427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOA Sqn), located at CFB Petawawa, Ontario supports the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).

A Special Operations Aviation Squadron under CANSOFCOM, 427 Squadron is equipped with the CH-146 Griffon helicopter.

The Squadron serves CANSOFCOM by providing an aviation capability to all the units within this command.  It also serves Army operations by providing tactical airlift of troops and equipment, casualty evacuation and logistical support, and supports search and rescue operations in central Canada when required.

International and Humanitarian missions:

The Squadron has also taken an active role in humanitarian efforts such as the January 1998 Ice Storm in Eastern Canada, where the Sqn deployed eight aircraft to Ottawa and Kingston, and the November 1998 mission to help the victims of Hurricane Mitch. On only 24-hours notice, four 427 Squadron Griffons deployed to La Ceiba, Honduras. Once in the beleaguered country, Griffon crews worked around the clock, airlifting medical teams into communities cut off by the hurricane.
In 2003, 427 Squadron Griffon crews Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR).

427 Squadron has the distinction of having its own coin. The red squadron coin first appeared in 1942-1943 when Metro Goldwyn Mayer adopted the squadron, issued it to its members and as legend has it, provided them with a "lifetime" pass to MGM theatres.