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Exercise MAPLE FLAG 2016

Backgrounder

May 24, 2016 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Exercise MAPLE FLAG will take place at 4 Wing Cold Lake between May 30 and June 24, 2016 and aims to prepare both Canadian and international aircrew, maintenance and support personnel for the rigours of operations in the modern aerial battlespace. 

The exercise scenario sets the stage for participants to fight their way into a conflict zone, eliminate approved targets and fight their way home.

Participants will use a fictitious scenario, fighting against simulated threats using the latest in tactics, weaponry and technology. The goal is to hone their skills within a realistic, evolving and challenging operating environment.

Specific training activities for Exercise MAPLE FLAG 49 include command and control; air-to-air and air-to-surface operations; air-to-air refueling; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; tactical airlift; tactical aviation; and close air support.

These activities will be conducted primarily inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR), a vast tract of land to the north of 4 Wing and CFB Cold Lake.

Throughout both periods, allied and participant forces include: The United States Air Force, the United States Air Force Reserve, the Kentucky Air National Guard, the United States Marine Corps, the Royal Air Force, the French Air Force, the German Army and the Belgian Army. In addition, during period two, 10 nations will participate in the International Observer Program.

The Air Force Tactical Training Centre (AFTTC), located at 4 Wing Cold Lake, directs and hosts Exercise MAPLE FLAG. AFTTC’s fundamental mandate is to provide realistic training to participants in order to simulate modern air combat operations.

Conducted annually since 1978, Exercise MAPLE FLAG has only been cancelled on a handful of occasions, most recently due to CF-18 operations during Operation IMPACT in 2015.

History of Exercise MAPLE FLAG

Exercise MAPLE FLAG is the Canadian variation of the United States Air Force’s Exercise RED FLAG, which is held several times a year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The Flag series of exercises were developed in response to observations made during the Vietnam War. During this conflict, it was noticed the majority of aircraft losses occurred during an aircrew’s first ten combat missions.

Those who survived these critical first 10 missions were deemed more likely to survive the remainder of their combat tour and beyond.  Flag exercises were designed to provide junior aircrews with these critical first ten missions. In many ways, this same structure still exists today.

Initially conceived as Exercise RED FLAG NORTH in 1977, the Canadian version was later renamed Exercise MAPLE FLAG in 1978. Two four-week exercises were held each year until 1987. After that time, it became an annual event lasting between four and six weeks, broken into two or three self-contained, two-week periods.

Traditionally, the main focus of the exercise was fighter operations and supporting airframes, with a primary focus on the Large Force Employment of those entities.

Over the years, the exercise has evolved and transformed in response to real-world operations and advances in technology, expertise and technique. The exercise used to almost exclusively involve fighters, large bombers, fighter-interceptor-bombers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft and Airborne Warning and Control Systems.

Today, many of those same airframes are still involved, but now include integration with various Air Force elements like tactical airlift, helicopters and electronic warfare, as well as the Army.

Since 1987, Exercise MAPLE FLAG has only been cancelled on four occasions. Cancellations occurred in 1991 due to Gulf War I, in 1999 due to the Kosovo conflict, in 2011 due to Operation MOBILE and finally in 2015 due to Operations IMPACT and REASSURANCE. These cancellations all occurred as a result of real-world RCAF operational commitments, and in response to mandates set forth by the Government of Canada.

The real-world training gained during Exercise MAPLE FLAG can only be matched and exceeded by actual real-world operations. When engaged in conflict, there is very little need to conduct large scale operationally focused exercises. The motto ‘train how you fight so you can fight how you train’ rings true for the participants of Exercise MAPLE FLAG; if engaged in actual combat, intense training becomes somewhat superfluous.

The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR)

The CLAWR is part of a vast group of three airspaces which include the Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) and a low-level flying area, all of which are controlled and managed by 4 Wing Operations.

In its entirety, the airspace group spans from British Columbia to Manitoba, and from the Northwest Territories to central Alberta. In total, it is the size of central Europe.

The smallest of the three airspaces – the CLAWR – is itself 1.17 million hectares in size and sits approximately 70 kilometers north of 4 Wing Cold Lake. This specific piece of land is a restricted operating zone, and is the airspace which contains the more than 90 target complexes (over 640 individual targets) and threat simulators which will be used during Exercise MAPLE FLAG 49.

The available target sets include seven full scale mock military airfields, simulated military infrastructure, and simulated surface-to-air threats. Nearly all targets inside the CLAWR permit the use of inert conventional and precision laser and/or GPS guided munitions. Several surface targets can be defended by systems which simulate the signals sent from common surface to air threats.

Rounding out the already robust set of training aids inside the CLAWR are several live-fire areas, including air-to-air and air-to-ground gunnery ranges, where pilots can practice with live munitions against both surface and airborne targets.

International Observer Program

The International Observer Program provides potential future participants of Exercise MAPLE FLAG the opportunity to experience the exercise up close, without committing large amounts of resources. The aim of this program is to secure other nations’ future participation in Exercise MAPLE FLAG.

This year, program participants come from a variety of allied and partner nations, including: Australia, Chile, Germany, India, Israel, Philippines, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of South Korea and Sweden.

Specific participants and their role during Exercise MAPLE FLAG 49

Exercise MAPLE FLAG 49 participants include the following nations, aircraft and units:

Canada:

United States:

France:

Germany:

Belgium

United Kingdom

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Associated Links

Contacts

Captain Mathew Strong
4 Wing Cold Lake Public Affairs Officer
Royal Canadian Air Force, Department of National Defence
(780) 840-8000 Ext 8121

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca


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