Royal Canadian Air Force airmen from 42 Radar Squadron brief Col David Turenne, 4 Wing commander, during exercise Phoenix Sunrise, Jan. 19 – Feb. 17, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Turenne was briefed on the successes and challenges 42 RS faced during Phoenix Sunrise, which tested their ability to deploy the RCAF’s new AN/TPS-77 radar system in a forward operating environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jakob Hambright)
For a unit that has been based at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake since its inception, 2024 is an exciting year. 42 Radar Squadron will be celebrating an anniversary, has a new radar system to use, and recently took part in Exercise Phoenix Sunrise, in partnership with the United States Air Force (USAF), at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The unit’s Commanding Officer, Major Marc Raven, says the exercise allowed his unit to work with the new tool in their inventory, as well as with allies from the US.
“What a success (the exercise was)! This was the first deployment of AN/TPS-77 Radar, which had only been in our possession in Canada for five months before we deployed it. We sent the radar and 36 members of the Canadian Armed Forces to the Air Force base, where we were able to practice radar deployment and installation procedures, as well as some complex and demanding tactical air control training with members of the 607th Air Control Squadron, which is the USAF Air Battle Training Squadron that hosted us.”
Raven says the new radar system features a variety of positive upgrades from previous ones in use.
“It’s an Active Electronically Secured Array (AESA), which gives us improved accuracy and resiliency over our old radar system. It’s also easier to maintain because it has newer parts and it can be operated remotely, which is an interesting feature.”
“It’s in use with many NATO countries,” adds Raven. “It represents a huge technological leap forward from our previous radar system. We are excited to be testing out its new capabilities.”
42 Radar Squadron began as 42 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron when CFB Cold Lake became operational in 1954. Raven says he is looking forward to celebrating his unit’s 70th anniversary.
“We’re reflecting on our history this year, but we’re also looking forward to our future. It is quite fortuitous that our anniversary lines up with the 70th anniversary of the base, as well as the arrival of our new radar system. We will have some displays at the Cold Lake Museums, as well as the local RCAF 100th anniversary Gala, and as well as at the Cold Lake Air Show so that everyone can see what our squadron is and what we do.”
In terms of the future of 42 Radar Squadron, Raven says the outlook is very bright.
“I’ve been telling my team ‘There’s no such thing as an average day at 42 Radar Squadron anymore.’ We are going to be in a state of transformation and innovation in the next five years. This will bring our systems online and integrate with an evolving RCAF. We will be looking at new opportunities to deploy the new radar system to places we haven’t been before. We’ll also be looking to gain as much experience as we can working with our allies, air defence systems and fifth-generation fighter aircraft. We also want to find new ways to push the boundaries of what is achievable by a small, tactical Command and Control unit like 42 Radar Squadron. “
“The key will be radical integration in the future.”
