that Russian charts of the Canadian arctic were very detailed and had almost all of the soundings. Something our own charts do not. You can imagine how they got those soundings.

 

[Good2Golf]

When the CCG Captain went aboard the Russian Icebreaker that came to help when the Polar Sea broke a blade. He noted that Russian charts of the Canadian arctic were very detailed and had almost all of the soundings. Something our own charts do not. You can imagine how they got those soundings.

"Give me a ping, Vasili. One ping only, please."  :nod:

 

[Ping Monkey]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ground-patrol-ping-1.3940112

Ground patrol to investigate mysterious Arctic 'ping' sound

2 acoustic specialists will be sent to Igloolik to meet with locals

The saga of the mysterious "ping" noise in Igloolik is set to continue at the end of the month. The Canadian Armed Forces is sending two acoustic specialists to investigate the sound, which was first noticed last fall but has never been recorded.

A spokesperson for Joint Task Force North confirmed that the specialists will not be visiting the actual area of Fury and Hecla Strait, but rather spending a week in Igloolik to gather information about the sound.

Locals said the sound was scaring off wildlife in the rich hunting grounds of Fury and Hecla Strait, north of Igloolik. MLA Paul Quassa said he had noticed the lack of wildlife, but did not hear the sound himself on a trip to the area.

"That passage is a migratory route for bowhead whales, and also bearded seals and ringed seals. There would be so many in that particular area," he told CBC News in November, recalling his own days of hunting there.

"This summer there was none."

There was no shortage of theories to explain it, from Greenpeace trying to protect marine mammals to mining operations to an underwater sonar array. None of those theories was borne out by further investigation.

The Canadian Forces dispatched a CP-140 Aurora aircraft to Fury and Hecla Strait, but the crew did not detect any unexpected sounds with the equipment it used at the time.

The search happening at the end of January will involve two acoustic specialists who will be deployed with a Canadian Rangers patrol.

The spokesperson for Joint Task Force North said in an emailed statement to the CBC it is satisfied with the results of the earlier search, but that this is a good chance for their acoustic specialists to gain experience "operating in austere conditions in the High Arctic."

They will first travel to Yellowknife to meet with a Canadian Rangers instructor.

The statement also said the patrol will give the specialists an opportunity to gather first-hand accounts of the sound from locals in Igloolik.

Sonar Op #1:  "Okay lady, can you describe the noise you heard?"
Igloolik lady:  "It sounded like a ping."
Sonar Op #2:  "Can you be more descriptive?"
Igloolik lady:  "It was kinda weeoooop-dewwwwp-woo-dooo-booooop-derp."
Sonar Op #1:  Closes his notebook.  "Well our work here is done."