4 RCAF CF-18s head To Romania from Iraq

Written by JDM, CAFDispatch Author
Published February 26, 2015

While the Liberal government has decided to end the RCAF's CF-18 participation in the US-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and Syria; their tour of duty is not complete; at least for four of the six CF-18s that were deployed to Kuwait in October 2014.

An RCAF CF-18 flies with a Portuguese F-16 over
Lithuania in November 2014. 

As part of Exercise RESILIENT RESOLVE; four of the RCAF CF-18's will depart Kuwait on March 1, 2016 and head to Constanta, Romania for bilateral training with the Romanian Air Force. 

In addition to the four CF-18s, approximately 100 members of the RCAF, mainly from CFB Bagotville, Quebec will deploy as ground crew.


The deployment will be Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel David Turenne. The Air Task Force personnel for this exercise will be from 2 Wing and 3 Wing. The four CF-18s are from 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at 3 Wing Bagotville. This same squadron previously deployed to Câmpia Turzii, Romania, in the spring of 2014 as part of NATO’s assurance measures of OP REASSURANCE.

The Task Force was also previously part of  NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission from September to December 2014 and was based in Siauliai, Lithuania.

More details released from the RCAF:  “2 Wing will provide a scaled and tailored Airfield Activation Surge Team as part of the Air Task Force that will include personnel from 2 Air Expeditionary Squadron and 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron. 2 Wing is the RCAF’s air expeditionary wing, which exists to rapidly deploy either in whole or in part as a self-contained unit, employing air power and providing associated support wherever needed, throughout Canada or around the world.”