1 Canadian Air Division (1 Cdn Air Div) (French: 1re Division aérienne du Canada) is the operational-level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Prior to 2006 the official abbreviation for the division was 1 CAD. It is commanded by an air force major-general.[1][2]Contents
1 No. 1 Air Division RCAF 1952-1967
2 Recreation from 1997
3 References
4 External links
No. 1 Air Division RCAF 1952-1967
The division traces its origins to the activation of Headquarters No. 1 Air Division, Royal Canadian Air Force in Paris, France on 1 October 1952, but were relocated to Metz, France in April 1953.[3] No. 1 Air Division was established to meet Canada's NATO air defence commitments in Europe. It consisted of twelve fighter squadrons located at fourbases. Two bases were located in France (RCAF Station Marville and RCAF Station Grostenquin) and two were located in West Germany (RCAF Station Zweibrücken and RCAF Station Baden-Soellingen). These wings were part of a group of bases which also included U.S. and French installations, all of which came under the jurisdiction of NATO's Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) which, in turn, was commanded by Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE). Components located in Metz included Air Division Headquarters, an air traffic control centre, a telecommunications centre, a combat operations centre, and a support unit.
Canadian squadrons were originally equipped with Canadair Sabre day fighters. One squadron of each wing, however, would be replaced by the all-weather CF-100 in 1956. The Sabre squadrons were replaced by (nuclear) strike/reconnaissance CF-104 Starfighters in 1962.
After the RCAF left France in 1967 and after the RCAF was reorganized and consolidated with Canada's other two services, No. 1 Air Division was replaced by No. 1 Canadian Air Group (1 CAG) with headquarters at CFB Lahr, West Germany.[4]
As an austerity measure, in 1968 No. 3 Wing Zweibrucken was closed and its two squadrons were moved to Nos. 1 and 4 Wing. 1969 brought the announcement that the amalgamation of the Canadian Forces in Europe to one command and two bases, and that the Canadian army in northern Germany (Zoest area) would be moving south to Nos. 1 and 4 Wings. This meant that No. 1 Wing Lahr would close its doors and the air force in Europe would be reduced in strength (from 6 to 3 squadrons) and concentrated at Baden-Soellingen; the new name would be 1 Canadian Air Group (CAG).
The Group remained until 1988 when Canada increased her commitment to NATO (3 squadrons in theatre and two squadrons in Canada) and No. 1 Canadian Air Division stood-up again. However, shortly after this, relations with the east started to warm and Canada made another announcement; Canada would withdraw her forces stationed in Europe and close the doors on her two bases by 1994. The Air Division, reduced to three squadrons then to two and finally one, ceased flying operations 1 January 1993. This ended a major era of Canada's Air Force
The mission of the Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) is to provide aerospace surveillance, identification, control and warning for the defence of Canada and North America.
Headquartered at 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANR executes a variety of tasks to defend Canadian airspace, including identifying and tracking all aircraft entering Canadian airspace, exercising operational command and control of all air defence forces in CANR and operations in support of other government departments and agencies.
CANR is one of three North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) regions. The other two subordinate regional headquarters are located at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska and Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. NORAD is the bi-national Canada- U.S. command that continuously provides worldwide detection, validation and warning of a ballistic missile attack on North America and maintains continental detection, validation, warning and aerospace control of air-breathing threats to North America, to include peacetime alert levels and appropriate aerospace defense measures to respond to hostile actions against North America.
Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, CANR has been heavily committed to Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), NORAD’s ongoing internal air defence mission.
1 Canadian Air Division is responsible for providing CANR with combat-ready air forces to meet Canada’s commitment to the defence of North America and maintain the sovereignty of North American airspace.
NORAD assets are positioned strategically throughout Canada and the U.S. and can respond to any air sovereignty threat in a matter of minutes. CANR CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft are on continuous alert to respond to any potential aerial threat to the safety of Canada and Canadians.
1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD) is the source of air power provided by the Royal Canadian Air Force to the operational commands of the Canadian Forces (CF).
Organized and equipped to provide operation-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment, 1 CAD ensures its wings and units are ready with the right mix of air power to meet our nation’s urgent aerospace needs and, as a partner in North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), are able to counter potential threats to our sovereignty.
1 CAD operates a diverse fleet of aircraft and also provides an array of command, control, communications and intelligence systems in support of our nation’s defence priorities at home and abroad.
The Commander of 1 CAD serves also as Commander of the Canadian NORAD Region and as the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) for the Canadian Joint Operations Center (CJOC).
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/22-wing/index.page http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/war-conflict/defence/defence.html
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/index.page http://zarconian.wikia.com/wiki/Source_John_Connor