Air International 2022-01
R.Coppinger - FAcT of the matter
From January 18 to 20, 2021, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing commitment to an enduring presence in the furthest reaches of the Arctic, two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets staged out of Iqaluit, NU, rendezvoused with a CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refueller over Baffin Bay as part of a training mission involving an Arctic patrol.
From January 18 to 20, 2021, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing commitment to an enduring presence in the furthest reaches of the Arctic, two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets staged out of Iqaluit, NU, rendezvoused with a CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refueller over Baffin Bay as part of a training mission involving an Arctic patrol.
CpI Mathieu Levesque from 425 Squadron refuels a CF-188 aircraft after arrival to training exercise Amalgam Dart 21-2 on March 19, 2021.
Pilots have to train for a number of years before they fully qualify on platforms such as the CF-18 Hornet. Canada’s future fast jet fleet will comprise either the Saab Gripen or Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter.
A Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF-188 Hornet lands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 12, 2021, to take part in the training exercise, Operation Noble Defender.
A Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot climbs aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jet in preparation for a training flight during Exercise Amalgam Dart, June 13, 2021.
The legacy CT-155 Hawk was previously selected for the NATO Flying Training in Canada programme because of its similarities to frontline fighter aircraft.
Flight training in platforms such as the CT-155 is gradually being replaced by simulators and synthetic training environments, a development that will be a factor in the FAcT programme.