years, a C-130 cost IIP $3,600 per hour, 

 considering personnel, fuel, maintenance 

 and operational support and depreciation 

 (Commandant, 1991). The cost per sortie 

 is approximately $15,350 for an average 

 sortie of slightly over 4 hours. In reality, 

 average reconnaissance sorties usually 

 approach seven hours, while the two 

 transit sorties between St. John's and 

 Providence, Rl are about 3.7 hours each. 

 Considering this, a full reconnaissance 

 sortie can cost about $25,000. On a per 

 Ice Reconnaissance Detachment (IRD) 

 basis, with approximately seven sorties per 

 trip, the aircraft costs can amount to over 

 $100,000, for a full Ice Season support 

 cost approaching $1 .7 million. 



However, to adequately cover the 

 same area using RADARSAT the following 

 data are offered, per discussion with Mr. 

 David Hisdal, Marketing manager, SPACE 

 IMAGING, Inc. A single W-2 image costs 

 $3500; however, for bulk orders, the 

 effective price drops to $1500 for a 600- 

 image delivery plan. Due to MP's specific 

 needs we would require "Near-Real-Time 

 Delivery" services, at $800 per image; 

 however, this price may decrease with a 

 bulk order, as well. MP's needs would be a 

 full coverage of the area described above, 

 which could occur once every 24 days, 

 considering only one orbit mode 

 (descending). Descending orbit acquisition 

 is actually more economical given the 

 geometry and orientation of the Grand 

 Banks bathymetry. For an average of 65 

 images (to fully cover the area) which 

 provides a very satisfactory level of 

 overlap, this would result in the acquisition 

 of 574 images, which we would round up to 

 600. The total cost for the entire year 

 would be almost $1.4 million, considering 

 Near-Real-Time fees but some 

 arrangement would have to be made for 

 file transfer. 



On the basis of these estimated, 

 and admittedly roughhewn, figures, 

 RADARSAT appears to be an economical 

 alternative to airborne reconnaissance 

 operations. However, the need to identify 

 the limit-setting ice, which would 

 presumably be quite weathered depending 

 on timing and location, requires more close 

 and considered scrutiny than could be 

 achieved with spaceborne remote sensing 

 techniques, at least presently. In fact, IIP 

 standing orders are to visually confirm, if 

 possible, all limit setting icebergs (CUP, 

 1994). Thus, though RADARSAT may not 

 be appropriate for a complete replacement 

 of HP's airborne operations, it could 

 perhaps be used in tandem, to corroborate 

 and increase the flexibility of the C-130's 

 patrols. In addition, it could make a very 

 powerful planning tool. Finally, if used in 

 this mode, there exists the potential of 

 reducing the number of flights needed per 

 sortie, and potentially shortening both the 

 length of some flights and the length of a 

 particular IRD. All of these contributions 

 could help reduce costs to the Ice Patrol, 

 and ultimately to SOLAS signatory nations. 

 Assuming that a data acquisition plan 

 similar to the one described previously, 

 were used it could reduce by half HP's 

 aircraft costs per season AND reduce the 

 IRD costs by half as well. As an average 

 figure over the past three years, this sum 

 would amount to over $900,000, and could 

 reduce the ultimate cost of a RADARSAT 

 plan to $500,000. Clearly, for a Coast 

 Guard unit of only 16 personnel, 

 automating tasks and reducing workload is 

 an important goal. However, an acquisition 

 plan, whether at an absolute cost of $1.4 

 million or a realized cost of $500,000, 

 would require serious consideration and 

 program support, especially for a unit 

 whose operating budget is only about 

 $200,000. 



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