CH-148 Cyclone
ICAO S92Canada's shipborne helicopter, based on the civil S-92. Live CH-148 Cyclone and S-92 positions.
Flying right now
Live · 30s
No CH-148 Cyclone is transmitting ADS-B at the moment.
Military aircraft are not obliged to broadcast, so this happens regularly. The count refreshes every thirty seconds.
Airframe
- Manufacturer
- Sikorsky
- Role
- Shipborne anti-submarine helicopter
- Class
- H2T — Helicopter, 2 turboshaft engines
- Crew
- 4
- First flight
- 23 November 2008
- In service
- 2015
Operators airborne
Nothing of this type is up right now.
About the CH-148 Cyclone
The Cyclone is a militarised Sikorsky S-92 built for the Royal Canadian Navy to operate from frigates, hunting submarines and conducting search and rescue. Its procurement took so long — the Sea King it replaced served for over fifty years — that it became a standing example of how difficult defence acquisition can be.
The civil S-92 underneath is a well-proven offshore transport helicopter, and the same designator covers those, including the VH-92A that carries the US President as Marine One.
Canadian aircraft appear here on coastal sorties and transits.
Callsign prefixes
- CFC
- Canforce — Royal Canadian Air Force
- RESCUE
- Search and rescue tasking
How to recognise it
- —A large four-blade helicopter with retractable wheels and a squared-off cabin.
- —A rear ramp on the military version, and a folding tail for shipboard stowage.
- —A wide, deep fuselage that looks more like a transport than a naval helicopter.
Common questions
+ What is the CH-148 Cyclone?
Canada's shipborne maritime helicopter, a militarised Sikorsky S-92 that replaced the CH-124 Sea King. It operates from frigates on anti-submarine and search and rescue work.
+ Is Marine One an S-92?
The VH-92A is, yes. The presidential helicopter fleet now uses a version of the same airframe, and it shares this ADS-B designator.
+ Why did the Cyclone take so long to enter service?
A protracted and much-criticised procurement. The contract was signed in 2004 and full operational capability came more than fifteen years later, by which time the Sea King had served over fifty years.