Testing of the Airborne Systems Canada Aerial Rescue Kit (ARK)
Chuck Matthewson
The Canadian Forces (CF) sought to address capability deficiencies found with their existing MA-1 life raft system. The Aerial Rescue Kit (ARK) kit was designed by Airborne Systems in order to remedy this capability gap. The CF turned to Airborne Systems and asked it to further develop and help validate the ARK.
The ARK is aircraft dispatched, water activated, and can be bundled in order to cover a linear maritime stretch of over 1,100ft - punctuated with four, ten or six man life rafts at approximately 280ft spacing(capable of saving 24-40 survivors from potential drowning).
Two sets of flights were conducted by the CF in order to validate and qualify the ARK design for use by the Canadian Forces. The ARK was tested in two types of aircraft: the CC130 Hercules and the CC115 Buffalo. Both operational and training versions of the ARK were utilized as part of the experimentation. Assessors from the CF concluded that the ARK would significantly improve the efficacy of SAR operations.
As a result of this work, the ARK was qualified for dispatch from both CC130 Hercules and CC115 Buffalo Aircraft. The ARK system has been in service with the CF since April 2006. It received operational use on 20 April 2007, when it was used by the CF in a real SAR situation to save a pilot and six other survivors from an aircraft that crashed in the waters of Jackson Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
To download the full paper CLICK HERE (.PDF)
