Canadian Air Wing to take the skies over Kandahar

By Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Janzen and Major Jay Medves

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN; 6 December 2008 — The parade marking the stand-up of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing attracted senior officers and dignitaries from the Afghan national security forces and the International Security Assistance Force as well as the “whole of government” team conducting Canadian operations in Afghanistan. The several hundred men and women of the new Wing’s units executed their drill movements with precision and pride, knowing that they were opening a new volume of Canada’s air force history.

“We are very proud to be standing up this new Air Wing and to be participating in Canada’s effort in Afghanistan,” said the Wing Commander, Colonel Christopher Coates. “Our air and ground crews are experienced, skilled and enthusiastic about being members of this new unit. They have trained hard to deploy here, and will continue to build and refine their skills in theatre so as to provide important, enhanced support to our fellow Canadians and our Afghan and ISAF partners on the ground.”

The Air Wing’s mission is to conduct flying operations that are integrated into ISAF efforts in Regional Command (South).

The coming months will be dedicated to the challenging task of building capabilities to enable the Wing to deliver air transportation, surveillance and reconnaissance assets that contribute to mission success in the ISAF Regional Command (South) area of operations.

“This new air wing will enhance my ability to conduct operations in Kandahar Province by providing safe and rapid transport of soldiers and enhanced surveillance assets that will help us isolate insurgents from the civilian population,” said Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, commander of Task Force Kandahar. “By enhancing security, we will also accelerate Canada’s ability to work with the Afghan government and our international partners in bringing reconstruction, development, and good governance to Kandahar Province.”

The Air Wing comprises four units:

• the Canadian Helicopter Force (Afghanistan), operating CH-147 Chinook D heavy lift helicopters and CH-146 Griffon tactical support helicopters;
• the Theatre Support Element, operating CC-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft;
• the Canadian Heron UAV Detachment, operating the Heron unmanned aerial vehicle; and
• the Tactical UAV Flight, operating the equipped Sperwer tactical unmanned aerial vehicle.

As the tasking authority responsible for the Canadian Contracted Air Transport Unit, the Wing Commander will also provide advice, co-ordination and supervision over its six leased Mi-8 medium lift helicopters.

At full strength, the Air Wing will comprise about 450 personnel, of whom 200 are already in theatre, serving with the Theatre Support Element in the Persian Gulf region and the Tactical UAV Flight at Kandahar Airfield. The remainder will deploy to Afghanistan by 31 January 2009.

Canadian overseas air formations — A thumbnail history

In the arithmetic of air operations, two or more squadrons equals a Wing, and two or more Wings equals a Group.

No 1 Wing, Canadian Air Force, stood up on 25 March 1919 at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, with Lieutenant-Colonel W.A. (Billy) Bishop in command and two squadrons — No 1 (Fighter) and No 2 (Day Bomber). It suspended operations in June 1919, when the British government cut its funding, but survived on paper until February 1920.

During the Second World War, several Canadian Wings served with Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force. Canadian Kenley Wing, with four squadrons at Kenley, Surrey, and Canadian Digby Wing, with two squadrons at Digby, Lincolnshire, flew the famous Supermarine Spitfire. Second Tactical Air Force, an RAF formation created in 1943 to support Second (British) Army under General Sir Bernard Montgomery, included six RCAF Wings in the air defence and army co-operation roles. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, RCAF X Wing and RCAF Y Wing were in Alaska, defending North America in partnership with the U.S. Army Air Force.

Canada’s most famous deployed air formation was No 6 (RCAF) Group, part of RAF Bomber Command from October 1942 to January 1946. At the peak of its strength, 6 Group comprised 14 heavy bomber squadrons — about 25,000 personnel, at 11 stations organized in four bases distributed around central Yorkshire. 6 Group squadrons flew the Vickers Wellington medium bomber and the Avro Lancaster and Handley-Page Halifax heavy bombers.

Victory in Europe in 1945 saw the formation of No 120 (Transport) Wing to support Canada’s contribution to the Allied occupation force in Germany. During the 1950s, four RCAF fighter Wings operated in France and Germany as part of 1 Canadian Air Division, flying the CF-86 Sabre, the CF-100 Canuck, and the CF-104 Starfighter.

Members of Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing are extremely proud to contribute to Canada’s contribution in Afghanistan and join our proud heritage of deployed air operations.

LCol Jay Janzen is the Task Force Kandahar Public Affairs Advisor. Maj Jay Medves is the Flight Safety Officer at 1 Wing Headquarters, and the 1 Wing Historian.