No. 410 Squadron RCAF, flying CF-100s from
RCAF Station Uplands
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environme ...
, Ontario (1956-)
*
No. 414 Squadron RCAF
No. 414 Squadron RCAF is a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron. It is currently located in Ottawa and conducts electronic warfare support training for other units in the Canadian Armed Forces.
History
World War II
On 13 August 1941, No 414 Army ...
, flying CF-100s and later CF-101 Voodoos from
RCAF Station North Bay
Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an Canadian Forces base, air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario, North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, ...
, 1957-64
*
No. 433 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
, flying CF-100s, 1955-1961
*
No. 445 Squadron RCAF
No. 445 Squadron RCAF was a short-lived post World War II squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The unit was formed in 1953 at CFB North Bay and equipped with CF-100 Canuck. It relocated to CFB Uplands shortly afterwards.
In 1956 No 445 relo ...
, flying CF-100s from North Bay, 1 April to 31 August 1953.
As equipment capability increased, and the perceived Soviet bomber threat diminished, the requirement for numbers decreased, and the nine CF-100 squadrons were replaced by five CF-101 squadrons, which later fell to three. The auxiliary squadrons also lost their air defence role. At the same time, the
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic and Pacific coasts. ...
, the
Mid-Canada Line
The Mid-Canada Line (MCL), also known as the McGill Fence, was a line of radar stations running east–west across the middle of Canada, used to provide early warning of a Soviet bomber attack on North America. It was built to supplement the P ...
and the
DEW Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska (see Proj ...
radar stations, largely operated by the RCAF, were built across Canada because of the growing Soviet nuclear threat.
On January 1, 1957, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. joint-service
Continental Air Defense Command
Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, tasked with air defense for the Continental United States. It comprised Army, Air Force, and Navy components. It included Army P ...
placed the US defenses in a geometric "Canadian Northeast Area" under the operational control of the Canadian Air Defence Command.
Installations affected appear to have included the
Hall Beach
Sanirajak (Inuktitut meaning ''the shoreline''), Syllabics: ᓴᓂᕋᔭᒃ), formerly known as Hall Beach until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit settlement within the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada, approximately south of Igloolik.
Histo ...
DEW Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska (see Proj ...
station constructed 1955–1957 and the
Hopedale stations set up as part of the 1954
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic and Pacific coasts. ...
and 1957
Mid-Canada Line
The Mid-Canada Line (MCL), also known as the McGill Fence, was a line of radar stations running east–west across the middle of Canada, used to provide early warning of a Soviet bomber attack on North America. It was built to supplement the P ...
.
In September 1957, the Command became part of the new
North American Air Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...
(NORAD).
Air Defence Command headquarters moved to
CFB North Bay
Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an Canadian Forces base, air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario, North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, ...
, Ontario, in August 1966.
In 1968 the units of the command were listed as:
*No. 409 AW (F) Squadron
CFB Comox
Canadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox or 19 Wing, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air ...
, British Columbia. Flew the
CF-101
The McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo was an all-weather interceptor aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Forces between 1961 and 1984. They were manufactured by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri for ...
B aircraft.
*No. 414 (EWOT) Squadron
CFB St. Hubert
Canadian Forces Base St. Hubert was a Canadian Forces Base in the city of Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The base began as a civilian airfield in the 1920s and was later also used by RCAF auxiliary (reserve) squadrons, beginning in the mid-1930s. It beca ...
, Quebec. Flew the CF-100 5 aircraft.
*No. 416 AW (F) Squadron
CFB Chatham
Canadian Forces Base Chatham or CFB Chatham was a Canadian Forces Base located immediately south of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. Parts are now operating as Miramichi Municipal Airport since 1974 with a partial runway available ( ...
, New Brunswick. Flew the CF-101B aircraft.
*No. 417 (ST/R) Squadron
CFB Cold Lake
Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake , abbreviated as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base in the City of Cold Lake, Alberta.
The facility is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is approximately south of the ...
, Alberta. Flew the CF-104D aircraft.
*No. 425 AW (F) Squadron
CFB Bagotville
Canadian Forces Base Bagotville , commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, and also known as Bagotville Airport or Saguenay-Bagotville Airport, is a Canadian Forces base located west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay. Located in the centre ...
, Quebec. Flew the CF-101B aircraft.
*No. 445 (SAM) Squadron
CFB North Bay
Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an Canadian Forces base, air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario, North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, ...
, Ontario. Equipped with the Bomarc missile.
*No. 447 (SAM) Squadron
La Macaza
La Macaza is a municipality and village in the province of Quebec, Canada. The village is located in the Laurentian Mountains, in the Laurentian region, in Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality. Its population was 1094 in the 2021 Canadia ...
, Quebec. Equipped with the
CIM-10 Bomarc
The Boeing CIM-10 BOMARC (Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center) (IM-99 Weapon System prior to September 1962) was a supersonic ramjet powered long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) used during the Cold War for the air defense of North ...
missile.
In 1974
CFB Chatham, St. Margarets Detachment became the site for a Satellite Tracking Unit (SITU).
In September 1975 the Command was reduced to Air Defence Group and came under command of Air Command. In 1984 Air Defence Group was renamed as Fighter Group. In 1987 Fighter Group was merged with
Canadian NORAD Region
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...
to create a unified air defence command for Canada.
Fighter Group/Canadian NORAD Region was amalgamated into
1 Canadian Air Division
, colors = Blue, green, yellow, and silver
, colors_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, ...
on its formation in 1997.
Notes
References and further reading
*
*
*Don Nicks
A History of the Air Services in Canada{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926002302/http://www.canmilair.com/rcafhistory.htm , date=2014-09-26 , CanMilAir.com
Canadian armed forces air commands
Air defence commands (military formations)
Military units and formations established in 1951
Military units and formations disestablished in the 1970s
1951 establishments in Canada