| 103 Search and Rescue Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active | 1947–1968 1977–present |
| Country |  Canada |
| Branch |  Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Type | Search and rescue |
| Part of | 9 Wing Gander |
| Mottos | Seek and save |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Major Blair Turner |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Patrol | Canso-A,Avro Lancaster,Douglas Dakota,Noorduyn Norseman,Sikorsky H-5 |
| Transport | CH-113 Labrador,AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant |
103 Search and Rescue Squadron of theRoyal Canadian Air Force is asearch and rescue unit based at9 Wing Gander on theCanadian island ofNewfoundland. The squadron is responsible for a large area covering the offshore waters of Canada'sExclusive Economic Zone in theAtlantic Ocean and inland areas in theMaritimes,Newfoundland and Labrador, and parts ofEastern Quebec. The squadron operates threeAgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant helicopters.
The unit was stood up on April 1, 1947, atRCAF Station Dartmouth as the103 Search and Rescue Flight, a section of 101KU. Later that year, the unit moved toRCAF Station Greenwood. In 1950, the unit was renamed103 Rescue Unit The unit was located in Greenwood NS until 1968 when it was moved toRCAF Station Summerside, where it remained until unification of theCanadian Forces in 1968, when it was disbanded, with the remnants of the unit forming the new413 Transport and Rescue Squadron atCFB Summerside.[1] As 103 RU it flew a variety of aircraft:Canso-A (until 1962),Avro Lancaster (until 1965),Douglas Dakota (until 1968),Noorduyn Norseman (until 1957),Sikorsky H-5 (until 1965).[2] 103 also had detachments inTorbay, Newfoundland (which was thenRCAF Station Torbay re-opened in 1953 on the former RCAF Aerodrome – Torbay, Newfoundland) andGoose Bay, with the latter closed and becoming107 Rescue Unit in 1954. RCN provided high-speed launch vessels (ex-RCMP) support at select locations.
The unit was re-activated in 1977 atCFB Gander to meet the search and rescue demands in Canada's area of responsibility in the westernNorth Atlantic. At the time of its reactivation, the squadron was equipped with theBoeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador twin-rotor helicopter and was stationed in a permanent hangar constructed on the grounds of the airport in 1977. In 1997 the squadron was re-designated to its current name byPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and presented with its standard.[1]
In 2009, the squadron, alongside its parent unit 9 Wing Gander, hostedSAREX 09, an annual search and rescue exercise involving SAR organizations across Canada, with units from theUnited States Air Force and international observers also attending.[3]
.svg)