450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a

Royal Canadian Air Force 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 environm ...

helicopter

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the numerical designation of 450 was originally given to No. 450 Squadron of the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

, which flew under that number from 1941 until 1945 in the Middle East and Italy. Canadian

Article XV squadron Article XV squadrons were Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air force squadrons formed from graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (1939) during World War II. These units complemented another feature of the BCATP, under whi ...

s during the Second World War had used numbers from 400 to 449; however, due to an administrative error, the "450" designation was used when squadron formed at

RCAF 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 ...

Station St. Hubert, Quebec, on March 29, 1968. The squadron moved to CFB Ottawa (Uplands) in May 1970 and the squadron received

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

for the designation 450 Transport Helicopter Squadron on May 20, 1970. On August 1, 1991, the squadron was re-designated 450 Composite Helicopter Squadron. This was followed by another name change on April 1, 1993, when the squadron became 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. In August the following year, 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron was transferred back to 1 Wing at

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 ...

. 450 Squadron was deactivated in 1996 before being officially disbanded on January 1, 1998. On May 2, 2012, the squadron was re-established to operate the CH-147F Chinook helicopters of the

, based out of

CFB Petawawa Garrison Petawawa is located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by the Canadian Army. Garrison facts The Garrison is located in the Ottawa Valley in Renfrew County, northwest of Ottawa along the western bank of the Ottawa ...

. The squadron has a dedicated concrete helipad, measuring , at

Petawawa Heliport Petawawa Heliport is located northwest of Petawawa, Ontario Canada. It is mostly used as a heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain ...

References

; Citations ;Bibliography *

External links

* * * * Canadian Forces aircraft squadrons Military units and formations established in 1968 Canadian Armed Forces {{mil-unit-stub