Shearwater History

Canadian Forces Base Shearwater (1968-1993)

The underwater sensors seen above were used during Anti-Submarine Warfare. The ball-shaped object seen on the left is a transducer from a dipping sonar and is lowered from a hovering helicopter. The transducer transmits an acoustic "ping" to detect submarines within range. The transducer could also listen passively for engine sounds produced by the submarine; in either case, the information could be relayed back to the helicopter by the suspension cable. The long cylinder-shaped object is a sonobuoy. Both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft could drop a pattern of many sonobuoys to detect submarines either passively or by transmitting acoustic pings. The information received was uplinked to the aircraft by VHF radio. The advantage of a sonobuoy pattern is that it could cover a larger area than a single dipping sonar.

On 1 February 1968 Canada's navy, army and air force were unified into a single service. Under the new organization HMCS Shearwater was renamed Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shearwater and placed under the command of Maritime Command where it's role remained unchanged. The base was reorganized in September 1971 with many of the Shearwater aircrew training functions previously conducted by the utility squadrons consolidated into a single operational training squadron. On 12 July 1972 the new Maritime Operational Training Squadron was designated VT 406 to carry on the proud lineage of the RCAF's 406 Squadron which distinguished itself as a night fighter squadron during WW II. VT 406 was responsible for training pilots, navigators, observers and technicians for both the Tracker and Sea King as well as training in: sea survival, underwater acoustics and operation of the flight and tactical simulators. When the operational Tracker squadron, MR 880, was transferred from CFB Shearwater to CFB Summerside PEI in the summer of 1981, it absorbed the Tracker training function and 406 Squadron was redesigned HT 406, responsible only for Sea King aircrew and technician training.

Despite the demise of HMCS Bonaventure, the proliferation of Sea King air detachments on the helicopter carrying destroyers (DDH's) and Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ships extended the span of command and control beyond the capabilities of the single squadron. Therefore, it was decided to split HS 50, the single large helicopter anti-submarine squadron, into two smaller operational squadrons. On 3 September1974, HS 50 was deactivated and two former RCAF squadrons with proud WW II lineages were reactivated at CFB Shearwater as HS 423 and HS 443.

On 2 September 1975 all Canadian Forces aviation was placed under the command of the newly formed Air Command with its headquarters in Winnipeg. Subsequently CFB Shearwater came under the jurisdiction of Air Command with command and control delegated to Maritime Air Group Headquarters in Halifax.

In 1979, the Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility (HOTEF) was formed at CFB Shearwater to conduct development and testing of operational changes to the Sea King. At any time HOTEF may be conducting up to several hundred operational evaluations ranging from a simple test of a new hoist to the complex integration of computer based avionics systems.

In response to the growing requirement for helicopter-carrying destroyers on Canada's Pacific Coast, HS 443 Squadron was transferred to Pat Bay BC in July 1989. Although, providing helicopter support to Maritime Command Pacific, HS 443 Squadron remained under command of CFB Shearwater to provide centralized control of all of Canada's Sea King helicopters.

In August 1990, CFB Shearwater supported five Sea Kings, embarked on the DDH HMCS Athabaskan and the AOR HMCS Protecteur , in the Persian Gulf War dubbed "Operation Friction". The Sea Kings were tasked to interdict unauthorized merchant vessels in the Gulf, protect the vital logistic sea lines, and search for mines.

On 3 September 1992, VU 32 was disbanded and its assets absorbed by 434 (Bluenose) Squadron, which was reactivated at CFB Shearwater as a Combat Support Squadron. Flying CT-133 Silver Stars and CE-144 Challengers, the squadron's primary role was to provide air targets and electronic warfare support for other air force fighter squadrons, naval ships and army anti-aircraft batteries. No. 434 Challengers also flew maritime reconnaissance patrols, partly compensating for the loss of the Tracker in that role. In May 1995, 434 Squadron was transferred to Greenwood NS, contributing to the downsizing of Shearwater, which became solely involved with Sea King operations.