The Gulf War
During
Canada's Operation in the Gulf War, about 4000 service personnel
participated in the intervention, with a peak of 2,700 personnel
in the Persian Gulf region. The Canadian Air Task Group was located
in Doha, Quatar with the joint Headquarters, in Manamah, Bahrain.
The air force provided combat air patrols, air transport and air-to-air
refuelling missions. During the conflict Canadian, CF-18s completed
56 bombing sorties against Iraqi forces.
Air force experience during the war and operational
evaluations of the era highlighted the need to improve command and
control and coordination of ground support personnel and equipment
for deployed operations. Support capabilities were combined into
ad hoc deployed elements. Coordination across multiple chains-of-command
and lines of communication significantly complicated operations.
The result of this realization was the development of an air force
contingency capability structure.
The mission of the contingency capability was to
generate deployment forces capable of supporting worldwide air operations
and other national commitments. The CC concept assemble modular
components into a deployable force package tailored to the requirements
of the specific operation.
To meet the need to develop a deployable support capability,
new shadow units are being formed comprised of Air Combat Service
Support, Airfield Engineering, Airfield Security Force and Telecommunications
and Information Services.
