1920–1945: Pre-unification The
Canadian Air Force (CAF) was established in 1920 as the successor to a short-lived two-squadron
Canadian Air Force that was formed during the
First World War in Europe. Wing Commander
John Scott Williams was tasked in 1921 with organizing the CAF, handing command over later the same year to Air Marshal
Lindsay Gordon. The new Canadian Air Force was a branch of the
Air Board and was chiefly a training militia that provided refresher training to veteran pilots. Many CAF members also worked with the Air Board's Civil Operations Branch on operations that included
forestry,
surveying and anti-smuggling patrols. In 1923, the CAF became responsible for all flying operations in Canada, including civil aviation. In 1924, the Canadian Air Force, was granted the royal title, becoming the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Most of its work was civil in nature, with forest patrols of the northwest a major part of its operations; however, in the late 1920s other agencies took up most civil tasks, with the notable exception of aerial photography surveys, and the RCAF evolved into more of a military organization. After budget cuts in the early 1930s, the air force began to rebuild.
Second World War re-arming a
Hawker Typhoon in the Netherlands, 1944 During the
Second World War, the RCAF was a major contributor to the
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and was involved in operations in the
United Kingdom, Europe, the north Atlantic,
North Africa, southern Asia, and with home defence. Eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four Americans came north to volunteer for the RCAF and over 850 died in action. By the end of the war, the RCAF had become the fourth largest Allied air force. During World War II the RCAF was headquartered at a six-storey office building at 20-23
Lincoln's Inn Fields (built 1937), London. A commemorative plaque can be found on the outside of the building.
1945–1968 After the war, the RCAF reduced its strength. Because of the rising
Soviet threat to the security of Europe, Canada joined
NATO in 1949, and the RCAF established
No. 1 Air Division RCAF consisting of four wings with three fighter squadrons each, based in France and West Germany. In 1950, the RCAF became involved with the transport of troops and supplies to the
Korean War; however, it did not provide RCAF combat units. Members of the RCAF served in USAF units as exchange officers and several flew in combat. Both auxiliary and regular air defence squadrons were run by
Air Defence Command. At the same time, the
Pinetree Line, the
Mid-Canada Line and the
DEW Line radar stations, largely operated by the RCAF, were built across Canada because of the growing Soviet nuclear threat. In 1957, Canada and the United States created the joint
North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). Coastal defence and peacekeeping also became priorities during the 1950s and 1960s.
1968–present: Unification missile on a launch erector in
North Bay. Viewed as an alternative to the scrapped
Avro Arrow, the Bomarc's adoption was controversial given its nuclear payload. In 1968, the
Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force and
Canadian Army were
amalgamated to form the unified
Canadian Forces. This initiative was overseen by the Defence Minister,
Paul Hellyer. The controversial merger maintained several existing organizations and created some new ones: In Europe,
No. 1 Canadian Air Group, operated
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter nuclear strike/attack and reconnaissance under NATO's
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force; Air Defence Command: operated
McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo interceptors,
CIM-10 Bomarc missiles and the
SAGE radar stations within NORAD; Air Transport Command: provided strategic airlift for the NATO and UN peacekeeping missions; and
Training Command. Aviation assets of the Royal Canadian Navy were combined with the RCAF
Canadair CP-107 Argus long-range patrol aircraft under Maritime Command. In 1975, the different commands, and the scattered aviation assets, were consolidated under Air Command (AIRCOM). during
Operation Impact, 2015. CF-18s have been used by the RCAF since 1983. In the early 1990s, Canada provided a detachment of CF-18 Hornets for the air defence mission in
Operation Desert Shield. The force performed
combat air patrols over operations in Kuwait and Iraq, undertook a number of air-to-ground bombing missions, and, on one occasion, attacked an Iraqi patrol boat in the
Persian Gulf. In the late 1990s, Air Command's
CF-18 Hornets took part in the
Operation Allied Force in
Yugoslavia, and in the 2000s, AIRCOM was heavily involved in the
Afghanistan War, transporting troops and assets to Kandahar. Later in the decade-long war, AIRCOM set up a purpose-specific air wing, Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing, equipped with several
CH-146 Griffon and
CH-147 Chinook helicopters, CC-130 Hercules,
CU-161 Sperwer and leased
CU-170 Heron UAVs in support of the Canadian Forces and
ISAF mission. The wing stood down on 18 August 2011. From 18 March to 1 November 2011, the RCAF was engaged in
Operation Mobile, Canada's contribution to
Operation Unified Protector in Libya. Seven CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft and several other aircraft served under Task Force Libeccio as part of the military intervention. On 16 August 2011, the Government of Canada announced that the name "Air Command" was being changed to the air force's original historic name: Royal Canadian Air Force (along with the change of name of Maritime Command to Royal Canadian Navy and Land Force Command to Canadian Army). The change was made to better reflect Canada's military heritage and align Canada with other key
Commonwealth countries whose military units use the royal designation. The RCAF adopted a new badge in 2013, which is similar to the pre-unification RCAF badge (although placed in the modern frame used for command badges). The Latin motto of Air Command which was the motto of the Canadian Air Force when first formed after the First World War (before it became the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924) was retained. Though traditional insignia for the RCAF was restored in 2015, there has been no restoration of the traditional uniforms or rank structure of the historical service (apart from a rank of "aviator", which replaced that of "private" in 2015). On 17 April 2014, Prime Minister
Stephen Harper announced that Canada was dispatching six
CF-18s and military personnel to assist NATO in operations in Eastern Europe. ==Equipment==