Features

19 WING COMOX--From July 10 TO 15, four Canadian Air Force officers representing Canada’s aeronautical Search and Rescue (SAR) system visited their Russian counterparts under the auspices of the Military Training Assistance Programme (MTAP). The exchange took place in Moscow and in the immediate vicinity of the Russian capital. This was a return visit, as a Russian SAR delegation visited Canada in May 2004.

The four SAR officers making up the delegation represented both the operational 1 Canadian Air Division headquarters in Winnipeg (LCol Colin Goodman and Maj Mike Atkins) and the Chief of the Air Staff in Ottawa (LCol Colin Murray and Maj Pat McSorley).

The Russian Air Force hosts familiarized the Canadians with the organization of the aeronautical SAR system in Russia, and how response to distress incidents is coordinated. In Russia, aeronautical SAR also includes spacecraft recovery, as twice a year Soyuz spacecraft returns from the international space station.

Visits were made to the Russian space centre (named after Yuri Gagarin – the first man in space), to a SAR base near Moscow where Russian fixed wing and helicopter aircraft were displayed along with the related equipment and techniques, and to the primary Russian Rescue Coordination Centre in Moscow.

Discussions were held about the planning and organization of SAR operations in the arctic regions, as activity levels in both countries’ northern areas are increasing. This increase in activity is seen in the growth of both international air carrier over flight traffic and in domestic tourism and economic sectors.

The delegation also had the opportunity for a short visit to the Canadian embassy in Moscow and met briefly with the Ambassador and also with defence attaché staff.

The importance of such exchanges was stressed by both sides as beneficial to strengthening the cooperation between the two countries’ search and rescue systems. As Canada and Russia’s international areas of SAR responsibility are adjacent to each other, ongoing cooperation is important, and contributes to aviation safety.

	Group photo at Russian Rescue Coordination Centre Moscow: Delegation with some Russian Air Force SAR officials. Canadians L-R Maj Atkins, LCol Murray, Maj McSorley, and LCol Goodman.
	Inside MIR Space station trainer: Back row LCol Murray, Maj Atkins; Front row LCol Goodman, and Maj McSorley.