CFB Cold Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids CFB Cold Lake Cold Lake/Group Captain R.W. McNair Airport
Base des Forces canadiennes Cold Lake
Cold Lake, Alberta in Canada
A CF-18 Hornet of the Royal Canadian Air Force at CFB Cold Lake
Cold Lake Show map of Alberta Cold Lake Show map of Canada Location in Alberta
Coordinates	54°24′18″N 110°16′46″W / 54.40500°N 110.27944°W / 54.40500; -110.27944
Type	Canadian Forces base
Site information
Owner	Department of National Defence
Operator	Royal Canadian Air Force
Controlled by	1 Canadian Air Division
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	1952 (1952) – 1954
In use	1954 – present
Events	Exercise Maple Flag
Garrison information
Current commander	Colonel David Turenne, CD
Garrison	4 Wing
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: YOD, ICAO: CYOD, WMO: 711200
Elevation	541 metres (1,775 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 13L/31R 3,840.4 metres (12,600 ft) asphalt 13R/31L 3,048 metres (10,000 ft) asphalt 04/22 2,520.6 metres (8,270 ft) asphalt

Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, often called CFB Cold Lake, is a major military base in Cold Lake, Alberta. It is a home for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

This base is an air force training center. It is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR). This range is a huge area where fighter pilots from CFB Cold Lake practice their skills. CFB Cold Lake is one of only two bases in Canada that houses the amazing CF-18 Hornet fighter jets. The other base is CFB Bagotville. The main RCAF group at the base is called 4 Wing, also known as 4 Wing Cold Lake.

The base also has an airport named Cold Lake/Group Captain R.W. McNair Airport. It is one of only three military airports in Canada named after a person. While it can handle international flights, it is mostly used by military planes and staff.

History of CFB Cold Lake

Building the Base

Construction of what became RCAF Station Cold Lake started in 1952. This was during the Cold War, a time of tension between countries. The RCAF chose this spot in Alberta to be Canada's top air weapons training base. They picked this location because it didn't have many people, was easy to get to, had good weather, and suitable land for training.

On March 31, 1954, the first military staff arrived. Operations at RCAF Station Cold Lake began that very day. The next year, the government made an agreement with Saskatchewan and Alberta. This agreement allowed them to use a large area of land, about 11,700 square kilometers (4,500 square miles). This area became the CLAWR, which is the main reason the base is located here.

The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range

The CLAWR is like a huge outdoor classroom for pilots. It's similar to the Nellis Air Force Range in the United States. But CLAWR has a different environment, with thick forests and many lakes. This makes it feel more like flying over parts of Europe.

The range has over 640 real targets and 100 realistic training areas. These include fake airports with runways, planes, and buildings. There are also pretend military vehicles like tanks, radar sites, and command centers. This helps pilots practice flying and fighting in a very realistic way.

A CF-100 Mk 5 plane firing rockets during a training event at Cold Lake in 1957.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the base trained crews for the CF-100 Canuck plane. This plane was used in Canada and Western Europe. From 1962, the CF-104 Starfighter arrived. This changed the base's job to training pilots for Canada's role in NATO in West Germany. This continued until the CF-18 Hornet arrived in 1982. Since then, CFB Cold Lake has been the main training spot for the CF-18.

On February 1, 1968, Canada's military branches joined together. The RCAF became part of the unified Canadian Forces. RCAF Station Cold Lake changed its name to CFB Cold Lake.

Modern History and Training

A CF-18 Hornet takes off from CFB Cold Lake during a training exercise in 2003.

In the 1980s, the CLAWR was used for testing new AGM-86 Tomahawk cruise missiles by the United States Air Force. These missiles were launched far away and flew low over the land to the CLAWR. This testing caused some discussion, but the tests were allowed to continue.

In 2007, the base was featured in a TV show called Jetstream. The show followed eight pilots as they trained to fly the CF-18.

In 2020, the Canadian government announced plans to build new facilities at CFB Cold Lake. These new buildings will house Canada's future fighter jets. The first new jets are expected to arrive around 2025.

What Happens at CFB Cold Lake Today?

An aerial view of Cold Lake, showing the runways and taxiways.

As of 2023, CFB Cold Lake is home to several important units of 4 Wing:

• 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron (flies CF-18 Hornets)
• 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron (flies CF-18 Hornets)
• 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron (trains pilots on CF-18 Hornets)
• 417 Combat Support Squadron (flies CH-146 Griffon helicopters)
• Other units that help keep the base running, like maintenance and health services.

Besides training, the fighter jets from CFB Cold Lake help protect the western part of Canada's airspace. Along with planes from CFB Bagotville, they also cover Canada's Arctic region. These planes are part of NORAD, which is a joint defense group for North America.

Cold Lake also hosts flight training for NATO countries. Every year, CFB Cold Lake hosts a big international air weapons training event called Maple Flag. This event uses the CLAWR and is similar to the famous Red Flag exercises in the United States. Even NASA and ESA astronauts use Cold Lake for winter survival training!

Cadet Training Centre

The Cold Lake Cadet Training Centre (CLCTC) is located at 4 Wing Cold Lake. It runs every summer from June to August. Its main goal is to offer a safe and challenging summer training program for cadets.

The Senior Leaders Course (SLC) moved to CFB Cold Lake in 1973. Over the years, other courses were added, like the Survival School. By 1989, these schools joined to form the Cold Lake Cadet Camp (CLCC). Later, a Cadet Service Band program was also added.

Today, the CLCTC has about 205 staff members. These include staff cadets, officers, and other personnel from all parts of Canada. They help run various courses, including:

• Fitness and Sports Instructor (FSI)
• Advanced Aviation (AAC)
• Survival Instructor (SIC)
• Drill and Ceremonial Instructor (DCIC)

This center provides great opportunities for young people to learn important skills and have unique experiences.

4 Wing Band

CFB Cold Lake also has its own unit band. This band was officially formed in November 1982. They perform for the base and for the city of Cold Lake.

Non-Military Use of the CLAWR

The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range is mostly for military training, but it's also used for other things. Since the 1990s, more non-military activities have taken place there. These include things like natural gas extraction, commercial fishing, and logging. For example, a company called Canadian Natural Resources Limited uses a special method to extract oil from the oil sands near Cold Lake.