414 Electronic Warfare Support Squadron

On December 7, 2007, the Minister of National Defence authorized the reactivation of 414 Electronic Warfare Support Squadron to provide electronic warfare support to the combat training of the Canadian Forces. The reactivation ceremony took place January 20, 2009.

The Squadron's history dates back to the Second World War, when it flew patrol and air intelligence operations in Great Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands under Army Co-Operation Command, Fighter Command and 2^nd Tactical Air Force.

414 Army Co-operation Squadron formed at Croydon, England, on August 13, 1941. Changing its name to 414 Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron on June 28, 1943, the squadron was based at a number of airfields in England and on the continent. They were disbanded at Luneberg, Germany, on August 7, 1945. Absorbing elements of 14 Photographic Squadron, 414 Photographic Squadron formed at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Rockliffe, located in Ottawa, on April 1, 1947; it was disbanded on November 1, 1950.

414 Fighter Squadron formed at RCAF Station Bagotville, Quebec, on November 1, 1952 and went to 4 Wing Baden-Soellingen in Germany on August 24, 1953. They deactivated on July 14, 1957 and reformed at RCAF Station North Bay, Ontario on August 5 as 414 All-Weather Fighter Squadron. The squadron was disbanded on June 30, 1964, reforming at RCAF Station St-Hubert, Quebec, on September 15, 1967 as 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron. In August 1972, 414 moved to Canadian Forces Base North Bay and stayed there until 1992, when they were split in two with one part going to Canadian Forces Base Comox, British Columbia as 414 Composite Squadron and the other part going to Canadian Forces Base Shearwater, Nova Scotia as 434 Composite Squadron. 414 changed its name to Combat Support Squadron in 1993 when it was equipped with the CT-133 Silver Star.

In 2002, 414 Squadron was disbanded and its remaining two aircraft retired.

Seeking an affordable solution to essential combat training, the Canadian Forces looked to industry. A Project Management Office (PMO) was established to implement the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) project. The Electronic Warfare Support Section (EWSS) was created to provide electronic warfare and mission support aviators to meet the service delivery objectives with units located in Halifax, Esquimalt, B.C., and Ottawa, and a section executive was co-located with PMO CATS staff in Ottawa.

Top Aces Inc. of Pointe Claire, Quebec, won the CATS contract to deliver fast air support to DND in 2005.

The complete squadron history is available on the National Defence, Directorate of History and Heritage website.

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