Metz, France

NATO SECRET

Date: 30 Jul 55
Copy No:

Situation:

61 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (AC&WS) becomes operational 1 Aug 55 at 0645Z. The squadron operates a Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) which provides Ground Control Interception and navigational aid, primarily for fighter aircraft. This operations order is intended to acquaint all concerned with details of the squadron and to initiate the correct procedures which must be followed in order to achieve successful operation of the radar/aircraft team.

Enemy Forces: Nil

Friendly Forces: 61 AC&W Squadron will exchange air information with elements of the 12 AF, 1 CATAC and DAT Control and Reporting Systems. Handover of fighters will also be carried out with radars of these organizations.

Attachment and Detachment: Nil

To place in operation the facilities of 61 AC&W Squadron, and to ensure its optimum utilization.

Coordinating Instructions – The CRC is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The CRC assumes control of Air Division fighters, providing training in interception, and flight following navigational assistance to Canadian and other fighters.

All Air Division fighters are to be scrambled and controlled by the CRC. Normal hand-over procedures as required by either the 12AF or 1 CATAC ACC’s will be carried out under existing policy.

Air Div. Control and Reporting SOPs direct the manner in which flight following and emergency procedures are conducted. Pilot, or section leaders as applicable, are to check in with AC&W Squadron or Air Division Common immediately after take off on Exercise 3, and preplanned GCI missions or if flight following is desired on other types of missions. It is not necessary to contact the CRC on Exercise 01, 02, 04, 05, 06. On initial contact with the CRC the flight or section leader, as applicable, is to give details of the mission as per Annex B. The fighter marshal on Air Div. Common will normally instruct the pilot to switch to Wing Ops frequency on which they will be controlled or flight followed by a Wing Intercept Controller.

Air Information is to be passed by the CRC to the 1 CATAC ACC and the 12 AF CRC’s as communications become available. (See Annex "A"). Radar and fighter status is to be passed by the CRC to the appropriate ACC.

Section leaders are to pass their comments on an exercise, by telephone, to the CRC Duty Controller.

Pilots of C-45, C-47, Bristols, etc. flying from a Wing airfield are to ensure that their flight plan is passed to 61 AC&W Squadron. The pilot is to check in with the CRC on Air Div. Common as soon as possible after take off in order that identification and flight following is accomplished.

In order to control visits to the CRC, forty-eight hours notice is to be given to 61 AC&W Squadron; the purpose of the visit is to be stated and a security clearance of secret is required.

The postal address of 61 AC&W Squadron is: 1 Air Division HQ, CAPO 5052, Attention: CO, 61 AC&W Squadron.

Command – Normal Air Division Command obtains.

The location of the CRC is 49 degrees 05 minutes N, 06 degrees, 14 minutes, 30 seconds E (Lat. and/or GE 1405 (Georef)).

Signal – See Annex "A" Telecommunications.

Signed by:
(RS Turnbull) G/C
for AOC,
1 Air Division,
RCAF

NATO SECRET
Annex "A" Telecommunications to
1 Air Division Ops Order 27/55

Radar Equipment:

The primary search radar is the Type 80. Back up is provided by an MPS-11. The Height finders MPS-14 are used.

Frequencies held are:

VHF

* - On request, not monitored unless in use.

UHF

NOTE: - 121.5 and 243.0 are monitored 24 hours per day.

The call sign of the CRC is Yellowjack.

The following communications are available as temporary installations:

NATO SECRET
Annex "B" to 1 Air Division
Ops Order 27/55

The following is an example of Hamster Able, a four plane section, which intends to do high level battle formation"

"Yellow Jack, this is Hamster Able airborne with four chickens on Exercise Five, Reims area."