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| 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron | |
|---|---|
| 408e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères | |
 | |
| Active | 1941–1945, 1949–present |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Role | Tactical helicopters |
| Part of | 1 Wing Kingston |
| Garrison/HQ | CFB Edmonton |
| Motto | For freedom[1] |
| Mascot | Canada Goose |
| Battle honours |
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| Website | canada |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Canada goose in profile |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | CH-146 Griffon |
408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (408 THS) (French:408e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères) is a unit of 1 Wing, Kingston. It is co-located with1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group atCanadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton.[3]
Equipped with 16CH-146 Griffon helicopters, it rotates a high combat-readiness level with400 Squadron (CFB Borden, Ontario) and430 Squadron (CFB Valcartier, Quebec). Its primary role is in support of contingency operations and vanguard brigades requiring tactical helicopter resources.
No. 408 Squadron's mandate also includes supportingUnited Nations andNATO peacekeeping operations, land force training, and support to other government departments. For example, 408 Squadron's eight Griffons were assigned to support the Canadian contingent in theBalkans in 1999. Their job was to ferry small teams of paratroopers, infantrymen, and tankers to certain areas to check out water reservoirs, power grids, suspected weapons caches, minefields, and mass grave sites.
No. 408 Squadron's history dates back to 24 June 1941, whenRAF Bomber Command's directive called for the formation of 408 Squadron as part ofNo. 5 Group RAF. It was to be the secondRoyal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)bomber squadron formed overseas. Goose Squadron, as it was to become known, was initially based atRAF Lindholme inYorkshire,England, and equipped withHandley Page Hampdens. During the war, the Goose Squadron converted aircraft several times. No 408 would change from Hampden aircraft to theHalifax, and then to theLancaster in August 1943 after moving toRAF Linton-on-Ouse and becoming part ofNo. 6 Group.
It flew 4,610 sorties and dropped 11,340 tons of bombs. A total of 170 aircraft were lost and 933 personnel were killed, listed as missing in action (MIA) or prisoners of war (POW). Squadron members won two hundred decorations, and 11 battle honours for its wartime operations.[4]
On 5 September 1945 No 408 Squadron was officially disbanded.
On 10 January 1949, Goose Squadron was reformed atRCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario. Equipped with eightLancaster Mark X photographic aircraft, it was tasked with the mapping of Canada, specifically the far North. In 1962, the squadron formed a flight ofCanadair CT-133 Silver Star aircraft and was given the additional task of photo reconnaissance missions in support of army exercises.
On February 29, 1964, the Lancaster aircraft were retired and replaced withDakotas. The Goose Squadron was moved toRivers, Manitoba, and re-designated as a transport support and area reconnaissance squadron.
On May 1, 1964, RCAF Station Rivers Transport Support Flight with itsC-119 Boxcars was transferred into 408 Squadron. In 1965, the Boxcars were replaced by CC-130 Hercules aircraft. As the decade drew to a close, 408 Squadron was once again redesignated. On October 1, 1968, it started its long history with 10 Tactical Air Group as a "Tactical Fighter Squadron".
During this post-war era, the squadron flew seven different aircraft: the Lancaster,Cansos,Norseman, Dakotas, Boxcars, T-33s, andHercules aircraft. Late in 1970, the squadron was once more disbanded.
On January 1, 1971, 408 Squadron was once again re-activated atNamao inEdmonton, Alberta, as a tactical helicopter squadron (THS) and equipped with CH-135 Twin Huey and CH-136Kiowa helicopters.
Its primary tasking is to provide tactical aviation to the army. The mission includes air mobile assault,air ambulance, air observation, reconnaissance insertions, troop movement, airborne command and control platform and droppingparatroopers. In September 1996, the squadron was re-equipped with CH-146 Griffon helicopters.
Personnel from 408 Squadron deployed to Afghanistan nearly continually from 2006 until 2011. Initially forming a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) detachment using theCU-161 Sperwer. From 2008, 408 members were deployed to Kandahar airfield operating theCH-146 Griffon andCH-147D helicopters as part of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing. The primary role of the JTF-A Air Wing was to provide transportation, reconnaissance, armed escort, and fire support to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).[3]
In July 2018, 408 THS deployed to Mali as part of Task Force Mali onOperation Presence.[5] In Mali, 408 THS operated the CH-146 Griffon in the armed escort role, providing support to MEDEVAC and utility missions.[6] 408 THS completed its tour in Mali in January 2019, having participated in seven medical evacuation missions[7]
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1Aircraft administered and serviced by the RCAF but crewed by theRoyal Canadian Artillery. 2 Non-standard code as unit using OW added L. Letters normally denoted parent Command, aircraft type (LLiberator transport, DDakota etc), unit, and individual aircraft. 3 VC .svg) XXA where VC was the civil code used by the RCAF replacing CF-, XX was the unit code and A was the aircraft ID letter4 XX nnn where XX was the unit code and nnn was the last 3 digits of the serial number. Unit code was replaced with "RCAF" in 1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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