The Canadian Air Force is upgrading its small flight of Cormorants, the hope is to extend the life of the CH-149 to 2049. The primary contractor is Italy based Leonardo, who last year boasted of the CAN$1-billion contract.
CH-149 Cormorant from 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron deployed to Pituffik, Greenland, 04FEB2025.
A Cormorant from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron arrived on Air Station Astoria in Warrenton, Oregon, 07DEC2022. U.S. Coast Guard personnel were given a tour. USCG photo via Petty Officer First Class Travis Magee.
Silent U.S. Space Force video via Staff Sergeant Simplicio Espiritu, so I added music. CH-149 Cormorant on Pituffik Space Base (Thule Air Base), Greenland, 16MAR2022:
I edited together Canadian Forces Combat Camera videos, via Sergeant Vincent Carbonneau, showing a 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron CH-149 arriving and leaving Canadian Forces Station Alert, Nunavut. The videos were recorded on 12 and 14 June 2021:
Photo by Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region.
In March 2021, a colorful Cormorant with rotary wings refused to fly south for the Winter and was seen flying the skies over Newfoundland and Labrador.
Photo by Can-NorAD-R.
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is Canada’s nomenclature for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), it is the Search and Rescue (SaR) version of Canada’s Sikorsky built CH-148 Cyclone. In the United Kingdom the AW101 is known as the Merlin. Canada is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, which is lead by the monarch of the United Kingdom, but apparently tried to show some independence by calling its AW101 the ‘CH-149 Cormorant’.
Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, 18MAR2021.
The photos were recorded on Canadian Force Base (CFB) Goose Bay, 18MAR2021, prepping for NorAD’s (North American Aerospace Defense Command) wargame called Amalgam Dart.
Don’t you know smoking is bad for you?
Photo by Can-NorAD-R.
On way to Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, first stop Iqaluit, Nunavut.
The Canuck’s have ‘kawai’ Unimogs.
A stop-over on Iqaluit (Place of many Fish), while enroute to CFS Alert.
Back on way to CFS Alert.
Canadian Forces photo by Master Corporal Gary Clavé.
Thule Air Base, Greenland, 20MAR2021.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer First Class Levi Read.
Patient transfer between U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Air Force, Neah Bay, Washington, 28APR2019.
Joint U.S./Canada rescue training in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, October 2018. USCG photo.
Rescue training in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, 03OCT2018.
May 2017: MARYLAND MILITIA SPENDS MEMORIAL WEEKEND RESCUING PILOTS IN CANADA!
Canadian Forces video by Corporal Mathieu Gaudreault, CH-149 Exercise Vigilant Shield, October 2015:
U.S. Air Force photo.
U.S. Air Force pararescue personnel train with Royal Canadian Cormorant on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 24AUG2015.
Canadian Forces video by Master Corporal Chelsey Hutson, CH-149 Operation Nunalivut, April 2015:
USCG photo by Petty Officer Third Class Nate Littlejohn, 26JAN2012.
Taking part in U.S. Coast Guard Advanced Helicopter Rescue School training near Cape Disappointment, Washington, 26JAN2012.
USCG photo by Petty Officer Third Class James Rhodes.
Rescue training with U.S. Coast Guard off Boston, Massachusetts, 11SEP2009.
Vehicle I-D: Canada’s British Empire M113, not your Uncle Sam’s M113