413 Transport and Rescue Squadron

413 Transport and Rescue Squadron (TRS) conducts search and rescue and airlift throughout an 1,800,000 square mile area in eastern Canada. The unit is made up of approximately 200 personnel including aircrew, an Aircraft maintenance section and administrative support.

As the primary air search and rescue unit on Canada's East Coast, 413 Squadron crews cover an area extending from the south of Nova Scotia , north to Iqaluit on Baffin Island as far west as Quebec City and east out to the middle of the Atlantic.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Halifax (JRCC) operationally controls one Hercules and four Cormorant Aircraft for primary Search and Rescue response. 413 Squadron has crews on standby 24-hours a day to respond to marine vessels or Aircraft in distress, to carry out medical evacuations, or search for missing persons year round.

413 Squadron has an intimate working relationship with the non-profit Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) in the Maritimes and Newfoundland/Labrador. Both the Hercules and the Cormorant carry out annual visits to each of the zones in the Halifax Search and Rescue Region to assist in the training of CASARA member as spotters.

413 Squadron is also tasked by 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD) to provide one Hercules for global strategic transport . Missions include humanitarian airlift and support of other units of the Canadian Forces. Generally the destinations are in North America, the Caribbean, or Western Europe, but could be anywhere in the world.