Canadian Forces Base North Bay

Canadian Forces Base, North Bay
Characteristics
Coordinates	46 ° 21 '26 " N , 79 ° 24' 54" W Coordinates: 46 ° 21 '26 " N , 79 ° 24' 54" W.
Transport links
Distance from the city center	3 miles north of North Bay
Street	Airport Road
Basic data
opening	1933
operator	Royal Canadian Air Force

The CFB North Bay (short CFB North Bay) is a military airfield near North Bay , Ontario , Canada . The air base reports directly to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The 22nd Squadron ( 22nd Wing ) is stationed on it today .

history

RCAF North Bay Station

The base was opened in 1933 by the Royal Canadian Air Force as RCAF Station North Bay . Initially, the station was used as a logistics location and as a planning center for other air force bases that were built in the northern part of Ontario in 1930. The airbase played a major role during the Second World War . It was used as a refueling and emergency airport for aircraft that were transported by ship to England from the USA and Canada. The base served primarily as a stopover for fighter jets such as the Avro Lancaster bomber , which was built in Toronto, and the American Consolidated B-24 . With the end of World War II, the base was closed.

In 1951 it was reactivated and used for training purposes. After the infrastructure was restored, the base was used as a logistics center during the Cold War to build the Pinetree Line (an air surveillance network with radar stations) that ran near the base. The runways were greatly extended and the airbase was used from that point on for air surveillance for Toronto and southern Ontario. The normal occupation was two squadrons for night flights and one squadron for daytime surveillance. The Avro Canada CF-100 , the North American F-86 and later the McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo were stationed .

In 1950, with the establishment of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the introduction of the Canadians by the Americans into the computerized air defense system Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), an air surveillance center was set up on the base, which has the same equipment and authority as that American counterpart in Cheyenne Mountain . In 1959 a SAGE system was set up, which is located in a three-story underground structure under the air base.

NORAD Command Center

CFB North Bay

On April 1, 1966, the RCAF station North Bay was renamed due to a restructuring in the Canadian armed forces to the name Canadian Forces Base North Bay (short: CFB North Bay ). The Bomarc anti-aircraft missiles stationed up to then were abolished in 1973, followed in 1983 by the outdated SAGE system, parts of which can still be seen today in the Computer History Museum in California, USA. Due to financial cuts in the defense budget, only one unit was stationed on the airbase at the end of the 1960s before it also moved.

At the beginning of 2000, due to further budget savings in defense spending after the end of the Cold War, the air base was about to be closed again. The NORAD command center was to move to Winnipeg. The nearby city of North Bay was concerned about the loss of jobs. For this reason, it was agreed that the Ministry of Defense and the city would share costs in order to keep the air base as a location. In 2004, the construction of a new above-ground command center began, which was completed in 2006. In the fall of 2006, operations began in the command center and the building was named "Sergeant David L. Pitcher Building". The former underground command center was shut down, but can be put back into operation at any time in the event of increased danger.

Today, from a military point of view, the base has largely come to a standstill and in summer it mainly serves as a training location, B. for aircraft maintenance.

The remaining tasks of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) include flight control for Canadian airspace. The systems are operated today by the 22nd Air Wing, which monitors the northernmost areas of Canada with the North Warning System radar network . The network also includes radar systems on the Canadian coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific. The unit of the 21st Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron is responsible for monitoring the airspace. If an unidentified or suspicious flying object should penetrate the Canadian airspace, depending on the danger situation, CF-18 fighter planes start from the nearest bases to defend themselves.

units

Around 600 people are employed on the base, including soldiers, reservists and civilians.

21st Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron, (air surveillance and warning unit)
51st Aerospace Control and Warning Operational Training Squadron, (training center)
722nd Support Squadron (USAF), ( U.S. Air Force support unit )

as well as other supporting units.

Runways

The airfield has three asphalt runways. The first is 3,039 meters long and 80 meters wide. The second largest is 1900 meters long and around 70 meters wide. The third track is 1350 long and 60 meters wide.

Web links

Department of National Defense - CFB North Bay (22 Wing) , (English)