Originally known as the CHSS-2 on delivery in May 1963, they replaced the fleet of Sikorsky S-55 (HO4S-3). First 4 were built at the Sikorsky plant, whilst the remaining 37 were assembled from kits by United Aircraft in Montreal. When Canadian Forces were unified in 1968, the CHSS-2 was redesignated CH-124. After effective performance in the Persian Gulf in 1990/91, the CH-124 has featured prominently in Canadian humanitarian and peace keeping missions. CH-124 fleet is based at CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia as part of Maritime Air Group's 12 Wing.
As part of the Canadian Standing Contingency Force development, 5 CH-124Bs were modified between May and Nov 2006 to remove the ASW equipment fit and convert to carry 12 fully armed troops as part of a short range amphibious assault mission. This involved new seating, a redesigned interior fuselage liner to prevent snagging, secure radios and easier ingress/egress accessories. This resulted in a successful proof of concept test when the modified fleet embarked USS Gunstan Hall and attacked Camp Lejeune between 6 and 19 Nov 2006.
East Coast flights (operated by 406/423 Squadrons, 12 Wing, CFB Shearwater) planned for January 26, 2018 whilst the West Coast (442 Squadron, 12 Wing, Victoria Intl) scheduled to continue until December 2018.
Units |
Years | Units | Base |
---|---|---|
1974/18 | 423MHS | CFB Shearwater |
1974/18 | 443MHS | Victoria International Airport CFB Shearwater |
1972/18 | 406MOTS | CFB Shearwater |
Platforms |
Classes |
---|
CV Majestic class |
DDG Iroquois TRUMP class |
DD Iroquois class |
FF City class |
AO Protecteur class |