Exercise Maple Flag is an annual
air combat
''Air Combat'' is a 1995 combat flight simulator developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemie ...
exercise carried out from
CFB Cold Lake over the co-located Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR). It is among the largest such exercises in the world, lasting four weeks, split into two two-week "phases". The first Maple Flag was carried out in 1978, initially twice a year, but moved to an annual format in 1987.
Maple Flag provides realistic training for pilots from the
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), as well as select allied air forces from around the world. The number of personnel at CFB Cold Lake effectively doubles while the exercise is being conducted, with approximately 5,000 pilots and support crews participating.
History
Maple Flag can be considered a Canadian version of the
United States Air Force's
Red Flag Red flag may refer to:
* Red flag (idiom), a metaphor for something signalling a problem
** Red flag warning, a term used by meteorologists
** Red flag (battle ensign), maritime flag signaling an intention to give battle with no quarter (fight to ...
, which is held several times a year at
Nellis Air Force Base (using the
Nellis Air Force Range
The Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) is one of two military training areas at the Nellis Air Force Base Complex in Nevada and used by the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base. The NTTR land area includes a "sim ...
). RED FLAG was conceived during the
Vietnam War when the USAF found that 90 percent of combat aircraft losses were during a pilot's first 10 missions; the first RED FLAG occurred in 1975. Initially conceived as Exercise RED FLAG NORTH in 1977, it was renamed Exercise MAPLE FLAG in 1978.
Maple Flag copied the Red Flag format in 1978 and until 1987, it was held twice a year, and reduced to once a year after 1987. Maple Flag has been cancelled three times between 1991 and 2011 all due to significant RCAF commitments, once in 1991, due to the
Gulf War, and again in 1999 due to combat operations (
Operation Allied Force) in
Kosovo. In 2011, Maple Flag was cancelled due to NATO military commitments (
Operation Mobile) in
Libya.
Maple Flag was again cancelled in 2015 due to
Operation Impact (Canadian Armed Forces (
CAF) mission to degrade and ultimately defeat
Daesh in Iraq and Syria) and
Operation Reassurance (Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mission to Central and Eastern Europe to provide assurance and deterrence measures for NATO countries in the region).
The RCAF decided to not conduct Maple Flag in 2019. The RCAF will use the opportunity to modernize the infrastructure used during the exercise and to re-focus its resources to update the exercise's mandate. To ensure that Maple Flag remains relevant now and into the future.
Exercise format
The mission of MAPLE FLAG is to provide training to the Canadian Forces and allied air forces, including fighter, bomber,
aerial refuelling, transport, air defence,
AWACS,
SEAD, and
electronic warfare crews.
Participants join forces against a hostile aggressor (called "Redland"), using the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) territory for all operations. CLAWR is 1.17 million hectares in size and is approximately 70 kilometers north of 4 Wing Cold Lake.
Each 10-day phase involves a combination of air-to-ground, air-to-air and other missions twice a day, morning and afternoon. The Air Force Tactical Training Centre (AFTTC), located at 4 Wing CFB Cold Lake, plans, directs and hosts Exercise Maple Flag. Fighter aircraft carry
Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pods to simulate air-to-air and air-to-surface attacks.
Aggressors
Played by various aircraft including frequently F-16C's from United States Air Force's
64th Aggressor Squadron. On 31 October 2017
Discovery Air Defence had won the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS), a ten-year contract to provide "Aggressor" aircraft to play red hostile forces during Canadian military exercises. Discovery Air Defence use a fleet of modernized
Alpha Jets to simulate red opposition forces.
International Observer Program
The International Observer Program provides potential future participants of Exercise MAPLE FLAG the opportunity to experience the exercise up close, without committing large amounts of resources. The aim of this program is to secure other nations' future participation in Exercise MAPLE FLAG.
Participants have come from a variety of allied and partner nations, including: Australia, Chile, Germany, India, Israel, Philippines, Oman, Peru, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of South Korea and Sweden.
Exercise participants
![Alpha Jet (3553619322)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Alpha_Jet_%283553619322%29.jpg)
Most Canadian tactical combat aircrew have participated in MAPLE FLAG over the years, initially flying the
CF-104 Starfighter,
CF-101 Voodoo and
CF-116 Freedom Fighter
The Canadair CF-5 (officially designated the CF-116 Freedom Fighter) is the Canadair licensed-built version of the American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft primarily for the Canadian Forces (as the CF-5) and the Royal Netherlands Air Forc ...
, followed by the
CF-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet (official military designation CF-188) is a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) variant of the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New ...
. Other supporting aircraft have included the
CC-177
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
,
Canadair CT-133 T-bird,
CT-114 Tutor
The Canadair CT-114 Tutor (company model CL-41) was the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and later Canadian Forces, standard jet trainer between the early 1960s and 2000. It was designed and produced by Canadian aircraft manufacturer Canadair. ...
,
CC-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
,
CP-140 Aurora,
CH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-role utility helicopter designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant of the Bell 412EP for the Canadian Armed Forces. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissa ...
,
CT-155 Hawk,
CT-156 Harvard II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company (Textron Aviation since 2014). A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 has replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-3 ...
,
CC-150 Polaris
The Airbus CC-150 Polaris is the designation for the civilian Airbus A310-300s which have been converted into multi-purpose, long-range jet aircraft for passenger, freight or medical transport and mid-air refueling for the Royal Canadian Air ...
and the
CC-137 Husky.
Allied air forces from many
NATO countries have been involved in years past, with numerous aircraft types. Examples include:
*German
Luftwaffe:
F-4F Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...
,
C-160
The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft, produced as a joint venture between France and Germany. "Transall" is an abbreviation of the manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz, comprising the companies of MBB, Aerospatiale, and ...
D Transall,
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
G,
Panavia Tornado
*
Royal Air Force:
Buccaneer,
Harrier II
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primaril ...
,
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force.
Originall ...
,
C-130,
Panavia Tornado,
Sentry AEW.1
*
USAF/
USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
/
USMC –
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
C/D Fighting Falcon,
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
,
F-15E Strike Eagle,
A-10 Thunderbolt,
EA-6B Prowler,
B-1B Lancer,
KC-135 Stratotanker,
KC-10 Extender,
C-5 Galaxy,
C-141 Starlifter,
C-17 Globemaster III, F/A-18E
Super Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more a ...
,
F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornets,
F-111 Aardvark,
A-7D Corsair
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
*
Royal Netherlands Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = ''Parade March of the Royal Netherlands Air Force''
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
:
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
AMLU Fighting Falcon
*French
Armée de l'Air:
C-160
The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft, produced as a joint venture between France and Germany. "Transall" is an abbreviation of the manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz, comprising the companies of MBB, Aerospatiale, and ...
R,
Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...
-N,
Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...
-D,
Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...
-5,
Mirage F1CT,
Boeing E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an American airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft developed by Boeing. E-3s are commonly known as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System). Derived from the Boeing 707 airliner, it provides all-wea ...
,
A400M
*
Royal Norwegian Air Force –
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
Fighting Falcon
*
Belgian Air Force
The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...
–
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
MLU,
C-130H Hercules
Non-NATO nations include:
*
Israeli Air Force:
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
C/D
*
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
:
F/A-18A/B Hornet,
C-130H Hercules
*
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...
:
C-130H Hercules
*
Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force ( sv, Svenska flygvapnet or just ) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the es ...
–
C-130H Hercules
*
Republic of Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderi ...
Air Force:
KC-135R Stratotanker,
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
Fighting Falcon
*
Brazilian Air Force
"Wings that protect the country"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Hino dos Aviadores
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...
–
C-130H Hercules
*
Colombian Air Force – 6
A-29 Super Tucanos, 1
C-130H Hercules, and 1
KC-767MMTT.
Many officers and personnel from other nations have been invited as guests of the Canadian Forces to observe MAPLE FLAG operations. Several private sector organizations have also participated in MAPLE FLAG, providing fictional opposition Redland forces.
Gallery
Notes
External links
4Wing information Page On Maple FlagPictures from Maple FlagColombian Air Force On Maple Flag 2013
{{Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Canadian military exercises
Military aviation exercises