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408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron | |
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408e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères | |
Active | 1941–1945, 1949–present |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Role | Tactical helicopters |
Part of | 1 Wing Kingston |
Garrison/HQ | CFB Edmonton |
Motto(s) | For freedom[1] |
Battle honours |
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Website | canada |
Insignia | |
Identification symbol | Canada goose in profile |
Aircraft flown | |
Transport | CH-146 Griffon |
408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (408 THS) (French: 408e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères) is a unit of 1 Wing, Kingston. It is co-located with 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton.[3]
Equipped with 16 CH-146 Griffon helicopters, it rotates a high combat-readiness level with 400 Squadron (CFB Borden, Ontario) and 430 Squadron (CFB Valcartier, Quebec). Its primary role is in support of contingency operations and vanguard brigades requiring tactical helicopter resources.
No. 408 Squadron's mandate also includes supporting United Nations and NATO peacekeeping operations, land force training, and support to other government departments. For example, 408 Squadron's eight Griffons were assigned to support the Canadian contingent in the Balkans in 1999. Their job was to ferry small teams of paratroopers, infantrymen, and tankers to certain areas to check out water reservoirs, power grids, suspected weapons caches, minefields, and mass grave sites.