Wings & Squadrons

Air Force Wings Across Canada

Thirteen wings are located across Canada, from Gander, Newfoundland, to Comox, British Columbia. The Wings conduct Air Force operations under the direction of 1 Cdn Air Div/CANR. Ten Wings also include a Canadian Forces Base along with other operational and support units.

Wings vary in size from several hundred personnel, such as at 9 Wing Gander and 5 Wing Goose Bay, to larger wings, such as, 8 Wing Trenton, 4 Wing Cold Lake and 14 Wing Greenwood with several thousand personnel.

The following Wings report operationally to 1 Cdn Air Div:

• 1 Wing Kingston is the home of the Griffon helicopter. It provides airlift support of troops and equipment anywhere in the world. Its six tactical helicopter and training squadrons are spread out across the country.
• 3 Wing Bagotville is located in Quebec's Saguenay region. It provides general purpose, multi-role, combat capable forces in support of domestic and international roles of Canada's Air Force. It also provides search and rescue missions.
• 4 Wing Cold Lake is the busiest fighter base in Canada. It provides general purpose, multi-role, combat capable forces in support of domestic and international roles of Canada's Air Force. Home of fighter pilot training for the Canadian Forces, 4 Wing attracts Top Gun crews from all over the world to our annual air combat exercise, Maple Flag.
• 5 Wing Goose Bay. The mission of 5 Wing Goose Bay is to conduct NORAD and other Canadian Armed Forces operations.  As the Eastern gateway to the Canadian Arctic, its strategic location enables 5 Wing to play a key role in protecting the sovereignty of Canada and in the air defence of North America. Their location and the challenging airspace and terrain on and above Labrador and Quebec also allows 5 Wing Goose Bay to offer an outstanding environment for the conduct of joint and combined training for the Canadian Armed Forces, NATO partners and our allies. 
• 8 Wing Trenton is the hub of Canada's air mobility forces - from delivering supplies to the high Arctic (CFS Alert) to airlifting troops and equipment worldwide. It is also responsible for search and rescue in central Canada and home to the famous Skyhawks with the Canadian Parachute Centre.
• 9 Wing Gander is home of the 103 Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron, providing full-time SAR services to Newfoundland and Labrador. When a call for help comes in, SAR crews at 9 Wing Gander are ready to head out in any direction from their base in Canada's most easterly province, Newfoundland.
• 12 Wing Shearwater is the centre of naval aviation in Canada. Home of the CH-124 Sea King helicopter, 12 Wing supports the Navy with up to nine helicopter air detachments for international and domestic operations.
• 14 Wing Greenwood is nestled in the heart of Nova Scotia's beautiful Annapolis Valley. Aurora crews conduct sovereignty and surveillance missions over the Atlantic Ocean routinely, while search and rescue capabilities are maintained 365 days of the year.
• 15 Wing Moose Jaw is the site of the new NATO Flying Training Program in Canada (NFTC). This southern Saskatchewan town is also home to the Snowbirds, Canada's world famous aerobatic team.
• 16 Wing Borden is the "Birthplace of the RCAF." The largest training Wing in the Canadian Forces, 16 Wing's schools offer air force technical training and professional development.
• 17 Wing Winnipeg comprises three squadrons and six schools. It also provides support to the Central Flying School. All combined, 17 Wing turns out what are considered some of the best air navigators and multi-skilled personnel in the world. For Canadian air force personnel, all roads will lead to 17 Wing Winnipeg.
• 19 Wing Comox is based on Vancouver Island. Its Aurora crews keep watch over the Pacific Ocean while its search and rescue teams regularly locate downed Aircraft in some of Canada's roughest terrain while another squadron helps train fighter pilots in tactical procedures.
• 22 Wing North Bay , also known as the Canadian Air Defence Sector (CADS), is responsible for providing surveillance, identification, control and warning for the aerospace defence of Canada and North America at the Sector Air Operations Centre.